Copper forms the electrical backbone of an EV. Valued for its exceptional hashtag#conductivity, durability, and heat management, it is used across wiring harnesses, low- and high-voltage cabling, busbars, power electronics such as inverters, charging systems, and the windings of the electric motor itself.
A fully electric car can contain tens of kilograms of copper, with motor stators alone holding wiring that stretches for well over a mile. As power flows from the battery to the wheels, copper ensures that energy moves efficiently, reliably, and with minimal loss.
hashtagNickel and hashtagcobalt, in contrast, are concentrated within the battery pack, embedded in the cathodes of lithium-ion cells used in chemistries such as hashtagNMC and hashtagNCA. Nickel plays a critical role in boosting energy density, allowing vehicles to travel farther on a single charge, while cobalt enhances structural stability, safety, and longevity by reducing degradation over repeated charge cycles. In a typical 60 kWh EV battery, materials may include roughly 29 kilograms of nickel and 8 kilograms of cobalt, alongside significant amounts of copper in current collectors and internal connections.
Together, these metals define the EV’s performance equation, copper enabling the seamless flow of electricity, and nickel and cobalt storing that hashtagenergy densely and safely to make long-range electric mobility a practical reality.
