U.S., European, and Japanese leaders are all talking about the urgency of building new supply chains to end their reliance on China for critical minerals and batteries that will power next-generation mobility, technology, and weapons. It all sounds great and makes for good politics at home, but the reality is that China’s dominance of these vital supply chains is so big and still growing that it will be nearly impossible to close the gap anytime soon.
Zeyi Yang, a senior writer covering technology and business at Wired, recently detailed this phenomenon in a cover article for the magazine about how “Chinese EV batteries are eating the world.” Zeyi joins Eric to discuss why it’s going to be so difficult for the rest of the world to match China’s near-total dominance of this increasingly vital sector.
📌 Topics Covered in this Episode
China’s 80% dominance in EV batteries
Why Chinese firms are expanding globally
Key players like CATL, BYD, and Goshen
Expansion into Europe and Southeast Asia
Local tensions over the environment and labor
Batteries as a strategic energy resource
Show Notes:
Wired: Chinese EV Batteries Are Eating the World by Zeyi Yang: https://tinyurl.com/595hnzrh
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