EV Batteries Are Critical to US Defense Production
Photo Credits: Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images, Rivian
Beginning with the claim that batteries will soon become ‘chokepoint technologies’ or “technologies critical to the functioning of modern society”, national security experts Greg Pollock and Joshua Busby paint a stark, yet accurate picture of the EV landscape in their recent piece in Heatmap. With warfare driving a large portion of many nations’ economies, innovation in the sector can become incredibly beneficial and strategically critical.
The US is a historical technology leader but has made backward progress on federal policy around domestic battery and EV production in the past year. Due to their massive subsidization and industrial policy around EVs, China remains firmly in control of the global battery ecosystem. This ‘ecosystem’ isn’t just the batteries themselves, rather, it also encompasses the “processing of critical minerals, the production of midstream cathodes and anodes, and the commercialization of next generation battery technologies”. With the US struggling to secure funding for military EV battery research, customers often become the ones getting to try new car technology – and reaping the ranging benefits.
Yet, the authors remain confident that America has what it takes to turn around their position in the EV market.
Their solution? The US committing “to build[ing] the batteries that will power the next era of economic growth, military capability, and industrial strength or import them from China, with all the vulnerabilities that will entail”. Pollock and Busby understand that batteries are an intentional and strategic industry, and they say, more importantly, “China understands this. Beijing does not view batteries, EVs, renewable energy infrastructure, and industrial competitiveness as separate issues. It views them as components of a single strategic package”.
The automotive industry and the Pentagon’s ability to produce mission-critical technology are more interlocked than many thought. The future of automotive is electric. The path forward is clear—even if federal policy hasn’t been.
Read the full story at Heatmap News