We see electric vehicles on the road and they sure look cool. If you think there’s more of them every day, you’re right. Industry estimates show that approximately one million EV’s were sold worldwide in 2018. That number is projected to rise to 12 million in 2025 and 21 million in 2030. This increase will only be accelerated when more cities like Paris, Copenhagen, London and Beijing severely limit, our outlaw, gas and diesel vehicles.
And what, exactly, does this have to do with my grease? Well, 75% of the grease market depends on lithium to perform the thickener function. Check your grease, see if the thickener is lithium based. Considering that most EV batteries rely on lithium to make them work and last year half of worldwide lithium production went to batteries, you can start to see the problem. With EV sales exploding, they all need batteries and those batteries all need lithium. While shortages are not around the corner, price increases certainly are.
In view of this situation, it might be time to reconsider your grease selection. Working in a high- water environment? Could be a time to consider calcium sulfonate greases for their excellent corrosion prevention and inherent extreme pressure characteristics. Polyurea greases are the product of choice for electric motor bearings for shear stability. The high dropping points of aluminum complex greases could be a problem solver for you.
It’s not like lithium greases will cease to exist, but with the laws of supply and demand coming to bear on the market, maybe now is the time to see what grease you’re using and if it’s the right one.