Chinese EV market slowdown slashes lithium, cobalt prices

Battery metal supplies to rise as countries plan output expansion

20230629N China Battery REUTERS

A worker at a production line for EV lithium-ion batteries in a factory in Huzhou, China. © Reuters

SHINICHI ARAKAWA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Prices for metals used in electric vehicles are falling, with the value of lithium down nearly 50% from a recent peak last fall, as EV demand slows down in the largest market of China.

With resource producers planning output expansion, prices for those materials, including cobalt and nickel, are expected to remain soft for some time. The trend, in turn, could bring down prices of EVs themselves, further fueling their spread, some experts predict.

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