The strategic role of critical minerals in electric vehicle production

Miuc, Tomi (author), Švigelj, Matej (author)

Electric vehicles (EVs) play a central role in global strategies to reduce carbon emissions. However, their production depends on a range of critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and rare earth elements, which are largely sourced from geopolitically sensitive regions, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chile, and China. This paper analyzes the mineral supply chain challenges associated with EV production, focusing on economic, environmental, and geopolitical risks. The growing demand for EVs has exposed vulnerabilities within mineral supply chains, including the regional concentration of resources, price volatility, and unsustainable mining practices. These pressures are further amplified by competition from other industries dependent on the same raw materials. The study emphasizes the need for a multidimensional response incorporating recycling, technological innovation, ethical sourcing, and international policy coordination. Ensuring a resilient and sustainable mineral supply chain is essential for supporting the continued growth of electric mobility while minimizing broader environmental and social impacts.

• Language: English
• Keywords: electric vehicles, critical raw materials, industries, critical minerals, sustainable supply chain
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: EF - School of Economics and Business
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 29-37
• Numbering: Vol. 60, iss. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-184412
• UDC: 338.4
• ISSN on article: 2657-4950
• DOI: 10.2478/wsbjbf-2026-0011
• COBISS.SI-ID: 282457603
• Publication date in RUL: 06.07.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: WSB Journal of Business and Finance
• Publisher: WSB Merito University in Gdansk
• ISSN: 2657-4950
• COBISS.SI-ID: 176165891

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/
• Description: You are free to reproduce and redistribute the material in any medium or format. You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. You may not use the material for commercial purposes. If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material. You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: električna vozila, kritične surovine, panoge dejavnosti

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P5-0117
• Name: Trajnostna konkurenčnost slovenskega gospodarstva v evropskem in globalnem okviru