Rare-earth elements are used in products such as electric vehicles, household appliances, lithium-ion batteries, and camera lenses.
high
descriptive
Describes common civilian uses of rare-earth elements across consumer and industrial products.
Manufacturing electric vehicles typically produces more upfront CO2 emissions than manufacturing internal combustion engine vehicles because lithium-ion battery production is energy-intensive.
high
general
Upfront emissions from vehicle production are influenced by battery manufacturing energy requirements.
Lithium-ion batteries can ignite or explode and can cause serious injury or death.
high
safety
General safety hazard associated with lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and portable devices.
Lithium-ion batteries can catch fire if they are improperly charged or mishandled.
high
safety
Common causes of thermal runaway and fires in lithium-ion battery systems.
Defective or potentially hazardous lithium-ion batteries should be removed from devices and disposed of in accordance with local hazardous-waste or battery disposal procedures.
high
safety
Recommended disposal and mitigation step for batteries identified as unsafe or defective.