The platinum market will remain in a deficit this year as a slowdown in the electric-vehicle boom supports demand for autocatalysts, according to the World Platinum Investment Council. Demand for the metal in the pollution-control devices climbed to the highest since 2017 in the first quarter, and is expected to rise about 2% for the whole year, the WPIC said in a report on Monday. As well as slowing demand growth for EVs — which don’t have catalytic converters — consumption has been aided by stricter emissions rules and using the metal as a substitute for palladium. “Investors are saying, well actually maybe we’re ... (full story)