Rare earth elements (REEs) consist of 17 metallic elements with similar chemical traits. This group includes the 15 lanthanides, plus scandium and yttrium. These elements aren’t truly "rare" regarding their presence in the Earth’s crust. However, they are typically scattered rather than gathered in deposits that are easy to mine profitably. This spread-out nature complicates their extraction and purification. Despite their name suggesting scarcity, rare earths are vital to modern tech. Their unique physical and chemical features drive their importance.

Lithium, the lightest of all metals, has come to preeminence with remarkable speed as the driver of the present energy revolution. From powering our cell phones to energizing the growing wave of electric vehicles (EVs) and underpinning large-scale energy storage systems, its demand is increasingly inelastic and boundless. There lies behind this facilely simplistic tale of expanding demand, however, a complex and evolving universe of lithium exploration.

The global transition towards cleaner energy sources is no longer a futuristic ideal but a tangible shift reshaping industries and economies worldwide. From the burgeoning adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) to the massive deployment of solar and wind power infrastructure, this energy revolution is placing unprecedented demands on a range of critical materials.

Rho Motion, the leading EV research house, today revealed that the number of electric vehicles sold globally in February 2025 is 1.2 million. The EV market grew by almost 50% compared to February 2024, but fell by 3% compared to January 2025.

Antimony is a critical element to be utilized in most sectors, but the green energy industry has especially put into perspective how significant it is. The metal finds most applications through flame-resistant products, lead-acid batteries, and now energy storage device production. Rapid development of the green energy technologies such as wind and solar energy, and expanded applications of electric vehicles (EVs), all directly contribute towards increased demand for antimony. The special features of antimony render it unavoidable for numerous purposes in green energy.

Global prices for nickel, copper, and aluminum have been wildly swinging the past two years. With application in renewable energy infrastructure via EVs and a vehicle for sustainability goals, the metals are now pivotal commodities of the game of energy transition. Yet, the double pressure of new energy demands and green regulation is still the prime driver of their volatile prices.

As the world economy is turning towards renewable energy solutions, companies worldwide are attempting to figure out what that does to metals' supply chains of metals such as aluminum, copper, and zinc. These metals, the foundation of renewable energy infrastructure, battery technology, and electric vehicles (EVs), are more important than ever. But with that new demand come new issues, like resource availability, geopolitical tensions, and the ecological costs of extracting and processing them.

As 2025 draws near, the lithium sector is experiencing increasingly vibrant transformation driven by a combination of international demand for green technology, evolving regulatory environments, and changing patterns of supply. This has witnessed price action and trends going awry as new markets evolve to feed the world's insatiable lithium appetite. It is where we would be talking about the prevailing trends in the price of lithium, the supply chain pressures emanating from all over the world driving the same, and how the emerging economies are pushing the new normal with their support to the same.

【Is the Sodium-Ion Battery Merely the "Hot Cake" of the Mixed Market?】 Sodium-ion batteries have once again become the darling of the capital market. Over the past month, several sodium-ion battery startups have secured new rounds of financing. In December 2024, sodium-ion battery technology developer Yingong Technology announced the completion of a nearly 100 million yuan Pre-A round of financing. This round was led by IDG Capital, with co-investment from Xianghe Capital and local state-owned capital, while existing shareholder Lightspeed China Partners increased its investment. This financing provides solid financial support for Yingong Technology's continuous innovation and large-scale expansion in the new cycle. (Gasgoo)

Large changes are underway across the global supply chain for metals due in large part to the growth in the new energy industry. Global demand for cobalt, lithium, and nickel-three of the key metals at the heart of EVs, advanced batteries, and renewable energy technologies-is at unprecedented levels, radically changing worldwide markets in ways that have potential long-term implications for manufacturers, investors, and policymakers alike. Demand for these three metals in the active parts of rechargeable batteries and other green energy storage systems has skyrocketed as governments and companies further ramp up efforts to decarbonize their respective economies.