Mercedes-Benz commits to sourcing cobalt, lithium in sustainable, respectful ways

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While a shift to electric cars means we'll start to see more cars produce zero emissions while driving, it doesn't necessarily mean the entire supply chain is squeaky clean. The issues surrounding responsible mining of cobalt are especially pressing for environmental and human rights organizations.

On Thursday, Mercedes-Benz took its stand and announced it will soon transition to sourcing cobalt and lithium for electric car batteries from certified mining sites in an effort to clean the process up. At the same time, the German automaker plans to shift away from cobalt usage as it explores different battery cell compositions. Specifically, Mercedes-Benz will adopt, and hopes to accelerate, industry-wide standards for resource mining when it comes to battery cells. 

It doesn't mean the automaker will suddenly pull out of countries deemed "high risk" for cobalt and lithium sourcing, but instead, it will work with organizations to improve the situation on the ground to strengthen workers' rights. In many cases, mines employ child labor and include harsh working conditions. The "Standard for Responsible Mining" of the "Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance" that Mercedes-Benz plans to champion hopes to remedy the situations. If the situation doesn't improve after investments in the workforce and working conditions, the automaker will then exercise a final option to exit the specific part of its supply chain.

"Going forward, we will only work with suppliers who agree to comply with these requirements," Markus Schäfer, a member of Daimler's board of management said. "By doing so, we are paving the way for clean raw materials, from which other participants in the market can also benefit."

Part of the solution is to also start weaning battery cells off cobalt, which Mercedes-Benz said is already underway. Next-generation battery packs will include 10% less cobalt in their composition as new material mixes come to life. Cobalt helps pack more energy into cells, which is crucial to achieving longer driving ranges as it stands. We're starting to see many companies, such as Tesla, look outside of cobalt with some success.

Today's announcement is a small step forward in ensuring electric car production is as clean as the zero emissions produced while driving. There's still a long road ahead, however.