Lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) is pictured outside Vulcan energy lithium electrolysis optimisation plant in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany, on November 8, 2024. Electric cars need batteries, and most batteries are made with lithium, a critical material European auto makers are chasing as they face tough competition from China. Now an Australian firm says it can help, with a refinery in Germany set to extract the sought-after mineral from briny underground water from below a town near the French border. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)