Rare earth metals that is Toyota is facing a potential shortage of rare metals that could limit production of hybrid cars according many news stories recently. As it turns it out, China is hording natural resources, rare earth metals in this instance, it deems important to long term viability. Likewise, there are hints that exports could be severely limited into the future, even the very near future. Currently, China accounts for 97 percent of the world’s supply of rare earth metals. Fortunately, however, there are companies and mines in the US capable of a significant uptick in rare earth metal mining. Unfortunately, there aren’t any rare earth metal refineries or processors in the entire United States according to CNBC reporting. So there is some cause for pause. Ultimately, REM’s probably won’t kill the hybrid, but if efficiency is the driver of the new US economy, there is a lot of work to be done.

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Could REM kill the hybrid?