• threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.worksM
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    11 hours ago

    rare metals (lithium, copper, etc)

    It’s important to remember that these metals need to be mined once, and will last the entire life of the vehicle, likely several lifetimes, as the battery materials can be recycled. Contrast that with ICE vehicles, which require more fossil fuels every time the vehicle is used.

    • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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      6 hours ago

      No one talks about how much mining is used to make platinum, palladium and rhodium used to make catalytic converters. Those metals are actually rare.

    • quick_snail@feddit.nl
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      10 hours ago

      I believe that’s theoretical hopium. Recycling battery lithium components is academic.

      And we know how terrible the process of recycling lead acid is on the environment, so we’ll just have to see if its even possible in practice, and how bad it is.

      • SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca
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        6 hours ago

        Lead acid recycling is 99% efficient. Very little new lead is used in new batteries.

        Lithium recycling plants are online already.