• Stockholm’s first metal-free EV car shows transport without mining or movement.
• Shows the green shift needs still needs minerals and mines.

At Sweden’s National Museum of Science and Technology, a new installation called eNimon is drawing attention to an uncomfortable truth about the green transition.

Created by Sandvik, it’s the world’s first electric car made without metals or minerals – a transparent, motionless structure that looks like a car but can’t move an inch. The message is simple: without mining, there is no clean energy future.

“Without mining, there are no EVs, no wind turbines, no solar panels,” says Mats Eriksson, President of Business Area Mining at Sandvik. “Sustainable mining is the backbone of the green transition and fundamental to achieving global sustainability goals.”

Demand for clean energy minerals outpaces supply

That statement highlights a growing problem. The demand for materials that power electric vehicles and renewable energy – like lithium, copper, and nickel – is outpacing supply. Every electric car needs about six times more minerals than a petrol car. Wind and solar technologies require even more. According to the International Energy Agency, reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 will require up to five times more lithium, nickel, and cobalt than what’s being mined today.

For companies driving toward sustainability, this supply gap has serious implications. Delays in access to materials can disrupt production, slow clean energy projects, and inflate costs. For governments, it can derail decarbonisation goals. The challenge isn’t just producing more – it’s producing responsibly. Mining will remain essential, but it needs to be done in ways that limit environmental harm and ensure fair working conditions.

That’s where technology and better governance come in. Many companies are using digital tools to make mining safer and more efficient. For example, predictive maintenance systems can prevent equipment breakdowns and cut energy waste. AI-powered exploration models help identify lower-impact deposits, while remote operations reduce risks for workers. The tools can help make mining both cleaner and more transparent, though they require strong data management and training to work well.

Technology reshapes how mining works

Changing public perception may be just as hard as changing mining methods. For years, mining has been seen as dirty and destructive. Sandvik’s eNimon car aims to challenge that view by showing what happens when the world turns away from mining altogether. The work isn’t about glorifying extraction, but rather serves to remind people of the connection between technology, sustainability, and mining. Without the materials mining provides, the energy transition would stop before it starts.

Eriksson said: “eNimon symbolises what’s at stake if the world fails to recognise and expand mining’s essential contributions to sustainable development. The installation challenges perceptions of mining – not as a dirty, outdated industry, but as a high-tech, innovative and essential enabler of the green technologies shaping our future.”

Rethinking mining in a sustainable future

For business leaders, the takeaway is clear. The clean energy shift depends on supply chains that start far below the surface. Managing that dependence entails understanding where materials come from, ensuring sourcing is responsible, and planning for potential production shortages.

To retain ecological credentials yet still innovate, companies should:

• Map use of important minerals and find alternative suppliers where possible.
• Set clear sustainability standards for how materials are mined and tracked.
• Partner with mining and technology firms working on cleaner, automated operations.
• Be transparent about how mineral sourcing fits into sustainability reporting.
• Prepare for stricter regulations around supply chains and emissions.

Mining may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of a green future, but it is the foundation that makes that future possible. The question isn’t whether to mine – it’s how to do it better.

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