Aluminium is a widely used metal, and every new forecast recently shows that the demand for aluminum in the market has been rising. The most prominent performance in aluminum consumption is still electric cars. In recent years, the continuous rise of electric vehicles has also promoted the rising demand for aluminum, mainly because aluminum has a very good strength-to-weight ratio. When mixed with other common metals, its strength-to-weight ratio tends to increase.
Electric vehicles have opened a considerable niche market in the automotive market. As of last summer, 3.5 million electric passenger cars and 421,000 electric buses were sold worldwide. Last year, the total demand for aluminum from electric car makers reached 250,000 tons, and the average car required 250 kg of aluminum. Experts said that although the total demand for aluminum by electric vehicles is already considerable, it is expected that by 2030, the data may increase 10 times to reach 10 million tons per year.
As more and more consumers consider electric vehicles to be a strong competitor for diesel locomotives, it is estimated that the sales of electric vehicles will increase significantly, and the market share of electric vehicles is expected to rise from 4% in 2017 to 2030. 30% of the year. By the end of 2018, the number of global electric vehicles is expected to exceed 4 million, and half of the owners can use the charging piles. In addition, half of the electric vehicles are in China. Taking into account the rapid growth of the Chinese automotive market, China is also expected to occupy a leading position in electric vehicles. And because the Chinese government vigorously promotes electric vehicles, experts believe that by 2040, China will become the world's largest electric vehicle market.
The public's acceptance of electric vehicles is closely related to the availability of reasonable, reliable, and durable batteries, which has also made battery research and a breakthrough into a highly competitive field. Last fall, researchers at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea announced the development of a new high-energy aluminum-air battery that is more efficient than traditional gasoline engines. The key, the researchers said, is to replace an exhausted battery pack, rather than recharging it, saving time and avoiding the dangers of charging a battery. The new aluminum-air battery only needs to react with oxygen in the surrounding air to generate electricity, rather than generating electricity directly from the power source. Compared with existing lithium-ion batteries, aluminum-air batteries have a larger discharge capacity, lighter weight, and lower production costs.
Over time, electric vehicles will show more and more development prospects, and the aluminum industry will also grow significantly as a result. Electric vehicles are an industry that is increasingly dependent on off-the-shelf aluminum and aluminum alloys. As their penetration in the market has increased, both national and private companies are working hard to create better and more reliable electric vehicles. The aluminum alloy industry bodes well.