Factbox-Automakers securing battery raw materials By Reuters

(Reuters) – A spike in demand for electric vehicles (EV) in the global markets is encouraging automakers such Tesla (NASDAQ:) Inc, Volkswagen (DE:) and Stellantis NV to secure raw materials needed for making batteries.

Following are some of the deals major automakers have announced with suppliers and miners:

TESLA 01-Mar-2022Core Lithium will supply up to 110,000 dry metric tonnes of Spodumene concentrate, a chief source of lithium, over four years, starting in the second half of 2023, from an Australian project.

01-Nov-2021

China’s Ganfeng Lithium Co will supply battery-grade lithium for three years starting 2022. Volumes were not disclosed. Ganfeng is the third largest lithium supplier in the world. 22-July-2021 Australia’s BHP Group (NYSE:) will supply nickel from BHP’s plants in Western Australia. Quantities, timing not disclosed.

VOLKSWAGEN

08-Dec-2021

Vulcan Energy Resources will provide lithium hydroxide for five years starting in 2026. Vulcan extracts lithium from geothermal sources in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley region.

08-Dec-2021 Belgian chemical firm Umicore will supply cathode materials for VW European battery cell factories under a joint venture with the carmaker. It will start production in 2025 with 20 gigawatt hours (GWh) for VW’s plant in Salzgitter, Germany.

STELLANTIS NV

29-Nov-2021Preliminary deal with Vulcan Energy Resources for lithium produced using geothermal energy from Germany. Over five years starting in 2026, Vulcan will supply between 81,000 and 99,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide.

RENAULT SA 21-Nov-2021

Vulcan Energy Resources will supply 26,000 to 32,000 metric tonnes of battery-grade lithium chemicals for initial six-year starting 2026. 08-Oct-2021

MoU with Terrafame, a Finnish nickel and cobalt miner, to supply nickel sulphate. Quantities and timeline not disclosed. (t.ly/iRZm)

TOYOTA MOTOR CORP

04-Oct-2021

BHP Group Ltd will supply nickel sulphate from Western Australia to a battery-making joint venture between Toyota Motor (NYSE:) and Panasonic (OTC:). Details were not disclosed.

GENERAL MOTORS

02-Jul-2021

GM will make a “multimillion-dollar investment” in and help develop Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) Ltd’s Hell’s Kitchen geothermal brine project near California’s Salton Sea. The project could be producing 60,000 tonnes of lithium – enough to make roughly 6 million EVs – by mid-2024.

FORD

22-Sept-2021

Partners with startup Redwood (NYSE:) Materials to form a “closed loop” or circular supply chain for electric vehicle batteries, from raw materials to recycling.