The Next Energy War Will Be Fought With Oil-and Magnets

Highlights

• EVs accounted for one-quarter of global new-car sales in 2025, with China nearing 55% EV penetration, reshaping energy security calculations worldwide.
• China dominates rare-earth separation, permanent magnets, and battery supply chains—replacing oil imports with mineral imports is not true energy independence.
• The Middle East Hormuz disruption may accelerate electrification, but nations must secure oil, grids, batteries, uranium, copper, and rare-earth magnet supply chains simultaneously.
• Great Powers Era 2.0 rewards resilience over efficiency: redundant supply chains, domestic processing, and allied magnet plants now function as strategic insurance.