Leon Wubbe

“But EV batteries use cobalt!” It’s one of the most common arguments used against electric vehicles. And yes, cobalt mining raises serious environmental and ethical concerns, particularly around working conditions and child labour in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo. But there’s something important that often gets completely overlooked. The EV industry is already moving away from cobalt. The oil industry is still HEAVILY reliant on it and always will be. Let’s look at some facts. 1. Not all EV batteries contain cobalt. Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries contain NO cobalt and NO nickel. They’re already being used in millions of electric vehicles, including models produced by Tesla, BYD and other major manufacturers. In fact, LFP batteries now account for a substantial proportion of the global EV battery market. And that proportion has grown dramatically over the past few years. 2. Even batteries that use cobalt are using less of it. Battery manufacturers have spent years developing chemistries that reduce cobalt content. For example, older NMC battery chemistries used considerably more cobalt than newer high-nickel versions. And research continues into sodium-ion, lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) and other battery technologies that can eliminate cobalt altogether. The direction of travel is clear: less cobalt, and potentially none in many future EV batteries. 3. Here’s something petrol and diesel drivers might not realise. Cobalt is also used in the oil refining industry. It’s an important component in catalysts used during hydrodesulfurisation, a process that removes sulphur from petroleum products. These catalysts commonly contain cobalt and molybdenum, although some refining processes use alternatives such as nickel-based catalysts. In other words, cobalt isn’t exclusively an EV problem. It’s also part of the process used to produce the petrol and diesel that millions of vehicles burn every day. 4. There’s another fundamental difference. The materials in an EV battery can potentially be recovered and recycled. Cobalt, where present, can be recovered and reused in new batteries. Petrol and diesel, on the other hand, are burned during use. Once that fuel is combusted, it cannot be recovered and recycled into more fuel. 5. So what does the future look like? More cobalt-free EV batteries. Continued reductions in cobalt content in other battery chemistries. Improved battery recycling. And potentially entirely new battery technologies that don’t require cobalt at all. Meanwhile, conventional oil refining continues to use cobalt-containing catalysts in certain processes. The irony is that people often use cobalt as an argument against EVs while completely ignoring its use in producing fossil fuels. The EV industry has commercially proven ways to eliminate cobalt from batteries. The oil industry still has established refining processes that use it. Neither industry should be exempt from scrutiny over ethical sourcing or environmental damage. But if we’re going to have an informed discussion about cobalt, we need to look at the whole picture, not just electric cars.