Carbon-conscious mining company Snow Lake Lithium and battery production specialist LG Energy Solution announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a domestic supply chain of lithium in North America. When Snow Lake’s lithium mining operation gets up and running in 2025, it plans to supply LG with the precious Earth material essential to current EV battery chemistry. This domestic supply chain could help several automakers qualify for US federal tax credits as well.
Snow Lake Resources Ltd. ($LTIM) is a publicly traded mining company looking to source precious battery materials in new and more sustainable ways. The company has already made a commitment to provide completely traceable, carbon-neutral, and zero harm lithium to the EV and battery market in North America by utilizing hydroelectric power and zero emission mining machinery.
The lithium-rich land is located in Manitoba, Canada, where Snow Lake has been consolidating the area and conducting surveys to determine its resource potential. It kicked off its initial assessment of the land in early 2022, but said it will take 18-24 months for environmental work such as permitting to be complete before commercial lithium mining can actually begin in North America.
Snow Lake Lithium still has a lot to accomplish before it can mine this rich supply of lithium to automakers in North America, but based on early assessments, the company believes it will be able to provide enough lithium to power five million EVs on the continent alone, while simultaneously reducing US automakers’ dependency on China.
With its latest announcement, LG Energy Solution – a major battery provider to EV automakers in North America – is onboard to establish a viable domestic supply chain of lithium that can lead to financial benefits to the automakers themselves, in addition to their US customers.
Source: Snow Lake Lithium
Snow Lake to provide Lithium to North America with LGES
The companies announced their non-binding MOU in a press release today, outlining some of the early terms and expected timelines for domestic lithium distribution to support EVs. When Snow Lake Lithium begins approved lithium mining in Canada, it will supply LG Energy Solution (LGES) with the chemical element for EV battery cell production in North America over a ten year period.
LGES is a newer battery production unit of the larger LG Group, originally spun out of LG Chem toward the end of 2020. Its main focus is the development of lithium-ion batteries for EVs, Mobility & IT applications, and Energy Storage Systems (ESS).
Based on these movements, an agreement with Snow Lake Lithium and the potential of its colossal, 55,000-acre domestic mining site for the EV industry feels like a natural next step. LG Energy Solution CEO Youngsoo Kwon shared a similar sentiment:
As we have recently announced our mid- to long-term strategy to focus on North America, the fastest growing EV market, these partnerships serve as a crucial step towards securing a stable key raw material supply chain in the region. By constantly investing in upstream suppliers and establishing strategic partnerships with major suppliers of critical minerals, LGES will continue to ensure the steady delivery of our top-quality products, thereby further advancing the global transition to EVs and ultimately to a sustainable future.
Both companies state that completion of the partnership outlined in the MOU will be subject to a number of conditions, including “the completion of due diligence from both parties.” Should both companies find the partnership terms and mining prospects agreeable, a massive supply of lithium available domestically could benefit EV automakers and customers alike.
Under new terms outlined in the recently signed Inflation Reduction Act, EVs and a majority of their battery components must be assembled in North America in order to qualify for federal tax credits up to $7,500. Furthermore, a majority of those critical battery materials like lithium must be sourced in North America, or from countries with free trade agreements with the US.
Currently, most EVs sold in the US no longer qualify under these terms that will officially kick in January 1, 2023, but automakers are already pivoting their production strategies toward US assembly. Since several major automakers already have working relationships with LGES, obtaining battery cells built with materials from North America could prove fruitful as long as Snow Lake Lithium can complete the necessary measures to ensure approval for mining in Canada.
As previously mentioned, this process will still require years, but if Snow Lake remains on schedule, the global EV production landscape could make a pivotal shift toward significantly larger manufacturing in North America. Additionally, Canada is expected to rank third in the global production of the raw materials needed for electric vehicle batteries by 2025.
When you think about how significant North America’s current dependency is on China for a lot of these resources, the fact that Canada could be a major player in less than three years again demonstrates how quickly this industry is moving, and how much opportunity could soon be coming to the US and its neighbor to the North, by way of EV adoption.
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For those who don’t remember, the rollout of the previous refresh was terrible. Tesla took orders for almost a year, but it waited for almost another year to start deliveries due to problems ramping up production.
Now, it appears that deliveries in Europe will occur within 6 months of the refresh and within weeks of ordering for most people.
That said, the mid-cycle refresh has been considered mild and isn’t likely to have a significant impact on sales.
I wouldn’t expect more than a few thousand Model S/X sales in Europe per year.
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Uber gets it. The rideshare behemoth has observed the upward trend of EV adoption across its database of customers and drivers and is helping to support that transition. Beginning today, the “Uber Green” ride option is now called “Uber Electric,” visible to all app users worldwide. To celebrate the transition, Uber is offering discounted rides for those opting for electric vehicles, and drivers may also qualify for a $4,000 grant.
At this point, Uber is a household name in the rideshare and logistics industries. Hell, it’s even a verb at this point. You don’t get this far without innovation and foresight, something the $200 billion company has excelled at to constantly evolve and adapt.
I recall when Uber initially offered only black town cars. Now you can order an UberX, Uber XL, Uber Comfort, Uber Eats, Uber Pet, rent a car, order groceries… the list goes on. In terms of electric vehicle adoption, Uber has long shown interest in the technology and quickly understood that EVs are ideal for the gig economy that comprises its market.
We’ve seen Uber partner with several autonomous vehicle developers, many of which operate fleets of electric vehicles. In fact, we’ve covered so many partnerships between Uber and other exciting mobility companies that we can’t begin to name all of them.
Today, Uber has recognized the dwindling incentives available to US drivers interested in going electric and has tweaked its rideshare offerings to promote more sustainable options.
Source: Uber
Uber Green goes full-electric worldwide today
According to an email sent from Uber this morning, Uber Green has been renamed Uber Electric. Per the company, the new name “reflects record EV growth on our platform, making it easier for riders to choose zero-emissions rides.”
Uber elaborated that over 200,000 EVs are driving on its global network, and 1 in 4 of its customers say their first-ever EV ride was through the Uber app (I hope it wasn’t in the back seat of a Model Y, because that’s a rough ride).
Today’s transition builds upon Uber’s decision to make Uber Green (a mix of hybrids and EVs) fully electric in the US earlier this year. Those parameters now apply to the entire rideshare network. Pradeep Parameswaran, Global Head of Mobility at Uber, spoke:
Uber Electric is more than a new name, it represents the real progress we’ve made toward electrifying our platform globally over the past five years. Thousands of drivers are leading the charge, choosing electric and helping cities improve air quality. We’ll keep supporting drivers by removing barriers to EV adoption and working with cities to improve access to charging.
To celebrate the transition to Uber Electric, the company is offering customers 20% off (up to $8) their next EV ride when they use promo code GOELECTRIC20 (valid for 7 days).
Additionally, Uber has recognized the expired federal grant of $4,000 for used EV purchases in the US and is keeping that incentive alive in certain states to entice drivers to continue to go fully-electric. The company’s “Go Electric” grants will offer eligible Uber drivers up to $4,000 toward new and used electric vehicle purchases, but only in the following regions:
California
Colorado
Massachussetts
New York City
Uber’s grant can be combined with other individual state incentives, making it easier than ever for drivers to go electric, depending on their state. Uber pointed out that US drivers nationwide can still receive $1,000 toward any new or used EV purchased through TrueCar.
Go electric! Opt for the EV option on your next ride and use that discount code!
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Tesla is recalling approximately 13,000 recent Model 3 and Model Y vehicles built earlier this year due to a battery pack defect that can result in power loss.
In August, Tesla started getting reports of power losses in new Model 3 and Model Y vehicles.
After reviewing 36 warranty claims and 26 field reports, the automaker identified a defect in some battery pack contactors that could potentially affect approximately 8,000 Model Ys and 5,000 Model 3s built in the US between March and August 2025.
Tesla wrote in the recall notice:
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The recall population includes certain Model Year (“MY”) 2025 Model 3 vehicles manufactured between March 8, 2025, and August 12, 2025, and MY 2026 Model Y vehicles manufactured between March 15, 2025, and August 15, 2025, that are equipped with a battery pack contactor manufactured with InTiCa solenoid.
If the battery pack contactor opens when the vehicle is in drive, it loses power and ability to apply torque, which may increase the risk of a collision – hence the safety recall.
The automaker identified Sistemas Mecatrónicos InTiCa S.A.P.I., a tier 2 supplier in Mexico, and SongChuan, a tier 1 supplier in Taiwan, as being involved in the recall.
Tesla confirmed that it is contacting all potentially affected owners and it will replace the affected contactor with “a certified contactor that does not contain InTica solenoid and that maintains coil termination connection” at no cost to owners.
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