大眾未能為電動車落實長期電池原料供應(yīng)

An attempt by one of the world’s biggest carmakers to secure long-term supplies of cobalt for its push into electric vehicles has been shunned by leading producers of the metal.

世界最大的汽車制造商之一大眾汽車(Volkswagen)試圖落實鈷的長期供應(yīng)，以便為量產(chǎn)電動車做好準(zhǔn)備，但遭到這種金屬的主要生產(chǎn)商的冷遇。

Volkswagen issued a tender last month seeking a minimum of five years of supply at a fixed price, according to people familiar with the process, but struggled to find any takers.

據(jù)知情人士透露，大眾汽車上月發(fā)布一項招標(biāo)，尋求以固定價格保障至少五年的供應(yīng)，但難以找到感興趣的供應(yīng)商。

The carmaker put off miners by suggesting a price that was well below current market prices, which have jumped by more than 80 per cent this year, the people said.

這些人士稱，這家汽車制造商提議的價格遠(yuǎn)低于當(dāng)前的市場價格，這使礦商不滿。今年以來鈷價飆漲80%以上。

“They’re being arrogant because they’re automotive and they’re used to doing it,” one trader said. “They completely misjudged the contents of the tender. There’s no point negotiating — it’s not even a discussion point.”

“他們有點傲慢，因為他們是汽車業(yè)巨擘，他們習(xí)慣于這么做，”一名交易員表示。“他們在招標(biāo)內(nèi)容上判斷完全錯誤，以至于談判沒有任何意義;這甚至不是一個討論點。”

The pushback is a sign of the difficulties carmakers face securing long-term supplies of battery raw materials as they gear up to produce electric vehicles for the mass market.

這個挫折表明，在汽車制造商準(zhǔn)備面向大眾市場生產(chǎn)電動車之際，它們在落實電池原材料的長期供應(yīng)方面遇到困難。

“Volkswagen is looking for long-term strategic solutions for important e-mobility raw materials in order to ensure capacity and price stability,” a spokesman for the company said, declining to comment on ongoing sourcing processes.

“大眾汽車公司正在為重要的電動車原材料尋找長期戰(zhàn)略解決方案，以確保產(chǎn)能和價格穩(wěn)定，”該公司的一名發(fā)言人表示。此人拒絕評論正在進(jìn)行的采購過程。

Electric vehicle batteries require much larger quantities of raw materials than those found in smartphones and iPads. That is challenging small markets for lithium and cobalt, which have seen dramatic price rises.

與智能手機(jī)和平板電腦的電池相比，電動車電池需要的原材料數(shù)量大得多。這一點在鋰和鈷等傳統(tǒng)上較小的市場具有挑戰(zhàn)性;這些市場近來都出現(xiàn)了迅猛的價格上漲。

More than 60 per cent of cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has raised fears among automakers over security of supply. The DRC’s president Joseph Kabila has not set a date for elections, after he failed to step down before a deadline last December.

全球60%以上的鈷是在剛果民主共和國開采的。這使各家汽車制造商擔(dān)心供應(yīng)安全問題。剛果民主共和國總統(tǒng)約瑟夫•卡比拉(Joseph Kabila)未能在去年12月的截止日期卸任，而且至今沒有設(shè)定選舉日期。

Cobalt production in the DRC is dominated by a handful of producers including Glencore and China Molybdenum. Outside the large companies, cobalt is mined by hand before it is collected and sent to China. Last year Amnesty International said that process often involved child labour.

剛果民主共和國的鈷生產(chǎn)由少數(shù)幾家生產(chǎn)商主導(dǎo)，包括嘉能可(Glencore)和洛陽鉬業(yè)(China Molybdenum)。除了大公司之外，還有一些鈷被手工開采，然后收集起來發(fā)運至中國。大赦國際(Amnesty International)去年表示，這個過程往往涉及童工。