EV Installation on Display at Tekniska Museet in Sweden Highlights Sustainable Mining

What would the world look like if electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels had to be built without any mined materials? Sandvik’s “eNimon,” the first electric car ever made without metals or minerals, answers that question in a striking way.

More than 90 percent of a typical electric vehicle is made from resources derived from mining. eNimon, or the “Nomine car,” was designed to strip all of that away. The result is a completely transparent, immobile model that lacks every defining feature of a functional car. It cannot move, conduct electricity, or even hold weight, serving as a powerful reminder of how dependent modern technologies are on mined materials.

The world’s clean energy transition faces a major challenge: the supply of key minerals like lithium, copper, and nickel is falling behind demand. An electric car requires six times more mineral inputs than a conventional vehicle, and an onshore wind plant needs nine times more resources than a gas-fired one. To meet global net-zero goals by 2050, production of lithium, nickel, and cobalt must increase up to fivefold compared to today’s levels.

Without scaling up sustainable mining practices, material shortages could jeopardize electrification, renewable energy deployment, and climate targets worldwide.

Sandvik highlights this critical issue through the eNimon installation, now on display at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, known as “Tekniska Museet”. The exhibit offers a thought-provoking visualization of a world where the materials essential for clean energy innovation no longer exist.

As a global leader in mining and rock processing technology, Sandvik drives the development of more efficient, responsible, and sustainable mining solutions to power the technologies that define modern life.

For more information about eNimon and Sandvik’s role in shaping the future of sustainable mining, visit home.sandvik/nominecar.

Sustainable Mining Practices for Lithium, Copper, and Nickel Are Essential

Sustainable mining practices for lithium, copper, and nickel are becoming essential as global demand for EVs and clean energy technologies grows fast. The mining industry is increasingly focused on reducing environmental impacts, conserving water, and engaging responsibly with local communities while maintaining a reliable supply of critical materials.

One of the most important steps in sustainable mining is minimizing land disturbance and protecting sensitive ecosystems. Modern operators use remote sensing and satellite imaging to identify deposits in less fragile areas, helping to avoid wetlands, biodiversity hotspots, and Indigenous lands. By planning extraction in stages and including land rehabilitation from the start, mines can restore landscapes and prevent long-term ecological damage once operations conclude.

Water management is another key focus. Closed-loop water systems and brine reinjection techniques are helping lithium producers reduce freshwater use and maintain groundwater balance, particularly in arid regions. New methods such as direct lithium extraction (DLE) also offer significant reductions in water consumption and surface disruption compared to traditional evaporation ponds. For all three minerals, companies are adopting dry stacking for tailings storage to lower the risk of dam failures and contamination, while monitoring waste to prevent toxic runoff.

Energy efficiency and carbon reduction are central to the transition toward more sustainable operations. Many mines now use renewable power sources such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric energy to run extraction and processing facilities. Automation, digital monitoring, and process optimization help improve efficiency and reduce waste, while recycling and recovery of critical minerals from end-of-life batteries and electronics support a circular economy approach.

Social responsibility and transparency are equally important. Mining companies are increasingly working closely with local and Indigenous communities, creating fair partnerships, local employment, and infrastructure benefits. Ethical labor practices and transparent supply chains ensure that the origins of critical minerals are verifiable and responsibly sourced, supporting global standards for responsible production.

Finally, biodiversity protection and mine closure planning are critical to long-term sustainability. Rehabilitating land with native species, restoring soil health, and monitoring post-mining ecosystems help maintain biodiversity and ensure mined areas can be safely repurposed. By planning for closure from the beginning, mining operations can minimize their environmental footprint and contribute to lasting ecological recovery.

Together, these sustainable practices focused on water stewardship, renewable energy, responsible sourcing, and ecosystem restoration are helping lithium, copper, and nickel producers meet the growing demand for materials essential to electric vehicles, wind turbines, and solar panels without compromising the planet’s long-term health.