The Elements of Innovation Discovered

(21) stories found containing 'gm investing'


Sorted by date  Results 1 - 21 of 21

  • Closeup of columns filled with colorful liquids for rare earths extraction.

    Making rare earths separation less rare

    Shane Lasley, Data Mine North|Updated Oct 2, 2024

    Separation and processing are the master link of US supply chain. From tech devices such as smartphones and computer monitors to clean energy products like electric vehicles and wind turbines, household goods like vacuum cleaners and refrigerators, and military hardware such as F-35 fighters and communications equipment, rare earths have a critical role to play in nearly every facet of America's economy and security. The United States, however, currently relies on China for ne...

  • A row of Chevrolet, Hummer, Cadillac, and BrightDrop electric vehicles.

    GM investing $650M in Lithium Americas

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 3, 2024

    The largest-ever investment by an automaker into a battery materials mining company. To strengthen its domestic supply of the materials going into the batteries for its expanding lineup of electric vehicles, General Motors is investing $650 million toward the development of Lithium Americas Corp.'s Thacker Pass lithium mine in northern Nevada. Considered to be the largest known lithium deposit in the United States, Thacker Pass hosts 16.1 million metric tons of lithium...

  • Illustration of defunct H2 fueling station with “Sorry we’re closed” sign.

    Are hydrogen cars dead in the water?

    K. Warner, Metal Tech News|Updated Feb 13, 2024

    H2 infrastructure - Nikola builds out, Shell pulls back, and passenger cars lag heavy vehicles. Shell's withdrawal from passenger-vehicle hydrogen refueling operations has ignited debates on the developing industry's overall timing and viability. However, automakers and governments are still backing hydrogen fuel cells due to growing concerns about the slow pace and environmental expense of new critical mineral mines needed for lithium-ion batteries currently powering most...

  • Mud pots from geothermal waters bubbling to the surface on the Salton Sea shore.

    Plenty of Salton Sea lithium for US EVs

    K. Warner, For Metal Tech News|Updated Dec 15, 2023

    The Salton Sea geothermal reservoir in Southern California could produce up to 3.4 million metric tons of lithium, which is plenty to make batteries for enough electric vehicles to replace all cars currently on U.S. highways, according to a comprehensive analysis carried out by the U.S. Department of Energy. The analysis, funded by the Geothermal Technologies Office and conducted by DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, confirms the region's significant potential to...

  • Region of Becancour, Quebec, that will become Lithium Battery Valley.

    Ford joins Quebec Lithium Battery Valley

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 22, 2023

    Collaborative investment of C$1.2 billion into future battery cathode facility. Coming out of the region that will hold one of the more prominent footholds for battery-related industries, Ford Motor Company announced an investment of C$1.2 billion (US$885,660) to build a battery cathode manufacturing facility in Becancour, Quebec, for future Ford electric vehicles. Becancour is a small town along the shores of the St. Lawrence River about halfway between Montreal and Quebec...

  • Nouveau Monde Graphite Becancour Quebec Canada General Motors POSCO Chemical

    Lithium Battery Valley emerges in Quebec

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Aug 17, 2023

    Becancour, a small Quebec town along the shores of the St. Lawrence River about midway between Montreal and Quebec City, is rapidly emerging as an epicenter for producing the advanced materials needed for lithium-ion batteries powering the electric vehicle revolution. This rural Canadian town of around 12,800 people surfaced in the battery space about a year ago when Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. announced plans to build a facility there to produce the coated spherical purified... Full story

  • Piles of white lithium reflect off the water at mining operation in Argentina.

    Automakers develop own supply lines

    K. Warner, For Metal Tech News|Updated Jun 20, 2023

    Back in 1908, when Ford Motor Company first started cranking out the Model T, the innovative automaker championed new materials, new engineering designs, and new manufacturing practices. More than a century later, automotive companies are emulating Henry Ford's strategy as they tackle the supply chain challenges of a similarly groundbreaking electric vehicle revolution. Styled these days as 'vertical integration production,' Henry Ford's idea of "a continuous, nonstop process...

  • Rich blue lithium evaporation pools at Allkem's Olaroz project in Argentina.

    Industry playing catch-up with lithium

    K. Warner, For Metal Tech News|Updated May 30, 2023

    At first glance, it appears that mining giants have been slow on the uptake during the booming market for battery materials. This may demonstrate an unusual lack of forethought, or over the next few years, may actually prove they've been two steps ahead. In less than a decade, the likes of lithium, cobalt, and graphite went from minor materials to a demand so intense that several electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturers are jumping the usual supply chain and investing...

  • The near desert of the Los Azules Mine project in San Juan, Argentina.

    Stellantis invests $155M in copper miner

    K. Warner, For Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 28, 2023

    In a surprising move, automotive multinational Stellantis has announced the acquisition of a 14.2% equity stake in McEwen Copper, a subsidiary of McEwen Mining, becoming the Canadian company's second-largest shareholder. This is an insightful move in Stellantis' sweeping decarbonization plan, placing the company over an aspect of its own strategic metal production as well as complementing its commitment to becoming a sustainable mobility tech provider. The industry leader's...

  • Rendering of a future EnergyX facility to facilitate renewable energy tech.

    General Motors backs EnergyX lithium tech

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Apr 19, 2023

    Already pushing the boundaries of portable energy storage technology through its development of solid-state batteries, Energy Exploration Technologies Inc. or EnergyX, announced a US$50 million funding from General Motors Co. to help the company develop its lithium extraction and refinery technology. EnergyX's direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology can extract lithium metal directly from brine and potentially in anode-ready form for electric vehicle batteries, enabling a...

  • Technician tests the chemicals inside Lithion Recycling's demonstration plant.

    GM adds new link to domestic supply chain

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Sep 27, 2022

    Playing the long game, General Motors Co. announced a strategic investment with Quebec-based Lithion Recycling Inc. to support the automaker's pursuit of an eventual circular battery ecosystem using Lithion's advanced battery recycling technology. Touting a battery recovery rate of over 95% and utilizing the clean and green infrastructure already established in Quebec, Lithion's operations will supply GM with recycled materials that have little environmental impact – s...

  • Automakers move into lithium mining space

    Shane Lasley, Data Mine North|Updated Sep 13, 2022

    General Motors, Stellantis, and Tesla moving further up battery supply chain With the batteries powering the electric vehicle revolution demanding more lithium than miners can produce, the price of this lightest metal in the universe rocketed more than 1,000% over the span of two years. This has prompted automakers such as Tesla and General Motors to become more directly involved in the mining and refining of the lithium-ion battery namesake. "Price of lithium has gone to... Full story

  • An EV drives past wind turbines on a rural road to the mountains.

    Canada to feed a minerals hungry world

    Shane Lasley, Data Mine North|Updated Sep 13, 2022

    Develops strategy to be the world's critical minerals supplier of choice Understanding that the renewable energy and electric vehicle revolution offers a "generational opportunity for Canada and its world-class mining sector," Ottawa is leveraging the nation's wealth of critical minerals to become a powerhouse that feeds raw materials into resource-hungry clean energy and technology supply chains. "Canada's Critical Minerals Strategy will position Canada as the global supplier... Full story

  • Infotainment and navigation system interface in a Tesla Model X EV.

    Minerals critical to the EV Revolution

    Shane Lasley, Data Mine North|Updated Sep 13, 2022

    Electric Vehicles require six times the minerals than their fossil fuel forebearers With even the most basic models boasting sophisticated driver-assist, navigation, infotainment, diagnostics, and other advanced digital systems being fed power from oversized versions of the lithium-ion batteries found in your laptop or smartphone, electric vehicles are becoming personal computers that you can drive. While this puts a whole new spin on the term mobile computing, riding around i... Full story

  • General Motors GM electrification EVs Detroit Michigan factory facility plant

    GM investing $7B to build EV capacity

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    In its race toward becoming North America's electric vehicle market leader by 2025, General Motors Co. has unveiled plans to invest roughly $7 billion in new lithium-ion battery and EV manufacturing facilities in Michigan, the single largest investment ever by the American automaker. "Today we are taking the next step in our continuous work to establish GM's EV leadership by making investments in our vertically integrated battery production in the U.S., and our North American...

  • IDTechEx hydrogen fuel cell battery electric vehicles BEV FCEV decarbonization

    IDTechEx speculates fuel cell EV future

    A.J. Roan, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    Market and business research firm, IDTechEx, predicts that while battery electric vehicles (BEV) are paving the way for decarbonizing road transport, the hydrogen fuel cell will claim a leading role, an estimated US$160 billion role. In the latest report by UK-based tech speculator, "Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles 2022-2042," IDTechEx forecasts the market value of on-road fuel cell vehicles will grow to US$160 billion in 2042 at a compound annual growth rate of 23.9% over the...

  • CTR Salton Sea direct lithium extraction green energy General Motors EV

    GM secures green US geothermal lithium

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 12, 2022

    In a move to help secure the lithium-ion battery metals required to achieve its aspiration of getting "Everybody in" an electric vehicle, General Motors has forged a strategic partnership with Controlled Thermal Resources Ltd. to source low-cost and environmentally responsible lithium from the Hell's Kitchen project at the Salton Sea Geothermal Field in Southern California. "Lithium is critical to battery production today and will only become more important as consumer... Full story

  • General Motors Ultium battery factory Spring Hill Tennessee EV electric vehicles

    GM investing $35B in its electric future

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 10, 2022

    Putting its foot to the "electric pedal" in a race toward the all-electric mobility future it envisions, General Motors has bolstered its investments into electric and autonomous vehicles to $35 billion from 2020 through 2025, a 75% increase over the $20 billion commitment it made prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We are investing aggressively in a comprehensive and highly-integrated plan to make sure that GM leads in all aspects of the transformation to a more sustainable futu...

  • GM Ultium electric vehicle modular platform EV battery system

    Ultium EV battery powers new GM legacy

    A.J. Roan, For Metal Tech News|Updated Jul 2, 2022

    Detroit-based auto giant General Motors has taken an enormous leap towards an all-electric vehicle future with the reveal of their new Ultium battery and a plan to rapidly grow its EV portfolio, further ushering in the next generation of transportation. Household names from the Detroit carmaker, such as Chevrolet, Cadillac, GMC and Buick have gone all-in towards the production of their electric vehicle models, expanding the EV lineup under GM to 22 vehicles by 2023, including...

  • General Motors low carbon renewable lithium EVs CTR

    CTR drills toward clean lithium and energy

    Shane Lasley, Metal Tech News|Updated Nov 16, 2021

    With the goal of delivering renewable energy to electrical grids by the end of 2023 and near-zero-carbon lithium for General Motors electric vehicles the following year, Controlled Thermal Resources has launched drilling at its Hell's Kitchen geothermal project in Southern California. "We are very pleased to kick start our drilling program and we are on schedule to deliver the project's first 50MW (megawatts) of baseload renewable power in late 2023 and an estimated 20,000 ton... Full story

  • Critical Minerals Alliances EV electric vehicles GM partnership Rio Tinto

    Soaring critical energy minerals demand

    Shane Lasley, Data Mine North|Updated Nov 2, 2021

    Global governments and industries are setting increasingly ambitious targets for the phasing out of fossil fuel-burning automobiles in favor of electric vehicles charged with green energy. Achieving these grand climate objectives, however, is going to require an equally bold strategy to ensure there are plentiful supplies of the new generation of energy minerals and metals critical to building this revolution in the way the world generates and uses energy. The World Bank... Full story