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Automakers Are Finding It Harder to Access the Minerals that Are Critical to Today's Cars
National Mining Association ConsumerFeature
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(60 seconds)
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READER SCRIPT
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EACH YEAR, MILLIONS OF NEW CARS ROLL OFF THE ASSEMBLY-LINE--AND INTO SHOWROOMS, AROUND THE COUNTRY. AND, MINERALS ARE PLAYING A GROWING ROLE IN THE NEXT-GENERATION CARS THAT WE DRIVE. YET, COMPANIES THAT DESIGN THESE VEHICLES ARE FINDING IT HARDER TO ACCESS THE MATERIALS THAT ARE VITAL TO THEIR PRODUCTION. THE "NATIONAL MINING ASSOCIATION" SAYS THAT--FROM COPPER IN THE WIRING OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES, TO ALUMINUM THAT MAKES PARTS LIGHTER, TO LITHIUM IN HYBRID-VEHICLE BATTERIES--MINERALS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE PRODUCTION OF TODAY'S HIGH-PERFORMANCE, FUEL-EFFICIENT CARS. HOWEVER, AUTOMAKERS ARE INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO PROCURE THESE CRITICAL MINERALS. THAT'S BECAUSE--AS MANUFACTURERS PRODUCE MORE-ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS--THE DEMAND FOR MINERALS IS EXPECTED TO SOAR, AND COMPETITION FOR RESOURCES WILL GROW FIERCE. THE GOOD NEWS, SAYS THE ASSOCIATION, IS THAT POLICYMAKERS ON "CAPITOL HILL" ARE BEGINNING TO TAKE ACTION ON PERMITTING-REFORM, TO SUPPORT THE TIMELY DEVELOPMENT OF STRONG AND SECURE SUPPLY-CHAINS THAT WOULD PROVIDE RELIABILITY FOR AUTOMAKERS, ACROSS THE COUNTRY. TO LEARN MORE, VISIT "MINERALS-MAKE-LIFE"-DOT-ORG.
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