Last year saw more than three million electric vehicles ( EVs ) on the world 's roads , a high figure driven by demand in China , according to a report by the International Energy Agency ( IEA ) . Lithium demand is forecast to be 91 kt/year by 2030 based on current policies and 263 kt/year if more ambitious polices are implemented. The number could rise to 125 million by 2015 if existing policies remained in place but , if governments ramped up efforts to address climate change , it could increase to 220 million EVs by then . The IEA report said the uptick would put pressure on lithium and cobalt supplies , as well as transmission and distribution networks .
Last year saw more than three million electric vehicles ( EVs ) on the world 's roads , a high figure driven by demand in China , according to a report by the International Energy Agency ( IEA ) . The number could rise to 125 million by 2015 if existing policies remained in place but , if governments ramped up efforts to address climate change , it could increase to 220 million EVs by then . The IEA report said the uptick would put pressure on lithium and cobalt supplies , as well as transmission and distribution networks .