Manganese the Forgotten Battery Metal
Despite recent market slowdowns, the push for carbon-free energy continues, driven by zero-emission goals and specifically, electric vehicle (EV) supply. Within the acceleration of electric vehicle demand, the supply of batteries and battery metals continues to be squeezed and as a result, prices have soared so much so, that manufacturers are turning to alternative battery metals. This brings us to manganese, which makes up ~17% of the average electric vehicle battery, yet has not taken part in drastic price increases like lithium which recently hit new all-time highs and is up over 400% since 2020. Additionally, with this pricing discrepancy, it is anticipated that manganese will continue to make up higher percentages of EV batteries as manufacturers substitute the more expensive battery metals with manganese.
