GM invests millions in EnergyX to unlock North American lithium supply via sustainable extraction
General Motors announced that GM Ventures is leading a $50 million Series B financing round in EnergyX – a company specializing in direct lithium extraction and refinery technologies. As part of the investment, GM will help fund the commercialization of EnergyX’s sustainable extraction technology in exchange for lithium to be exclusively used for EV production.
Energy Exploration Technologies Inc., better known as EnergyX, is an American company founded in 2018 with the goal of delivering more sustainable and effective battery and energy storage solutions to our world.
The company has filed over 60 patents covering its array of technological breakthroughs, including its Lithium Ion Transport and Separation (LiTAS) portfolio, consisting of unique direct lithium extraction (DLE) methods. These sustainable processes utilize proprietary membranes, solvents, and adsorbents to optimize lithium recovery for Li-brine resource producers, intended to create a process that smoothly operates from “brine to battery.”
As one of the largest automakers in the US, GM is slowly but surely going all-electric. While it has yet to deliver many of the new BEV models it is advertising, those models are on the way, and there are even more in its production pipeline. This pivot toward an all-EV future will require the ongoing revamping of assembly lines and massive amounts of precious resources like lithium which are vital to current EV battery chemistry.
Under the new terms for EVs to qualify for the federal tax credits outlined in President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, now hardened by the US Department of Treasury’s new battery guidance, it’s more important than ever to reliably source battery components from North America.
GM appears to have found a partner in EnergyX, gaining exclusive access to local lithium supplies, but it also looks to fund the company’s development of more efficient and sustainable methods of extracting the precious element.
According to General Motors, its GM Ventures division, which invests in tech startups, is leading a $50 million funding round in EnergyX alongside other unnamed investors. The Series B funding round is focused on furthering EnergyX’s research and development relating to its DLE technology with the goal of unlocking the coveted supply of lithium in North America.
As you can see from the chart above, EnergyX’s extraction process can create lithium metal directly from brine that is potentially anode-ready to be implemented in EV batteries. The process is not only more sustainable but also more cost-effective. Add a localized supply chain, and it’s no wonder GM is investing in the prospect of gaining access to the lithium EnergyX may produce. EnergyX CEO Teague Egan spoke about his company’s technology:
The EnergyX team of scientists and engineers have worked relentlessly for five years developing cutting-edge DLE technology to solve the immense bottlenecks that have limited global lithium production and supply chain. This single bottleneck (a massive lithium shortage) is the biggest challenge to scaling EV production. We will unlock lithium supply in the U.S., a pivotal move in expanding the EV industry. There are many ways of gauging success, but few are more rewarding than the support of leaders like GM. We’re energized by GM’s investment and will keep a ‘Day 1’ attitude as we pursue our goal of making EnergyX the biggest lithium company in the world.
GM’s investment money comes with a conditional agreement with EnergyX that includes three key components pertaining to the potential lithium supply on the continent:
- The two American companies will implement a technology development program to support the commercialization of EnergyX’s advanced DLE and refinery processes, potentially replacing traditional evaporation pond methods.
- GM gets access to competitive lithium offtakes for its own exclusive use in EV production, including material sourced from North and South American mining companies contracted by EnergyX.
- GM will provide additional financing for lithium production projects in North and South America, using EnergyX’s technology to drive potential supply chain opportunities for the automaker.
Last year, EnergyX became the first company to design and commission a successful, five-month, in-field pilot plant program in the “Lithium Triangle,” located along the Atacama Desert in South America. The company’s LiTAS technology can increase lithium recovery rates to over 90%, significantly higher than the current industry standard of 30-40% using ponds, and even got as high as 94% during the pilot trials.
With fresh funding led by GM, EnergyX now looks to scale those existing lithium extraction systems into new pilot plants across North and South America on its way to full-scale commercialization. GM’s vice president of global purchasing and supply chain Jeff Morrison also spoke about the new collaboration with EnergyX to obtain more lithium:
We are committed to securing EV critical minerals that are sustainable and cost competitive to maintain our leadership position among automakers. The investment in EnergyX is a further proof point of GM’s leadership position. EnergyX is developing a novel direct lithium extraction process that’s not only cost competitive but also will reduce energy, land and water usage as compared to the current extraction and processing process for brine-based lithium. We are excited to be partnered with EnergyX on their efforts.
EnergyX is currently in the process of erecting a new 40,000-square-foot facility in Austin, Texas, to headquarter its growing operation. Learn more about EnergyX and its proprietary approach to Lithium extraction in the video below:
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Kia’s electric SUVs are taking over. The EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK this year, giving Kia its strongest sales start since it arrived 34 years ago. And it’s not just in the UK. Kia just had its best first quarter globally since it started selling cars in 1962.
Kia EV3 is the best-selling EV in the UK through March
In March, Kia sold a record nearly 20,000 vehicles in the UK, making it the fourth best-selling brand. It was also the second top-seller of electrified vehicles (EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs), accounting for over 55% of sales.
The EV3 remained the best-selling retail EV in the UK last month. Including the EV6, three-row EV9, and Niro EV, electric vehicles represented 21% of Kia’s UK sales in March.
Kia said the EV3 “started with a bang” in January, darting out as the UK’s most popular EV in retail sales. Through March, Kia’s electric SUV has held on to the crown. With the EV3 rolling out, Kia sold over 7,000 electric cars through March, nearly 50% more than in Q1 2024.
The EV3 was the best-selling retail EV in the UK in the first quarter and the fourth best-selling EV overall, including commercial vehicles.
Starting at £33,005 ($42,500), Kia said it’s the “brand’s most affordable EV yet.” It’s available with two battery packs, 58.3 kWh or 81.48 kWh, good for 430 km (270 miles) and 599 km (375 miles) of WLTP range, respectively.
With new EVs on the way, this could be just the start. Kia is launching several new EVs in the UK this year, including the EV4 sedan (and hatchback) and EV5 SUV. It also confirmed that the first PV5 electric vans will be delivered to customers by the end of the year.
Electrek’s Take
Globally, Kia sold a record 772,351 vehicles in the first quarter, its best since it started selling cars in 1962. With the new EV4, the brand’s first electric sedan and hatchback, launching this year, Kia looks to build on its momentum in 2025.
Kia has also made it very clear that it wants to be a global leader in the electric van market with its new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) business, starting with the PV5 later this year.
Earlier today, we learned Kia’s midsize electric SUV, the EV5, is the fourth best-selling EV in Australia through March, outselling every BYD vehicle (at least for now). The EV5 is rolling out to new markets this year, including Canada, the UK, South Korea, and Mexico. However, it will not arrive in the US.
For those in the US, there are still a few Kia EVs to look forward to. Kia is launching the EV4 globally, including in the US, later this year. Although no date has been set, Kia confirmed the EV3 is also coming. It’s expected to arrive in mid-2026.
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Environment
Podcast: Tesla’s disastrous deliveries, more Trump tariffs, EV delivery numbers, 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 Tesla’s disastrous deliveries, more Trump tariffs, EV delivery numbers, and more.
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Charging your EV in freezing weather could soon become dramatically faster, thanks to a big breakthrough from the University of Michigan engineers.
Neil Dasgupta, U-M associate professor of mechanical engineering and materials science and engineering and corresponding author of a study published in Joule, and his team have developed an innovative battery structure and coating that can boost lithium-ion EV battery charging speeds by a whopping 500%, even at frigid temperatures as low as 14F (-10C). “Charging an EV battery takes 30 to 40 minutes even for aggressive fast charging, and that time increases to over an hour in the winter,” Dasgupta explained. “This is the pain point we want to address.”
Freezing weather has traditionally been harsh on EV batteries because it slows down the movement of lithium ions, resulting in slower charging speeds and reduced battery life. Automakers have tried thickening battery electrodes to extend driving range, but this makes some of the lithium hard to access, making charging even slower.
Previously, Dasgupta’s group sped up battery charging using lasers to carve pathways around 40 microns in size into the graphite anode. This allowed lithium ions to reach deeper into the battery more quickly. However, cold-weather performance still lagged because a chemical layer formed on the electrodes, blocking the ions. Dasgupta compares this barrier to “trying to cut cold butter,” making charging inefficient.
To solve this, the team coated the battery with a thin, glassy material made of lithium borate-carbonate—only 20 nanometers thick—which prevented the problematic chemical layer from forming. Combined with the microscopic channels, the results were groundbreaking: the modified batteries retained 97% of their capacity even after 100 fast-charging cycles in freezing temperatures.
“We envision this approach as something that EV battery manufacturers could adopt without major changes to existing factories,” Dasgupta noted. “For the first time, we’ve shown a pathway to simultaneously achieve extreme fast charging at low temperatures, without sacrificing the energy density of the lithium-ion battery.”
This innovation could tackle one of the biggest concerns holding potential EV buyers back.
The new battery tech is moving closer to commercialization, supported by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization (MTRAC) Advanced Transportation Innovation Hub. The research devices were built at U-M’s Battery Lab and studied with help from the Michigan Center for Materials Characterization.
U-M Innovation Partnerships assisted the team in applying for patents, and Arbor Battery Innovations has licensed the technology for market deployment. Dasgupta and the University of Michigan hold financial stakes in Arbor Battery Innovations.
Read more: California now has nearly 50% more EV chargers than gas nozzles
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