Electric cars produced by Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory are seen at a port in Shanghai on May 15, 2022. It is the second batch from Tesla's Shanghai factory to head overseas within one week. The factory resumed production on April 19. Photo: VCG

Sales of electric cars accelerated in 2021 but the availability of critical raw materials such as lithium risked slowing the sector's growth, a report warned Monday.

At 6.6 million in 2021, electric vehicles sales more than doubled and they now account for one in 10 new cars sold, according to the International Energy Agency's annual report on the sector.

China alone accounted for half of those sales.

Electric vehicle sales continue to soar, rising by 75 percent in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.

Public subsidies to lower the cost to consumers have been a major factor in the adoption of electric vehicles, and they doubled to nearly 30 billion euros ($32 billion) in 2021.

Manufacturers have also increased their offer with around 450 models now on sale, a five-fold increase since 2015.

But supply constraints and rising prices risk putting brakes on the sector's growth.

"Policymakers, industry executives and investors need to be highly vigilant and resourceful in order to reduce the risks of supply disruptions and ensure sustainable supplies of critical minerals," said IEA director general Fatih Birol in a statement accompanying the report.

Production and processing of certain key materials is currently limited to a handful of countries.

China currently produces three quarters of the world's lithium-ion batteries, the main type used in cars and small electronic devices, and has half of the global refining capacity for lithium and other key elements such as cobalt and graphite.

AFP