Is Prius production about to screech to a halt?

Hmmm.....slowing Prius production accompanied by a spike in gasoline prices might make an interesting scenario.

Surely this will be resolved. Also its not like the ships from China to Japan have a long way to travel.

What could happen is companies try to find alternatives where they do not have to rely on Chinese resources but that is far fetched unless large deposits are found elsewhere.

There won't be any rare earth metal shortages in the near future, as the article states;

It's not like there aren't other places you can mine for rare earth metals ... it's just that it's a highly toxic process. and after all ... that's how the U.S. 'greens' itself ... by exporting the dirty jobs to other / poorer countries. It's almost comical ... we whine after we outsource 97% of the dirty industries, because the country that takes on the dirty job, acts like it has a 'right' to control it's product.

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Well not just us, the IMF insists that countries with a "competitive advantage" produce those resources in exchange for loans. Sadly the process has huge negatives as well.

What everyone is saying is absolutely true.

But what worries me is the potential for a stoppage or momentary shortage to create headlines that create a new negative "myth" about Hybrids and Electrics.

Mass production of any vehicle by any major automaker is pretty much an orchestration of a global affair when you factor in everything, parts, supplies and labor. But a visible slow down or publicly heralded stop in battery availabilty could really hurt the image of Prius and any vehicle that needs a battery.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out, in reality and in the media and public perception.

North America has tons of rare earth minerals, but I guess it would be too costly to mine it in the US, ship it overseas to someplace to process the minerals, then ship it to part manufacturers...etc...

Does anyone know exactly which "rare earth metals" (or "rare earth oxides" as the graph states) are necessary for the production of the Prius? Which component of the Prius necessitates the in-demand substance?

It is too costly to mine and process to American environmental standards. If we did it the same way the Chinese do it it would be cost effective in the USA but very dirty and damaging to the environment.
Shipping on refined rare earths is not a big issue.

Last year Reuters reported that each Prius motor "requires 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) of neodymium, and each battery uses 10 to 15 kg (22-33 lb) of lanthanum." - China takes the Prius hostage - Rare earth elements - Salon.com

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neodymium"]Neodymium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

[ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanthanum"]Lanthanum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]

Well, it is high time Toyota switched to using other materials.

BTW, I'm not sure how you stop exports to a particular country - there are always 3rd countries ever ready to re-export. That is how many in Singapore, Hongkong or Dubai make a living ....

I am unclear on lanthanum, but neodymium magnets really are the best, 'other materials' will be less effective.

He will be released...

Japan to release Chinese boat captain amid dispute - Yahoo! News

www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/business/global/23rare.html?_r=2&emc=na

"Despite the name, rare earths are actually fairly common; they are expensive and seldom mined elsewhere because the processing equipment to separate them from the ore is expensive and because rare earths almost always occur naturally in deposits mixed with radioactive thorium and uranium. Processing runs the risk of radiation leaks, ---a small leak was one reason the last American mine was unable to renew its operating license and closed in 2002 --- and disposing of the radioactive thorium is difficult and costly."

Except, of course, thorium is a valuable fuel for nuclear reactors designed to use it:
[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium]Thorium - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame]
The resulting waste from a thorium reactor is vastly smaller and less dangerous than that now produced by a uranium reactor. Two problems solved?

Oak Ridge National Laboratory built some thorium reactors to establish feasibility in the 1970's (may have the era wrong), but so much had been invested in uranium processing--driven by bomb production--that it went nowhere. A little while ago I heard that Los Alamos National Laboratory was proposing a thorium reactor and power generator for their immense supercomputer complex--may have been only a rumor.

As far as Thorium, the CANDU reactor design was intended to use the Thorium Fuel Cycle from the start. However, the extra cost of separation/reprocessing for "reburn" was considered too costly.

CANDU was also intended to only use natural uranium (CANDU doesn't require enrichment like conventional reactor designs) for the initial fuel cycle. It could also "reburn" thermonuclear weapons material. Ironically the Chinese are now taking advantage of this fuel cycle

CANDU Fuel Cycles

Research promises to dramatically extend Thorium cycles, and take care of conventional nuclear waste at the same time

http://democrite.in2p3.fr/docs/00/10/31/27/PDF/C111.pdf

The French nuclear association Areva is also interested in Thorium cycles

Thorium

and India has actually used this fuel cycle, in Canadian designed CANDU recators, for awhile now. They very recently developed their own unique Thorium reactor design

NEI Nuclear Notes: India Unveils Thorium Reactor

China is realizing how much international power they have especially when it comes to manufacturing. It was only a matter of time before they started bullying.

And, remember the last time someone withheld resources from Japan?

Was that in 1941?

you bet

So, why was (certain) resource being withheld from Japan the last time? I assumed some of our well-read folks here know the reason.

Sorry for dwelling deeper into History, but I cannot help adding a different perspective as this issue isn't just about China-vs-Japan.

:focus:

And remember prior to that ... who 'taught' bullying to Japan - vis a vis taking over the Philippines ... and Hawaii ... and Samoa ... and all the land of Native Americans ... Puerto Rico ... etc. Oh I guess we don't want to go there ...


But yea ... after the U.S. 'takes-possession' ... we can waste resources like there's no tomorrow ... and then we suddenly hate the idea of the rest of the world not catering to our excess ... after we burn through the entire world's supply. Funny how that works.
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