It's all a ruse. There isn't enough minerals on the planet to meet the EV goals. We will need completely revolutionary technological advancements in batteries and a few other areas to achieve those goals. While we need critical mineral independence, just as we need oil independence, pretending we simply need to dig more for these minerals is a distraction. Also, just like with oil, digging for these minerals will scar our environment. The good news is that we are making new battery advancements quickly; sometimes you get lucky. In mean time, someone's brother's eco-destruction strip mine will get a kick back of a no-bid contract for some DNC donations, and make some fat loot, all while suckers ironically cheer them on for "saving the environment".