Four Billion Cars by 2050?

* With the existing known reserve base of 13.4 million tonnes of lithium and less than 10 mbd of oil, we could run 4 billion cars in 2050.

* If we assume most residents of the planet are living in dense cities in the third world with degrees of public transportation comparable to dense western cities today, then 3-5 billion cars should be enough to satisfy people’s aspiration for automobile transport by that time.

Oh, and I think we could reasonably hope that the darn things will drive themselves by 2050!

The Oil Drum