Lithium-ion batteries, because of their high energy density, are the batteries of choice for most new high-tech devices: cell phones, laptops, etc.

But if the world begins mass-producing electric cars, Lithium demand will skyrocket, offering windfall profits for countries who have large supplies of the element. The amount of lithium needed to run a car dwarfs the amount needed to power a laptop.

Bolivia claims to have nearly half of the world's known lithium reserves. Tibet also has large reserves. If lithium continues to be the element of choice for making car batteries, then keep an eye on this commodity, because it will have increasingly important geopolitical implications.