Lithium: Relationships

Every element and industry that Lithium is linked to, and how. Each pair has its own card explaining the relationships between the two.

• Vehicles, ships, rail, aircraft: Batteries take about 88% of the world's lithium and electric cars take most battery output, so EV sales now set lithium demand and its price cycle, which swung from an eightfold rise in 2021 to 2022 to a fall of over 80% between 2023 and early 2025. (researched)
• Sodium-ion batteries: Sodium-ion cells do the same job as lithium-ion cells with sodium, which is about 1,000 times more abundant, so they cap how far lithium prices can rise before buyers switch. Their progress follows the lithium price: investment slowed when lithium fell in 2023, and lithium prices in early 2026 at more than twice their level a year earlier have strengthened their case. (researched)
• Battery cathode materials: Lithium is a raw material for battery cathode materials.
• Battery electrolytes: Lithium is a raw material for battery electrolytes.
• Computers and electronics: Computers and electronics depends on lithium.
• Data centres and cloud: Data centres and cloud depends on lithium.
• E-commerce and digital marketplaces: E-commerce and digital marketplaces depends on lithium.
• Electric and hybrid vehicles: Electric and hybrid vehicles needs lithium.
• Electrical equipment: Electrical equipment depends on lithium.
• Fusion fuels: Fusion fuels needs lithium.
• Fusion reactors: Fusion reactors needs lithium.
• Lithium iron phosphate batteries: Lithium iron phosphate batteries needs lithium.
• Media and entertainment: Media and entertainment depends on lithium.
• Medical devices: Medical devices depends on lithium.
• Next-generation lithium batteries: Next-generation lithium batteries needs lithium.
• Nickel-rich lithium-ion batteries: Nickel-rich lithium-ion batteries needs lithium.
• Telecommunications: Telecommunications depends on lithium.
• Transport and logistics: Transport and logistics depends on lithium.
• Waste and recycling: Waste and recycling depends on lithium.
• Water and sanitation: Water and sanitation depends on lithium.