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Is silver used in electric car batteries?

I heard that electric vehicles use precious metals in their batteries, like gold and silver. It seems like it would be expensive to make an electric car battery if that was true. Is silver used in electric car batteries?

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Bellina Gaskey · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Great question! Silver is used in electric vehicle batteries. Thanks to silver’s high conductivity and high corrosion resistance, it is a perfect metal to use in batteries.
Silver has the highest known electrical and thermal conductivity of all metals. This has long made it the go-to choice for complex or high-use electronics. NASA even uses silver on spacecrafts, like its Magellan spacecraft. For this reason, it’s a crucial element in the automotive sector.
Car manufacturers consume 55 million ounces of silver annually, and that number is expected to skyrocket as more countries push for electric vehicle adoption. Current predictions have it hitting 90 million ounces per year by 2025.
Amid concerns that
electric vehicle production can affect biodiversity
, the increase in electric vehicles has some concerned that silver reserves won’t be able to keep up with demand. However, silver has been used in vehicles for a long time, and is a crucial part in circuit boards that help your vehicle function.
The amount of silver used in vehicles has dropped dramatically, and it’s expected that this trend will continue with electric vehicles. Simply put, as electric vehicles advance, they should also require less silver to operate. Already, smaller batteries being developed will require less silver, and new PV cells require 50% less silver than their older counterparts.
Silver is used in electric car batteries because it helps conduct electricity and protect against overheating so well.
Whether you drive gas or electric, get yourself the most affordable insurance.
Jerry
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