Why is Iran launching a lithium battery plant in March?

The defense ministry launched Iran's largest plant for production of lithium battery packs in March to increase production capacity by 35% and to remove any need for imports of the product. Iran’s capacity for production of lithium batteries is expanding to help its electrification drive.

Can Iran make lithium batteries for electric vehicles?

Reza Shojaei, who serves as a deputy head at the Iranian defense ministry’s department for energy resources, said on Tuesday that Iran has the technology needed to design and manufacture lithium batteries that are used in electric vehicles.

Does Iran have a lithium reserve?

“For the first time in Iran, a lithium reserve has been discovered in Hamedan” in the country’s west, an official at Iran’s Ministry of Industry, Mines and Trade said. The ministry believes the deposit holds 8.5 million tons of lithium, which is often called “white gold” for the rapidly growing electric vehicle industry.

How much does a 50 kWh battery weigh?

Bosch aims for a 50 kWh battery that weighs no more than 190 kg (419 lbs). Assuming a battery density of 263 Wh/kg, the cell level could be much higher.

Did Iran find lithium in the Atacama Desert?

A lithium mining machine moves a salt by-product at the mine in the Atacama Desert in Salar de Atacama, Chile on October 25, 2022. Iran says it’s discovered a massive deposit of lithium — a key element in batteries for devices and electric vehicles — in one of its western provinces.

How much lithium is in the Atacama Desert?

The ministry believes the deposit holds 8.5 million tons of lithium, which is often called “white gold” for the rapidly growing electric vehicle industry. A lithium mining machine moves a salt by-product at the mine in the Atacama Desert in Salar de Atacama, Chile on October 25, 2022.