This is stated in the letter, which was reviewed by Reuters journalists. Two influential Democratic senators point out that China’s dominance in the battery market is alarming and recall China’s recent decision to limit exports of graphite, used in batteries, starting December 1 of this year.
China dominates the global supply chain for electric vehicle batteries, including the production of graphite, the largest component.
The senators cite expert findings that the United States is 10 to 20 years behind Asia in battery commercialization and highlight that China accounts for 75% of battery production.
“The United States must become a leader in the production of batteries and battery components while securing supply chains for manufacturing materials,” the letter from Senators Mark Warner and Joe Manchin said.
The call notes that the United States produced less than 10 percent of lithium-ion batteries in 2022. At the same time, their demand is expected to increase 7-fold by 2035.
The letter’s authors cite the Pentagon, which maintains that lithium-ion batteries are essential to the defense industry. We are talking about the production of walkie-talkies, unmanned underwater vehicles and future technologies such as lasers and directed energy weapons.
The senators are calling for a Senate briefing by Dec. 1 “on the ongoing research and development of next-generation battery technologies.”
