Although seemingly unrelated, the Electric Vehicle industry is closely tied to ours (especially as it applies to stainless steel), and it will be exciting to watch this new wave of technology as it continues to create unforeseen ripple effects across the world and in countless industries just like ours. As the EV supply chain increases demand for nickel-based products as well, this could turn into a supply issue for other products over time.

EV Charging Stations Make Heavy Use of Stainless Steel and Nickel

Given the growing desire (and presidential incentive) to make electric vehicles more mainstream, the steel industry is bound to find itself at a crossroads of increased market demand paired with very niche consumer applications. Its durability and longevity (paired with its ability to be recycled easily) have helped stainless steel maintain its position as the metal of choice for many electrical applications. 

Tesla is a driving force behind the charging station expansion that is gaining momentum – in fact, Tesla partnered with the government to offer other manufacturers limited access to their existing network.

While electric vehicle charging stations may look to be light on metal from the outside, they actually use a wide variety of metals. As demand for these stations continues to grow exponentially, so will the draw on the materials needed to create them. 

Some of the most common metals used in EV charging stations include:

• Stainless Steel
• Nickel
• Titanium
• Copper

As the EV supply chain increases demand for these products, this could turn into a supply issue. We are closely monitoring how this may affect our customers, and it will be incredibly interesting to see what other ripple effects the increase in EV production will have in the coming months and years.