He made the statements in an interview as he – together with his counterparts from the G7 countries – visited a summit in Ise-Shima, Japan. Buttigieg also believes that the United States should build better relations to secure the supply of raw materials. ‘
China
The mining and refining of important raw materials for electric cars takes place largely in China, Buttigieg says. “The United States must work to create an economically sound, environmentally sound, and geopolitically stable strategy for incorporating these vital components into the American economy.”
More than half of the electric car batteries produced are Chinese-made and more than 90% of the necessary components are mined in China, according to BloombergNEF. It is therefore virtually impossible for European and American automakers to match the efficiency of Chinese industry.