Nevada’s lithium likely played in Tesla’s factory decision
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/nevadas-lithium-likely-played-in-teslas-factory-decision-2014-09-04
Sept 5, 2014
Nevada is home to the only operating lithium mine in the U.S., which likely played a part, however small, in Tesla Motors Inc.’s decision to locate its much-talked-about battery factory in the state.
The U.S. still imports most of its lithium, with Australia, Bolivia, and Chile among the top exporters of the mineral. But one Nevada mine has been churning out the stuff since the 1960s, and other lithium deposits in the state could come in line depending on demand.
Lithium is the not-so-secret sauce in the countless rechargeable batteries used in a variety of products, including the battery packs that power Teslas.
Tesla is likely to be “a very large consumer” of lithium, and will likely need to find new sources of the metal, said Carl Nesbitt, an associate professor of metallurgy at the University of Nevada, Reno. From a purely technical standpoint, it would make sense for Tesla to be near a lithium source such as the mine in Silver Lake, Nev. he added. The mine is about 250 miles southeast of Reno, near Tonopah, Nev.
Most lithium is refined in China, which ships the resulting lithium carbonate to all the corners of the world.
Tesla will likely stick with China as its main source of refined lithium, at least for the time being. After a considerable investment and depending on volume, some of the lithium could be processed in the U.S., Nesbitt said.
I figure most Dims are taking Lithium.