In today’s world, electric cars are becoming increasingly popular due to their efficiency and zero emissions. However, electric cars do not run on electricity alone – they need lithium to power them. As one of the leading manufacturers of electric vehicles, Tesla needs a reliable source of lithium. So where does Tesla get its lithium from?
Tesla’s lithium is sourced primarily from mines in Australia, including the Mt. Cattlin mine and the Nemaska Lithium mine. Tesla also sources lithium from Chile, with the Piña operations in the Salar de Atacama and the El Porton mine. Additionally, Tesla has entered a strategic partnership with suppliers in China and Canada.
Australia is the dominant source for Tesla’s lithium. In 2014, Tesla bought lithium from the Mt. Cattlin mine in Western Australia. The mine consists of a large open pit containing spodumene ore. Spodumene is one of the most common minerals mined for lithium and is usually colored pink or brown. The mine has a capacity of up to 500,000 tons of ore per annum.
Tesla also sources lithium from the Nemaska Lithium mine in Northern Quebec, Canada. The mine is operated by toy manufacturer Sigma Lithium, and contains sediments of clay, siltstone, and quartzite enriched with spodumene ore. The ore deposits in the mine have been estimated to yield up to 8.7 million tons of ore.
Tesla has also turned to Chile for lithium, where the Piñera operations in the Salar de Atacama produces close to 10,000 tons of lithium carbonate a year. Tesla has also developed a partnership with industrial metals company SQM, which operates the El Porton mine in northern Chile. The El Porton mine is the second largest copper mine in the world and is a source of lithium contained in the copper ore.
Tesla also sources lithium from its strategic partners in China and Canada. The company has a strategic partnership with China’s Ganfeng Lithium and Canada’s China Innovative Energy to provide battery cells using lithium hydroxide from their plants in China. The partnership enables Tesla to source a stable supply of lithium hydroxide and cells for the production of long range and high energy density batteries.
Tesla’s reliable sources of lithium enable them to continue producing high-quality electric vehicles for the masses. With its partnerships and various sources of lithium, Tesla is set to continue leading the electric vehicle market into the coming years.