Report: Apple seeking cobalt supplies for batteries


Bloomberg is reporting that Apple is looking to make deals to purchase cobalt directly from the source. The company reportedly want to secure supplies of the mineral from mining companies to protect its supply chain. Cobalt is used in lithium-ion batteries and demand is expected to rapidly escalate as electric cars come to market. Smartphones use only a small amount compared to vehicles, but the scale the electronics add up.

Bloomberg:

Cobalt is an essential ingredient in lithium-ion batteries for smartphones. While those devices use about eight grams of refined cobalt, the battery for an electric car requires over 1,000 times more. Apple has around 1.3 billion existing devices...

Apple typically works to secure key components for its manufacturing needs.