A booming market … but weakened
Sales of electric cars are breaking records in Europe, encouraged by government aid and the energy transition. However, behind this growth, of new risks emerge And worry actors in the sector.
Technical problems, tensions on raw materials and environmental threats could slow down, even reverse this dynamic.
“The future of electric vehicles is not guaranteed if we do not anticipate these challenges”, warns an analyst of the automotive market.
Technological vulnerabilities
If electric cars appeal to their lack of direct emissions, they depend on still young technologies and sometimes fragile. The batteries, the heart of the system, remain expensive to produce and sensitive to extreme temperatures.
Some recent incidents have highlighted:
- Fire risks linked to overheating
- A drop in accelerated autonomy in the event of intensive use
- High battery replacement costs
These points, still in the minority but publicized, can influence consumer confidence.
The battle of raw materials
The manufacture of batteries is based on materials such as lithium, cobalt or nickel. However, the offer of these resources is limited and concentrated in a few countries.
Comparison of the evolution of the price of lithium in the past five years:
| Year | Average price (USD/ton) | Variation |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 12 000 | — |
| 2020 | 9 000 | -25 % |
| 2021 | 17 000 | +88 % |
| 2022 | 70 000 | +311 % |
| 2023 | 45 000 | -36 % |
This volatility complicates the planning of manufacturers and could affect the final price of vehicles.
A less neutral environmental impact than planned
Unlike the “zero emission” image often highlighted, the production of an electric car generates a high initial carbon footprintin particular because of the extraction and transport of materials.
In addition, the recycling of batteries is still in its infancy: only a few specialized sites are able to effectively treat components, and their capacity is limited.
How to anticipate these threats?
For the future of electric cars to remain promising, several tracks are mentioned by experts:
- Develop batteries that are less dependent on lithium
- Invest massively in recycling
- Diversify the sources of supply of raw materials
- Educate consumers on optimized maintenance and recharge
These efforts could reduce risks and strengthen confidence in electric mobility.
