Electric car boom spurs investor scramble for cobalt Feb 14, 2017 | Bad Credit Loans, Bank Lending, Business Lending, Business Loans, Capital, Economics, Finance, Non-Bank Loans, Working Capital LONDON (Reuters) – Investors are buying up physical cobalt anticipating that shortages of the metal, a key component of lithium-ion batteries used in electrical cars, will spur prices to their highest levels since the 2008 financial crisis.