The Deadly Mining Complex Powering the EV Revolution

By Matthew Campbell and Annie Lee – Bloomberg

Extensive review of Chinese, Indonesian, South Korean and US corporate filings by Bloomberg Businessweek, as well as interviews with industry experts, shows that nickel from IMIP is present in the supply chain that feeds virtually every major seller of EVs.

Companies processing nickel there have direct or indirect supply relationships with many of the world’s largest manufacturers of batteries and battery materials, including South Korea’s LG Chem, Samsung SDI and SK Innovation. There’s a strong chance that metal is being used, or will soon be, in at least some cars manufactured by Tesla Inc., as well as BMW, Ford, General Motors, Hyundai, Stellantis and Toyota, among others.

With its cheap workers and cheap coal, Indonesia offers a dramatic cost advantage compared with other sources of nickel, which include Australia and Canada.