Three Reasons Why Direct Lithium Extraction Could Fuel the Next Decade of EVs

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June 27, 2024 Article & Editing Graphics & Design Why Direct Lithium Extraction Could Power the Next Decade of EVs

Transport is changing, and with more and more EVs zipping through the streets, lithium is fast becoming one of the world’s most critical minerals because of its importance for batteries.

However, mining and refining lithium is complicated, time-consuming, and potentially environmentally damaging. 

So, for this graphic, Visual Capitalist has partnered with EnergyX to explore three reasons why direct lithium extraction (DLE), an efficient method of mining and refining lithium, could help power the next decade of EVs.

1: DLE Cuts Extraction Times

Over 40 million EVs will be sold annually by 2030, over 10 times the amount sold in 2022, placing incredible demand on lithium production.

YearEV Sales Total 20203,158,700 202314,385,660 2025F22,449,800 2030F44,702,000 2035F64,280,000

Typically, extracting a metric ton of lithium takes between 18 and 24 months using conventional methods. However, using direct lithium extraction, the same amount can be sourced in as little as one or two days, making it much more efficient in supplying the lithium to power the next wave of EVs. 

2: DLE Could Bridge the Lithium Supply Gap

The incredible demand placed on the lithium industry could also lead to an over 1.4 million metric ton supply deficit by 2030 if no additional production is brought online.

2030 Supply2030 Demand LCE (million metric tons)1.643.06

EnergyX’s proprietary direct lithium extraction technology, LiTAS™, can increase lithium production by up to 300% over conventional methods and potentially improve lithium supplies. 

3: DLE Improves Battery Capacity

Blocks of lithium batteries power many EVs, so as these vehicles become more advanced and more people drive them, the demand for higher-density lithium batteries will only grow. In fact, between 2022 and 2030, the demand for energy stored by lithium batteries will increase by 27% annually.

YearBattery Demand (GWh) 2022700 20251,700 20304,700

EnergyX’s DLE technology, LiTAS™, which enables lithium metals to be applied directly to a battery’s anode, can significantly improve energy density and pave the way for the

All of the World’s Trillion-Dollar Companies in One Chart

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June 19, 2024 Graphics/Design:

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

All of the World’s Trillion-Dollar Companies in One Chart

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Chipmaker Nvidia is now the world’s most valuable company, which means its time for an update to our frequent “trillion-dollar club” post.

In this graphic, we’ve visualized the market capitalizations of the world’s trillion-dollar companies, as of June 18, 2024. Included for additional context is the market cap of the median S&P 500 firm (as of May 30, 2024), as well as Taiwan’s TSMC, which is the next closest company to reaching the $1 trillion milestone.

Data and Key Takeaways

The figures used to create this graphic are included in the table below. Numbers for each company come from Companiesmarketcap.com, while the median S&P 500 market cap was sourced from S&P Global.

CompanyMarket Cap (USD) 🇺🇸 Nvidia$3.34T 🇺🇸 Microsoft$3.32T 🇺🇸 Apple$3.29T 🇺🇸 Alphabet$2.17T 🇺🇸 Amazon$1.90T 🇸🇦 Saudi Aramco$1.79T 🇺🇸 Meta$1.27T 🇹🇼 TSMC$932B Median S&P 500 company$92B

Here are the key reasons behind each of these companies’ massive valuations:

Nvidia: Industry leader in data center chips, essential for training artificial intelligence Microsoft: Dominance in enterprise software products (e.g. Windows, Office, Azure) Apple: Strong track record of innovation and a large, loyal customer base Alphabet: Leading player in online advertising and other digital platforms (e.g. Google Search, Youtube) Amazon: Dominance in e-commerce and rising cloud computing market share through Amazon Web Services (AWS) Saudi Aramco: World’s largest oil producer with massive reserves Meta: Dominant player in social media (Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp)

If you’re interested in learning more, check out our graphic: Visualizing How Big Tech Companies Make Their Billions.

Which Company Will Hit $1 Trillion Next?

As of June 18, there are a few candidates that could soon join the trillion-dollar club, including TSMC ($932B), Berkshire Hathaway ($881B), Eli Lilly ($847B), and Broadcom ($839B).

Most of these stocks have climbed significantly in 2024 so far, with TSMC up 77% since the start of

Comparing Saudi Aramco’s $1.9T Valuation to Its Rivals

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May 31, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Putting Saudi Aramco’s Market Cap Into Perspective

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

As of May 2024, there are just six trillion-dollar companies in the world, and only one of them is an oil company.

In this graphic, we put Saudi Aramco’s market cap into perspective by comparing it to the rest of the world’s largest oil companies. Numbers were sourced from Companiesmarketcap.com, and are as of May 24, 2024.

Data and Takeaways

The data we used to create this graphic are listed in the table below.

CompanyMarket Cap
(as of May 24, 2024) 🇸🇦 Saudi Aramco$1,914B 🇺🇸 Exxon Mobil$509B 🇺🇸 Chevron$288B 🇨🇳 Petro China$243B 🇳🇱 Shell$225B 🇫🇷 TotalEnergies$165B 🇺🇸 ConocoPhillips$137B 🇬🇧 BP$103B 🇨🇳 Sinopec$102B

Saudi Aramco launched its initial public offering (IPO) on December 11, 2019. It remains the largest IPO in history, raising $25.6 billion and valuing the company at $1.7 trillion. Aramco is also the only trillion-dollar company that isn’t based in the United States.

As of 2022, Aramco had proven reserves equal to 259 billion barrels of oil equivalent, which is massively greater than rivals like ExxonMobil (17.7 billion) and Chevron (11.2 billion).

$1.9T*

It should be noted that the Saudi government directly owns 90% of the company, while another 8% is held by the country’s sovereign wealth fund. With only 2% of shares available to the public, some believe that the company’s current valuation carries little weight.

For example, a Bloomberg op-ed from 2023 described Aramco’s valuation as an “illusion” due to its very low trading volume. Over a one year period, Aramco’s average daily turnover was just $51 million, compared to $1.9 billion for ExxonMobil and $1.4 billion for Chevron.

See More Market Cap Comparisons from Visual Capitalist

If you enjoyed this graphic, be sure to check out our similar graphic covering Nvidia.

Visualized: The Growth of Clean Energy Stocks

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May 28, 2024 Article & Editing Graphics & Design The Growth of Clean Energy Stocks

Over the last few years, energy investment trends have shifted from fossil fuels to renewable and sustainable energy sources. Long-term energy investors now see significant returns from clean energy stocks, especially compared to those invested in fossil fuels alone.

For this graphic, Visual Capitalist has collaborated with EnergyX to examine the rise of clean energy stocks and gain a deeper understanding of the factors driving this growth.

Sustainable Energy Stock Performance

In 2023, the IEA reported that 62% of all energy investment went toward sustainable sources. As the world embraces sustainable energy and technologies like EVs, it’s no surprise that clean energy companies provide solid returns for their investors over long periods. 

Taking the top-five clean energy stocks by market cap (as of April 2024) and charting their five-year cumulative returns, it is clear that investments in clean energy are growing:

CompanyPrice: 01/04/2019Price: 12/29/20245-Year-Return % First Solar, Inc.$46.32$172.28272% Enphase Energy, Inc.$5.08$132.142,501% Consolidated Edison, Inc.$76.55$90.9719% NextEra Energy, Inc.$43.13$60.7441% Brookfield Renewable Partners$14.78$26.2878%

But how does this compare to the performance of fossil fuel stocks? 

When comparing the performance of the S&P Global Oil Index and the S&P Clean Energy Index between 2019 and 2023, we see that the former returned 15%, whereas the latter returned an impressive 41%. This trend demonstrates the potential for clean energy stocks to yield significant returns on an industry level, sparking optimism and excitement for potential investors. 

A Shift In Returns

With global investment trends moving away from traditional, non-sustainable sources, the companies that could shape the energy transition provide investors with alternative opportunities and avenues for growth. 

One such company is EnergyX. The lithium technology company has patented a groundbreaking technology that can improve lithium extraction rates by an incredible 300%, and its stock price has grown tenfold since its first offering in 2021.

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Visualizing Berkshire Hathaway’s Stock Portfolio (Q1 2024)

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May 27, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Visualizing Berkshire Hathaway’s Portfolio as of Q1 2024

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Wondering what the Oracle of Omaha has his money invested in?

In this graphic, we illustrate Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio holdings, as of Q1 2024. This data was released on May 15, 2024, and can be easily accessed via CNBC’s Berkshire Hathaway Portfolio Tracker.

The value of each position listed in this graphic is based on market prices as of May 23, 2024, and will change over time.

Furthermore, note that Berkshire has received SEC permission to temporarily withhold data on certain positions. This includes all of its Japanese stocks, which are reported as of June 12, 2023.

It’s (almost) all Apple

The data we used to create this graphic can be found in the following table. Positions worth less than $5 billion were included in “Other”.

Company% of PortfolioValue
(As of 05-23-2024) 🇺🇸 Apple Inc39.7$149.8B 🇺🇸 Bank of America10.7$40.6B 🇺🇸 American Express9.7$36.8B 🇺🇸 Coca-Cola6.7$25.2B 🇺🇸 Chevron5.3$20.0B 🇺🇸 Occidental Petroleum4.2$15.7B 🇺🇸 Kraft Heinz3.1$11.7B 🇺🇸 Moody’s2.7$10.2B 🇯🇵 Mitsubishi Corp2.1$7.8B 🇺🇸 Chubb1.9$7.1B 🇯🇵 Mitsui & Co1.7$6.4B 🇯🇵 Itochu Corporation1.5$5.5B 🇺🇸 DaVita1.3$5.0B 🌍 Other9.4$35.9B Total100$377.9B

From this, we can see that Berkshire’s largest position is Apple, which makes up almost 40% of the portfolio and is worth nearly $150 billion.

While Warren Buffett once referred to Apple as the best business in the world, his firm actually trimmed its position by 13% in Q1 2024.

Even after that cut, Berkshire still maintains a 5.1% ownership stake in Apple.

Why Japanese Stocks?

While most of Berkshire’s major positions are in American companies, Japanese firms make up a significant chunk.

In 2020, Berkshire took positions in five Japanese trading houses: Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, and Sumitomo.

Also known as sōgō shōsha, which translates to “general trading company”, these firms are highly diversified across major

Nvidia is Worth More Than All of These Companies Combined

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May 27, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Putting the Market Cap of Nvidia Into Perspective

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Nvidia’s massive rise in the AI era has been well-documented, but did you know that it’s currently the world’s third most valuable company?

To put the massive market cap of Nvidia into perspective, we’ve put it side by side with a collection of other major U.S. tech companies.

All figures were sourced from Companiesmarketcap.com, and are as of May 23, 2024.

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Data and Takeaways

All of the numbers we used to create this graphic are included in the table below.

CompanyMarket Cap
(as of May 23, 2024) Nvidia$2.5T Meta$1.2T Tesla$553B Netflix$272B AMD$257B Intel$128B IBM$157B

These figures are even more impressive when you consider that at the beginning of 2020, Nvidia was valued at a relatively tiny $145 billion.

Since then, the company has greatly surpassed other American chipmakers like Intel and AMD. This growth is due to several key factors:

Expansion into AI and data centers: Nvidia’s chips are highly effective for AI training, making them essential for companies engaged in machine learning and generative AI Advancements in AI software: Nvidia has developed AI software platforms, such as CUDA-X and TensorRT, which are widely used by researchers. Strong financial performance: Nvidia has consistently delivered strong financial results in recent years, with substantial revenue growth. Closing in on Apple

With Nvidia’s latest stock surge (up 13.5% over the past five days ending May 24, 2024), the company could possibly overtake Apple to become the world’s second most valuable company.

Microsoft, another major player in AI, holds the #1 spot with a market cap of $3.2 trillion.

See More Visuals on Nvidia

If you enjoyed this graphic, be sure to check out this graphic that breaks down Nvidia’s revenue by product line, from 2019 to 2024.

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Visualized: A Decade of Clean Energy Investment

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May 21, 2024 Graphics & Design Visualized: A Decade of Clean Energy Investment

Global energy investment is growing every year. But recently, investments in clean energy have been significantly outpacing investments in fossil fuels.

For this graphic, we partnered with EnergyX to explore how global energy investment has changed and learn how investments in clean energy are starting to pay off for their investors.

The Rise of Sustainable Energy Investment

Propelled by various climate initiatives such as the Paris Agreement and the widespread adoption of EVs, global investment in sustainable energy surged to over $1.7 trillion in 2023, the highest ever, and the IEA projects that this growth could continue:

Energy Product20202021202220232030F Clean Electrification$0.97T$1.05$1.21T$1.34T$1.65T Low-Emission Fuels$0.01T$0.01$0.01T$0.02T$0.05T Energy Efficiency$0.28T$0.35$0.39T$0.38T$0.49T Clean Energy Total$1.26T$1.41T$1.61T$1.74T$2.19T Natural Gas$0.26T$0.27T$0.31T$0.32T$0.35T Oil$0.42T$0.48T$0.52T$0.55T$0.60T Coal$0.16T$0.16T$0.18T$0.18T$0.11T Fossil Fuel Total$0.84T$0.91T$1.01T$1.05T$1.06T Total Energy Investment$2.10T$2.32T$2.62T$2.79T$3.25T

Between 2020 and 2030, global investment in sustainable energy could increase by 74% to nearly $2.2 trillion, compared to just 26% additional investment in fossil fuels, with a forecast total of $1.06 trillion. This shows that sustainability is the future of energy investment. 

Sustainable Investor Success Stories

While the growing investments in clean energy show that the world embraces sustainability, energy investors will still look for decent returns. Now, in 2024, clean energy investments are beginning to bear fruit. Here are just a few examples:     

Between 2019 and 2023, Tesla had a cumulative return of 1,073%  NextEra Energy’s quarterly dividend increased by over 10% as of February 2024 Investors in EnergyX have 10x’ed their investments since the company’s first offering in 2021

Lithium plays a critical role in powering electric vehicles (EVs) and facilitating the transition to sustainable energy. EnergyX has patented technology that enhances lithium extraction rates by up to 300%, contributing to meeting the growing demand for lithium and fueling the EVs of the future.

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Countries With the Highest Rates of Crypto Ownership

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May 7, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Countries With the Highest Rates of Crypto Ownership

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

This graphic ranks the top 10 countries by their rate of cryptocurrency ownership, which is the percentage of the population that owns crypto. These figures come from crypto payment gateway, Triple-A, and are as of 2023.

Data and Highlights

The table below lists the rates of crypto ownership in the top 10 countries, as well as the number of people this amounts to.

Country% of Population
Who Own Crypto# of Crypto Owners 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates30.43M 🇻🇳 Vietnam21.221M 🇺🇸 U.S.15.653M 🇮🇷 Iran13.512M 🇵🇭 Philippines13.416M 🇧🇷 Brazil1226M 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia11.44M 🇸🇬 Singapore11.1665K 🇺🇦 Ukraine10.64M 🇻🇪 Venezuela10.33M

Note that if we were to rank countries based on their actual number of crypto owners, India would rank first at 93 million people, China would rank second at 59 million people, and the U.S. would rank third at 52 million people.

The UAE Takes the Top Spot

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) boasts the highest rates of crypto ownership globally. The country’s government is considered to be very crypto friendly, as described in Henley & Partners’ Crypto Wealth Report 2023:

In the UAE, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA-ADGM) was the first to provide rules and regulations regarding cryptocurrency purchasing and selling. The Emirates are generally very open to new technologies and have proposed zero taxes for crypto owners and businesses.

Vietnam leads Southeast Asia

According to the Crypto Council for Innovation, cryptocurrency holdings in Vietnam are also untaxed, making them an attractive asset.

Another reason for Vietnam’s high rates of ownership could be its large unbanked population (people without access to financial services). Cryptocurrencies may provide an alternative means of accessing these services without relying on traditional banks.

Learn More About Crypto From Visual Capitalist

If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out The World’s Largest Corporate Holders of Bitcoin, which ranks the top 12 publicly traded companies by their

The Growth of a $1,000 Equity Investment, by Stock Market

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May 6, 2024 Graphics/Design:

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Visualizing Stock Market Growth by Country

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

In this graphic, we show the change in value of a $1,000 investment in various leading equity indexes from around the world. This data was sourced from Investing.com, and covers a five-year period from April 2019 to April 2024.

See the following table for the five-year annual return figures of the indexes shown above.

Index5-Yr Return
as of April 1, 2024 🇮🇳 NIFTY 5092.4% 🇯🇵 Nikkei 22572.5% 🇺🇸 S&P 50070.9% 🇨🇦 S&P/TSX Composite31.0% 🇬🇧 FTSE 1009.8% 🇭🇰 Hang Seng-40.2%

In terms of stock market growth by country, India (represented here by the NIFTY 50) has impressively surpassed both the U.S. and Japan.

What is the NIFTY 50?

The NIFTY 50 is an index of the 50 largest and most actively traded Indian stocks. Similar to the S&P 500, it represents a range of industries and acts as a benchmark for investors to gauge the performance of the country’s broader stock market.

What’s Going on in India?

India’s multi-year bull market has led to several records being shattered in 2023. For example, the country’s total stock market market capitalization surpassed $4 trillion for the first time, while India-focused ETFs pulled in net inflows of $8.6 billion over the year.

A primary driver of this growth is the country’s fast-rising middle class. According to a report by Morgan Stanley, this “once-in-a-generation shift” will result in India having the third largest stock market globally by 2030, presumably behind the U.S. and China.

Japan Also Breaks Records

Japanese equities (represented in this graphic by the Nikkei 225) slightly outperformed the S&P 500 over the past five years. The index, which represents the top 225 companies on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, recently set a new record high for the first time since 1989.

Japanese companies have reported strong earnings as of late, partly thanks to a weak yen, which benefits many of the country’s export-reliant companies.

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