Umthethosivivinywa omusha ka-Biden uhlinzekela ukukhiqizwa kwezimoto zikagesi e-United States, kodwa awukhulumi ngokulawula kweChina izinto zokusetshenziswa zamabhethri.

I-Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), esayinwe njengomthetho nguMongameli uJoe Biden ngo-Agasti 15, iqukethe ngaphezu kwezigidigidi ezingama-369 zamaRandi ezinhlinzekweni okuhloswe ngazo ukulwa nokuguquguquka kwesimo sezulu kule minyaka eyishumi ezayo. Inqwaba yephakheji yesimo sezulu iyisaphulelo sentela sikahulumeni esingafika ku-$7,500 ekuthengweni kwezinhlobonhlobo zezimoto zikagesi, kuhlanganisa nalezo ezisetshenzisiwe ezenziwe eNyakatho Melika.
Umehluko oyinhloko ovela ezinkuthazweni ze-EV zangaphambili ukuthi ukuze ufaneleke ukuthola ikhredithi yentela, ama-EV azayo ngeke nje adingeke aqoqwe eNyakatho Melika, kodwa futhi enziwe ngamabhethri akhiqizwa ngaphakathi noma emazweni okuhweba mahhala. izivumelwano ne-US ezifana neCanada neMexico. Lo mthetho omusha uhloselwe ukukhuthaza abenzi bezimoto zikagesi ukuthi basuse amaketanga abo okunikezela emazweni asathuthuka baye e-US, kodwa abangaphakathi embonini bayazibuza ukuthi ngabe lolu shintsho luzokwenzeka yini eminyakeni embalwa ezayo, njengoba abaphathi bethemba, noma cha.
I-IRA ibeka imikhawulo ezicini ezimbili zamabhethri emoto kagesi: izingxenye zawo, njengebhethri nezinto ezisebenzayo zama-electrode, kanye namaminerali asetshenziswa ukwenza lezo zingxenye.
Kusukela ngonyaka ozayo, ama-EV afanelekile azodinga okungenani uhhafu wezingxenye zawo zebhethri ukuthi enziwe eNyakatho Melika, ngo-40% wezinto ezingasetshenzisiwe zebhethri ezivela e-US noma ozakwethu bokuhweba. Ngo-2028, iphesenti elincane elidingekayo lizokhuphuka unyaka nonyaka libe ngu-80% wezinto ezisetshenziswayo zebhethri kanye no-100% wezingxenye.
Abanye abakhiqizi bezimoto, okubandakanya iTesla kanye neGeneral Motors, sebeqalile ukwenza awabo amabhethri emafektri ase-US naseCanada. U-Tesla, isibonelo, wenza uhlobo olusha lwebhethri embonini yakhe yase-Nevada okufanele libe nebanga elide kunalelo elingeniswe manje lisuka e-Japan. Lokhu kuhlanganiswa okuqondile kungasiza abakhiqizi bezimoto zikagesi baphumelele ukuhlolwa kwebhethri le-IRA. Kodwa inkinga yangempela yilapho inkampani ithola khona izinto zokusetshenziswa zamabhethri.
Amabhethri emoto kagesi ngokuvamile enziwa nge-nickel, i-cobalt ne-manganese (izakhi ezintathu eziyinhloko ze-cathode), i-graphite (i-anode), i-lithium nethusi. Eyaziwa ngokuthi "inkulu eyisithupha" embonini yebhethri, izimayini kanye nokucutshungulwa kwalezi zimbiwa kulawulwa kakhulu yiChina, abaphathi beBiden abayichaze ngokuthi "inhlangano yangaphandle ekhathazayo." Noma iyiphi imoto kagesi ekhiqizwa ngemva kuka-2025 equkethe izinto ezivela e-China izokhishwa kukhredithi yentela yenhlangano, ngokusho kwe-IRA. Umthetho ubala amaminerali amabhethri angaphezu kuka-30 ahlangabezana nezidingo zephesenti lokukhiqiza.
Izinkampani zikahulumeni waseShayina ziphethe cishe amaphesenti angama-80 emhlabeni jikelele wokucutshungulwa kwe-cobalt kanye namaphesenti angaphezu kuka-90 emishini yokuhluza i-nickel, manganese kanye ne-graphite. “Uma uthenga amabhethri ezinkampanini zaseJapan naseNingizimu Korea, njengoba kwenza abakhiqizi bezimoto abaningi, maningi amathuba okuthi amabhethri akho aqukethe izinto ezigaywe kabusha e-China,” kusho uTrent Mell, isikhulu esiphezulu kwa-Electra Battery Materials, inkampani yaseCanada edayisa izimpahla zomhlaba wonke. i-cobalt esetshenzisiwe. Umkhiqizi wezimoto zikagesi.
“Abakhiqizi bezimoto bangase bafune ukwenza izimoto ezisebenza ngogesi eziningi zifanelekele ukukhokhelwa intela. Kodwa bazobatholaphi abahlinzeki bebhethri abaqeqeshiwe? Njengamanje, abakhiqizi bezimoto abanakho ukukhetha,” kusho uLewis Black, oyisikhulu se-Almonty Industries. Le nkampani ingomunye wabahlinzeki abaningi abangaphandle kweChina be-tungsten, enye i-mineral esetshenziswa kuma-anode nama-cathode amabhethri ezimoto zikagesi ngaphandle kwaseChina, kusho inkampani. (I-China ilawula ngaphezu kwama-80% wokunikezwa kwe-tungsten emhlabeni). Izimayini ze-almonty nezinqubo eSpain, Portugal naseNingizimu Korea.
Ukubusa kweShayina ezintweni ezingasetshenzisiwe zebhethri kuwumphumela wamashumi eminyaka wenqubomgomo kahulumeni enolaka nokutshalwa kwezimali - ukungabaza kwabamnyama kungaphindaphindwa kalula emazweni aseNtshonalanga.
"Eminyakeni engama-30 edlule, i-China isungule uchungechunge olusebenza kahle kakhulu lokuhlinzeka ngezinto ezingavuthiwe zebhethri," kusho uBlack. “Ezomnotho zaseNtshonalanga, ukuvula indawo entsha yezimayini noma yokuhluza uwoyela kungase kuthathe iminyaka eyisishiyagalombili noma ngaphezulu.”
UMell we-Electra Battery Materials uthe inkampani yakhe, eyayaziwa ngeCobalt First, iyona kuphela eNyakatho Melika ekhiqiza i-cobalt yamabhethri ezimoto zikagesi. Le nkampani ithola i-cobalt engahluziwe emayini yase-Idaho futhi yakha indawo yokuhluza e-Ontario, eCanada, okulindeleke ukuthi iqale ukusebenza ekuqaleni kuka-2023. I-Electra yakha indawo yesibili yokuhluza i-nickel esifundazweni saseCanada saseQuebec.
“INyakatho Melika ayinawo amandla okusebenzisa kabusha izinto zebhethri. Kodwa ngikholwa ukuthi lo mthethosivivinywa uzogqugquzela umjikelezo omusha wokutshalwa kwezimali ochungechungeni lokuhlinzekwa ngamabhethri,” kusho uMeyer.
Siyaqonda ukuthi uyathanda ukulawula ukuzizwisa kwakho ku-inthanethi. Kodwa imali engenayo yokukhangisa isiza ukusekela ubuntatheli bethu. Ukuze ufunde indaba yethu egcwele, sicela ukhubaze isivimbeli sakho sesikhangiso. Noma yiluphi usizo lungabongwa kakhulu.