Pirate's Cove

Why is the U.S. government involved in the manufacture of vehicles to start with? Will we now have the government selling them?

Exclusive-Biden looks abroad for electric vehicle metals, in blow to U.S. miners

U.S. President Joe Biden will rely on ally countries to supply the bulk of the metals needed to build electric vehicles and focus on processing them domestically into battery parts, part of a strategy designed to placate environmentalists, two administration officials with direct knowledge told Reuters.

The plans will be a blow to U.S. miners who had hoped Biden would rely primarily on domestically sourced metals, as his campaign had signalled last autumn, to help fulfill his ambitions for a less carbon-intensive economy.

Rather than focus on permitting more U.S. mines, Biden’s team is more focused on creating jobs that process minerals domestically into electric vehicle (EV) battery parts, according to the people.

Such a plan would help cut U.S. reliance on industry leader China for EV materials while also enticing unions with manufacturing work and, in theory, reduce pandemic-fueled unemployment.

Right, so where are the materials coming from? And China Joe would be just moving the mining from the U.S., which has much better environmental standards, to nations, especially 3rd world ones, which don’t. That make you happy, environmentalists?

Under the approach, the United States would rely on Canada, Australia and Brazil – among others – to produce most of the critical raw materials needed, while it competes for higher-value jobs turning those minerals into computer chips and batteries, according to the two sources.

And how are they sent to the U.S.? Fossil fueled ships, right? So, more ships.

“President Biden is focused on seizing the electric vehicle (EV) market, sourcing and manufacturing the supply chain here in America, and creating good-paying, union jobs,” said Ali Zaidi, the deputy White House national climate adviser.

“Building American-made EVs and shipping them around the world will include leveraging American-made parts and resources. This includes responsibly pursuing, developing, and mining critical minerals and materials used for EV batteries.”

But, do consumers actually want them? Can they afford them? Remember this?

Exclusive: Biden campaign tells miners it supports domestic production of EV metals https://t.co/VC8Kz7TUTw pic.twitter.com/qo7VQEkc8W

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 23, 2020