Rally in Super Commodity Strained by Race to Fuel Tesla
- Tight supply of lithium used in batteries fueled surging price
- Four companies controlling 90% of market now eye output growth
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Even the mining industry’s super commodity of the future may be unable to avoid the Achilles’ heel of all mineral producers -- a recurring habit of busting a boom with too much supply.
As miners of everything from copper to iron ore wrestled with losses driven by global surpluses, prices soared for lithium, the light-weight metal used in rechargeable batteries. It’s easy to see why. Booming demand outpaced production thanks to the faster-than-expected growth in global electric-vehicle sales and the aggressive expansion plans of Elon Musk’s Tesla Motors Inc.