Will chaos in nickel prices disrupt the EV boom?

The nickel market has been in disarray in recent weeks as prices soared to unprecedented levels before going on a freefall amid supply concerns and an unexpected short-squeeze by one of the world’s largest steelmakers.

Nickel is one of the most common metal elements in the world used to make stainless steel, batteries, coins, and other metal applications. 

How the Russia-Ukraine conflict drove nickel prices higher

Russia is one of the world’s largest producers of nickel, supplying about 20% of class 1 nickel that is mainly used in the production of stainless steel and electric vehicle batteries. Data from market research firm Statista showed that Russia was the world’s leading exporter of nickel and nickel products in 2020, shipping about $3.02 billion worth of the commodity.