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General Motors (GM) Will Be the First Automaker to Directly Engage in Lithium Extraction for Electric Vehicle Batteries
The latest sustainable action by GM is a partnership with Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) aimed at low-cost lithium extraction, which will be used in the batteries of its electric vehicles. Thus, GM will make a multimillion-dollar investment to be part of a mining project launched by CTR known as Hell’s Kitchen Lithium Power.
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The CTR plan aims to obtain licenses to begin operations by the end of 2022. According to Rod Colwell, CEO of CTR, the estimate is that by 2024 the project in partnership with GM could yield around 60,000 tons of lithium, enough for batteries of approximately 6 million electric cars.
Thus, GM would become the first automaker to develop its own source of lithium, which is essential for the batteries of sustainable vehicles. While other automakers such as BYD and Great Wall have invested in mining companies, GM is the first to directly engage in extraction.
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This idea could serve as a model for other companies, given that the consultancy Benchmark Mineral Intelligence estimates that lithium demand will grow by about 20% over the next four years. The announcement of the partnership for electric vehicle batteries comes two weeks after GM raised its electrification budget to US$ 35 billion.
How Will Lithium Extraction for Electric Vehicle Batteries Work?
CTR and GM report that lithium will be produced through a direct extraction process in a closed loop due to its lower environmental impact, zero waste production, and also lower carbon dioxide emission compared to common processes like evaporation ponds or extraction wells.
The geothermal process used involves the extraction of a superheated saline solution rich in lithium, from which the metal is extracted. After the first procedure, the solution is reinjected into the ground, making the process more sustainable.
Get to Know GM – General Motors
General Motors Corporation is a multinational headquartered in Detroit, United States. The company has various brands in its portfolio, such as Buick, Cadillac, Pontiac, and the most well-known in Brazil, Chevrolet. The company is one of the largest automakers in the world and employs 252,000 workers.
The automaker led sales for 77 consecutive years, gaining leadership in 1931 and losing it only in 2007. Manufacturing around 8 million vehicles in 34 countries, the giant sells its cars to 140 countries.
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