The Piedmont Lithium Inc (ASX: PLL) share price is rocketing higher on Thursday despite the company's silence.
Though, it's been a big week for ASX lithium shares, perhaps partly due to comments made by the company's boss.
The Piedmont Lithium share price is 91.5 cents right now. That marks a 5.78% gain on Thursday.
For context, the All Ordinaries Index (ASX: XAO) is up 1.61% right now.
So, what might be boosting the US-focused lithium developer's stock? Let's take a look.
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What's driving the Piedmont Lithium share price today?
ASX lithium share Piedmont Lithium is joining many of its peers in the green on Thursday.
Indeed, the S&P/ASX 200 Materials Index (ASX: XMJ) is one of the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO)'s best-performing sectors today. It's gaining 2.4% at the time of writing compared to the index's 1.6% gain. And lithium shares are leading its gains for no obvious reason. Though, there's been plenty to drive sentiment for the sector this week.
Firstly, experts, including Piedmont Lithium CEO Keith Phillips, have voiced concerns supply shortages of the material could continue for years.
Speaking to Yahoo Finance earlier this week, Phillips said the world might not to able to produce enough lithium to sate some aspirational electric vehicle take-up targets. He continued:
There's going to be a real crunch to get the material. We don't have enough in the world to turn that much [lithium] production [to meet some 2035 targets].
The world has changed… We're now in an era where everyone's going to want an electric car. The car companies can't make them fast enough, and people are now looking for the lithium they need for the batteries to go in those electric cars.
On that note, Australians have been snapping up electric vehicles at record rates.
According to data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, released on Monday, a record 4.4% of all cars sold in Australia in August were electric. Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA)'s Model 3 was Australia's fourth best-selling car last month.
Looking further back, 2% of cars sold in the country so far this year are battery powered.
Such happenings may have driven sentiment for ASX lithium shares this week and, in turn, could be boosting the Piedmont Lithium share price today.
