Albemarle, SQM and other lithium producers have been scaling back expansion plans as near-term oversupply concerns drag on prices, unnerving investors who are pushing the industry to focus more on profitability.
Volkswagen, BMW and other automakers planning to produce all-electric fleets of vehicles during the next decade with lithium-ion batteries are expected to help global demand for the white metal more than triple by 2025 to 917 469 t, according to Canaccord Genuity.