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During a press conference yesterday, supervisors in Imperial County, California, announced they had voted unanimously to offer tax rebates, property tax deductions, and the potential for further incentives to any and all battery manufacturers willing to produce Lithium products within the county’s lines. The county shared it is also seeking federal funding and state programs to support its “Lithium Valley” project with hopes of bringing more battery manufacturing to California.

With the global demand for lithium projected to expand tenfold over the next decade on the wings of soaring EV production and demand, the state of California looks to capitalize on its reserve of the precious element by bringing more industry within its borders.

According to the US Geological Survey, the US is only providing 1% of the global lithium being mined and processed. In California especially, the Salton Sea, located in Imperial County, sits as a geothermal resource area believed by many to have serious potential to become a competitive source of lithium.

Under advisory from the US Department of Energy, several projects have been created to establish a “Lithium Valley” in Southern California with hopes to not only garner a larger piece of the elemental pie but reduce the nation’s dependency on other countries for materials vital to current EV battery manufacturing.

In recent years, supervisors from the Board of Imperial County have established conversations with both state and federal governments to realize the full potential of the Salton Sea – a land that once offered a resort community through the 1960s until a shrinking of the lake and contamination from nearby farm runoff led to a massive rise in salinity and death of local wildlife.

Today, the stinky Salton Sea remains home to few, mostly motorsport enthusiasts taking their toys through the desert. Imperial County, however, sees a second life for its Salton Sea as the geothermal activity below the water continues to loosen up lithium that can be mined.

Yesterday, the county’s board announced major tax breaks for battery manufacturers to incentivize them to set up shop in California. Imperial County board chair Ryan Kelley said it best:

Samsung, LG, Panasonic, come to Imperial County. We’ll give you some carne asada, and we’ll show you where it’s at.

I can’t express how California that statement is. Carne asada does sound nice, but up to $1 million in tax rebates probably sounds even better.

California Lithium
Credit: Facebook/Imperial County, CA

Imperial County looks to become California’s Lithium mecca

According to a livestream press event held in Southern California yesterday, the board of supervisors for Imperial County have approved a $50 per-metric-ton rebate on California’s recent lithium severance tax as long as local lithium producers sell their lithium to manufacturers that are also operating in Imperial County. Furthermore, those EV battery manufacturers, for instance, could also receive tax rebates.

EnergySource, a local independent geothermal power producer already involved in the Salton Sea project, could receive up to $1 million a year in rebates by producing 20,000 tons of lithium sold to battery manufacturers in the county, according to Ryan Kelley.

In addition to the unanimous vote for tax rebates, the county board shared it will also opt to join a state capital investment program that could deliver up to 10 years’ worth of partial property tax deductions. Kelley went on to explain that a qualified capital investment of $1 billion could equate to an $80 million deduction of property taxes over the course of a decade.

At the federal level, county officials are also seeking $1 billion to implement a freight rail depot to transport the lithium to other parts of California, as well as other areas in the US like the port of New Orleans, for example. The county has also requested $50 million from the US government to repave roads and fix bridges to again support the logistics of California lithium mining.

Federal representative for Imperial County, Raul Ruiz (D-Indio), plans to continue his work with the board as it hopes to implement a direct liaison between the county and the US Department of Energy. Ruiz spoke to the Salton Sea’s potential as a major source of lithium to automakers and beyond in the US:

Today, the Imperial County Board of Supervisors took an important step forward in realizing the full potential of the lithium at the Salton Sea. I have long envisioned a Salton Sea region that leads the way in renewable energy development in an environmentally conscious manner.

To date, only Los Angeles-based company StateVolt has committed to erecting a $4 billion battery manufacturing plant in Imperial County, but other manufacturers like GM and Korean battery makers, like LG Energy Solution and Panasonic, have already expressed interest.

These incentives should prove enticing for global automakers as many scramble to establish battery production on North American soil so their EVs once again qualify for federal tax credits under new terms outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act that (partially) kicked in on January 1, 2023.

You can watch the full press event from Imperial County outlining its plans for California’s “Lithium Valley” in the video below.

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After 300 years of innovation, Husqvarna definitely dreams of electric sheep

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After 300 years of innovation, Husqvarna definitely dreams of electric sheep

Founded in 1689, Husqvarna was a musket maker for the king of Sweden – but now, the company best known for quirky motorcycles and commercial riding mowers is becoming an innovator in the field of robotics, and its latest fleet of electric autonomous mowers are eager to get grazing.

Husqvarna’s autonomous lawnmowers made history earlier this year at the AIG Women’s Open, when they became the first autonomous groundskeeping solution to see duty during a UK Major golf week.

“At the AIG Women’s Open, the Husqvarna portfolio is helping us deliver this goal through improved resource management, regular lightweight mowing and reduced carbon usage,” explains Royal Porthcawl’s Course Manager, Ian Kinley, who has championed the use of robotic technology at the course. “With the AIG Women’s Open set to be the largest-ever women’s sporting event in Wales, we know there’s tremendous pressure to produce playing surfaces that are worthy of such a high-profile event.”

The robots themselves operate a bit differently than Husqvarna’s traditional line of big, bad, zero-turn riding mowers that whip through thick grass once or twice a month with heavy, whirling blades. Instead, they employ a series of tiny razor blades that gently nibble at the grass daily – just like little electric sheep grazing on the turf.

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“That cutting system, developed by Husqvarna engineers, has then become the basis for the entire robot mower industry, of which we’re the market leader,” Nick Rawson, VP of Strategy and Business Development at Husqvarna told Forbes.

Events like the AIG Women’s Open are proving that the little robot Huskies can get the job done quietly, sustainably, and with significantly less operator input. As such, you’d think everyone at Husqvarna would be excited about them.

You’d be wrong. The company’s franchise dealers have been hesitant to push them forward, effectively putting the parent company in the position of going B2C, or going home.

“Dealers live and breathe the previous technology,” said Yvette Henshall-Bell, Husqvarna’s President of its Forest and Garden division for Europe, in that same Forbes piece. “They want to protect that servicing, that aftermarket revenue. Whereas if they really thought about what the customer’s problems are and the job to be done, they would be looking at a completely different solution.”

A solution, frankly, that looks a lot like a little robot mower.

The things, themselves


Autonomous mowers at Women’s Open; via Husqvarna.

Husqvarna offers three types of autonomous electric mowers aimed at commercial golf courses, but the Husqvarna CEORA for large-area mowing, and Husqvarna Automower, for smaller, steeper and more complex areas, are the models relevant to this story.

The bigger CEORA can handle up to 18 acres of ground twice each week, while the Automower, with its 80V battery and pinpoint precision EPOS (Exact Positioning Operating System) software, can handle another 2.5 acres. Both are fully electric, and can guide themselves back to their pens to recharge as needed.

Prices aren’t public, but the Husqvarna CEORA and Automowers are available as part of a custom lease package through Husqvarna Finance that will include access to the company’s customizable back end and ongoing support. Check with your local dealer for more.

Electrek’s Take


As a typically pro-union, pro-labor type of guy, I am hesitant to heap praise upon a robot taking away anyone’s job. That said, it does seem to be difficult for landscapers and construction crews to keep and find good labor at rates they can afford (and, let’s face it – the current Trump Administration isn’t going to be making that any easier). As such, if companies like Husqvarna and John Deere and Einride and others can build a demonstrably better mousetrap at a compelling price point … good for them. (?)

Let us know what you think in the comments.

SOURCES: Forbes, Golf Monthly; images by Husqvarna.


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Podcast: Apple CarPlay in Tesla cars, VW on Superchargers, Toyota electric pickup, and more

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Podcast: Apple CarPlay in Tesla cars, VW on Superchargers, Toyota electric pickup, and more

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss Apple CarPlay possibly coming to Tesla cars, VW getting access to Superchargers, a Toyota electric pickup, and more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

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We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET:

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October EV sales slid, but deals and rebates are still in play

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October EV sales slid, but deals and rebates are still in play

US EV sales declined in October following the expiration of the $7,500 federal tax credit on September 30, and the average transaction price (ATP) edged up, according to initial estimates from Kelley Blue Book, a Cox Automotive brand. However, there are still deals to be had.

Kelley Blue Book’s initial estimates show that US EV sales fell to 74,835 in October, down 48.9% from September, which was a record month, and 30.3% year-over-year.

Prices also ticked up. The average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV climbed 1.6% month-over-month to $59,125, which is 2.3% higher than a year ago.

Tesla didn’t escape the downturn, but it held up better than the overall EV market. The company’s ATP fell 1.1% from September to $53,526, and its prices are 5.5% lower than they were in October 2024. Sales of the Model 3 and Model Y both declined month-over-month, and overall Tesla sales decreased by 35.3% from September and 23.6% year-over-year, which are smaller declines compared to the broader EV segment.

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Cox Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Valdez Streaty said the shift wasn’t surprising:

We expected this shift in the electric vehicle market. With the IRA-backed sales incentives gone, lower-cost EV volume was hit hard, pushing the mix toward more luxury and driving October’s EV ATP to a 2025 high of $59,125 – now $9,359 above the industry average. Affordability has always been the core challenge with EV sales, and this reset only underscores how critical it is to bring more attainable EV options to market.

Electrek’s Take

September was a record-breaking month for both EV deals and sales. Dealers were offering all sorts of sweet incentives to stack with the federal tax credit to move cars off the lot. October’s sales drop was entirely anticipated, like a pounding headache after a big blowout party.

We didn’t know what the post-federal tax credit EV market would look like. As Valdez Streaty rightly states, EVs do have a higher ATP than the industry average. But it turns out that, so far, it’s not all doom and gloom, and the federal tax credit isn’t the only incentive in town.

Every month, I compile great EV lease deals, and for the last few months, some EVs’ monthly lease payments have been cheaper than before the federal tax credit expired. Many states are still offering rebates on EV purchases, and dealers still have really good deals. While cheaper models would definitely be welcome, there are good deals available right now.

And let’s not forget the fact that EVs are much cheaper to drive than gas cars, with or without that tax credit.

Read more: From $189 a month: 5 of the best EV lease deals in November [Updated]


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