Japan mulls aid to Bolivia to secure lithium supply

The Japanese government plans to offer comprehensive an economic aid package to Bolivia in exchange for supplies of lithium for use in batteries for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery-electric vehicles, The Nikkei newspaper reported today.

[Source & Read More: Green Car Advisor]

Tags: Bolivia, Japan, lithium

Lithium drilling upsets Quebec residents

The rush to find lithium in West Quebec has some residents concerned that prospectors will cut trees and tunnel or drill on their land to meet the demand for the volatile metal used in rechargeable electric car batteries.

Stelmine Canada Ltd., a Montreal-area mineral exploration company has staked claims on 13,000 acres of private land just across the border from Ottawa.

[Source & Read More: The Windsor Star]

Tags: Canada, lithium, mining, Ottawa

The run on lithium

Car manufacturers rush to close deals with lithium suppliers and to secure access to a resource that is as common as lead or nickel. The supply chain of lithium is fragile due to unreliable lithium miners and suppliers.

Global automakers and battery makers need to ensure a steady supply of lithium to power the expected electric-car revolution. Sources for the mineral are well spotted in Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Australia and China and not scarce, however, few are reliable miners and suppliers. The currently biggest producers of Lithium are Chile’s SQM, the German Chemetall, a division of U.S. Rockwood Holdings Inc., and U.S. FMC Corp.. However, the political stability of at least the first two supplier countries is less than stable.

[Source & Read More: cars21.com]

Tags: lithium, mineral

Toyota tackles Prius’ lithium challenge with mining deal

Auto giant purchases 25 per cent stake in Australian mining firm as part of agreement designed to accelerate the extraction of lithium reserves for use in iconic Prius.

Toyota is many things – auto giant, producer of the iconic Prius, scourge of US car firms – but mining firm? Surprisingly, the answer could be yes.

The company’s Toyota Tsusho subsidiary announced last week that it will take a 25 per cent stake in a new joint venture with Australian mining firm Orocobre to develop Argentinian supplies of lithium, the key component in batteries for the electric and hybrid vehicles that Toyota expects to eventually dominate the global auto market.

The two companies will work to develop the Salar de Olaroz lithium-potash project, a lithium extraction initiative that is currently in the feasibility study stage. Toyota Tsusho will invest $4.5m (£2.8m) to complete the study, which should be released in the third quarter of this year.

Under the terms of the deal, Toyota has also signed an off-take agreement that would allow the company to buy up any lithium carbonate produced by the joint venture.

[Source & Read More: BusinessGreen]

Tags: lithium, prius, Toyota