Toyota and Panasonic secure US lithium to boost EV capacity (2023)

FAQs

Toyota and Panasonic secure US lithium to boost EV capacity? ›

Toyota Motors is boosting its US EV capacity with a new supply agreement with Ioneer LTD's Rhyolite Ridge mining project. According to the new deal, Ioneer will supply 4,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate annually to the Toyota-Panasonic battery venture.

Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Ltd. (CATL) is a Chinese manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for EVs and energy storage systems and battery management systems. According to the company, CATL has been “ranked No. 1 globally in EV battery consumption volume for five consecutive years.”

By acquiring 100% of the sales rights to lithium carbonate from Salar de Olaroz, Toyota Tsusho is establishing itself as a new supplier in the lithium market. The stable supply of lithium from new sources both raises the value of business and supports the widespread adoption of next-generation automobiles.

The joint venture announced by Toyota and Panasonic will develop highly competitive, cost-effective batteries that are safe and feature excellent quality and performance (in terms of capacity, output, durability, etc.), enabling use with peace of mind by all customers.

While the world does have enough lithium to power the electric vehicle revolution, it's less a question of quantity, and more a question of accessibility. Earth has approximately 88 million tonnes of lithium, but only one-quarter is economically viable to mine as reserves.

CATL is the leading brand in EV battery manufacturing, securing 34% of the market share. Based in China, CATL manufacturers solid-state batteries and lithium-ion batteries for companies including BMW, Toyota, and Honda, to name a few.

Tesla is currently working with Japanese company Panasonic, its longtime partner, as well as South Korea's LG Energy Solutions, the second largest battery supplier in the world. They supply the EV maker with cells containing nickel and cobalt.

Toyota is developing the solid-state batteries through Prime Planet Energy & Solutions Inc., a joint venture with Panasonic that started operations in April 2020 and has about 5,100 employees, including 2,400 at a Chinese subsidiary.

Over the past decade, Japan-based Panasonic has churned out billions of cylindrical cells for its main car-making customer, Tesla Inc.

Japanese conglomerates Toyota Motor Corp and Panasonic Corp have announced that their joint battery venture will buy lithium from the Rhyolite Ridge mining project of ioneer Ltd.

Is Tesla using Panasonic battery? ›

Panasonic is increasing production of its 2170 cylindrical cell batteries that power Tesla's flagship Model 3. The company will produce more cylindrical 2170 cell batteries that are used in Tesla's flagship Model 3 car and other models.

Toyota TrueStart™ batteries have been approved by Toyota engineers for years of trouble-free service–and no one knows your Toyota better than they do.

CEO Elon Musk says the company wants to make its own batteries to supplement supply and that Tesla will continue to procure batteries from Panasonic or other battery manufacturers.

The Thacker Pass Lithium Mine is a lithium clay mining development project in Humboldt County, Nevada, which is the largest known lithium deposit in the US and one of the largest in the world. There has been significant exploration of Thacker Pass since 2007.

In northern Nevada, a place called Peehee Mu'huh – or Thacker Pass – is sacred indigenous land and also potentially the largest deposit of lithium in the US.

Thacker Pass is the the largest known lithium deposit in the U.S. "It is a big deposit and it will be a significant contributor to the lithium supply for North America," said analyst Cameron Perks with the London-based firm, Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.

The second biggest supplier of EV batteries is LG Energy Solution (formerly called LG Chem), which had a much lower but still significant 14% of the global EV battery market.

In late 2021, QuantumScape illustrated that its forever battery performed in 4-layer formats up to 800 charging cycles. A quarter later, the company scaled successful results to 10-layer batteries up to 800 cycles.

What is the new battery that will replace lithium? ›

Researchers at Vienna University of Technology have developed an oxygen-ion battery based on ceramic materials that has a longer lifespan than lithium-ion batteries. The new battery can be regenerated and does not require rare elements, making it an ideal solution for large energy storage systems.

We are pleased to be able to partner with Tesla to supply lithium resources produced in North America. The electric vehicle and critical battery materials landscape has changed significantly since 2020 and this agreement reflects the importance of – and growing demand for – a North American lithium supply chain.

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor is by far the leading holder of solid-state battery patents, a Nikkei study shows, demonstrating how Japanese companies have dominated the race to develop the next-generation power source for electric vehicles.

Toyota is partnering with Panasonic on solid-state batteries that will be used in a hybrid in 2025.

Overall, QuantumScape is at the forefront of developing solid-state batteries, which are considered to be the next-generation of batteries for electric vehicles.

Aug 26 (Reuters) - Panasonic Holdings Corp (6752. T), a supplier to electric-car maker Tesla Inc (TSLA. O), is in talks to build an additional electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in the United States at a cost of around $4 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Tesla's primary battery cell supplier, Panasonic, is once again looking to build a new factory in the US after recently announcing its plans to construct one in Kansas.

Albemarle Corp.

Albemarle is the biggest company on the list and the world's largest lithium producer. Albemarle operates the only active lithium mine in the U.S., located in Silver Peak, Nevada.

Lithium is currently produced from hard rock or brine mines. Australia is the world's biggest supplier, with production from hard rock mines. Argentina, Chile and China mainly produce it from salt lakes.

Who makes the most lithium in the world? ›

The three largest producers of lithium are Australia, Chile and China. The demand for lithium is expected to reach 1.5 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent by 2025 and over 3 million tonnes by 2030.

Lucid will use Panasonic batteries in its long-range Lucid Air and its Gravity SUV, which will begin production in 2024, the company said. In August Lucid halved its EV production forecast blaming extraordinary supply chain and logistics challenges.

Panasonic supplies cells to multiple electric automakers, but it is obviously closer to Tesla who has made it clear that it will buy every viable battery cell it can get its hands on for the foreseeable future.

Panasonic first partnered with Tesla way back in 2009. At that time, the decision was seen as a huge vote of confidence for the California upstart. In the deal, the two companies decided to develop the next generation of automotive-grade batteries together.

In 2019, Electrek reported that Toyota and Panasonic were forming a partnership to produce EV batteries. So far, the venture is working on building affordable batteries at scale. The new supply agreement is a big step for Toyota, which is looking to ramp production in key markets.

On average, your battery will serve you well for about three to five years when you have a conventional gas-powered model. Hybrid models (like the Toyota Prius) have batteries that can last for up to eight years.

For Premium Batteries Installed By Authorized Toyota Dealership: 1-24 Months – 100% replacement (including parts, labour and sublets) 25-36 Months – 50% replacement cost, parts only (no labour or sublets)

Researchers Design Battery Prototype With Fiber-Shaped Cathode. Apr. 24, 2023 — In a new study, researchers made a cathode, or the positive end of a battery, in the shape of a thread-like fiber. The researchers were then able to use the fiber to create a zinc-ion battery ...

The facility now produces 37 gigawatt-hours of batteries a year (for context: one gigawatt can power about 9,000 Nissan Leafs). Panasonic broke ground on a new $4 billion factory in DeSoto, Kansas, in November that's supposed to start production in 2025, making 2170 cells for multiple customers, including Lucid.

EXCLUSIVE Tesla supplier Panasonic eyes 20% jump in battery density by 2030. July 13 (Reuters) - Panasonic Energy Co, a major Tesla supplier, is working on new technology to increase battery energy density by a fifth by 2030, the Japanese company's chief technology officer told Reuters.

What country is richest in lithium? ›

Lithium reserves by country

Chile has the largest lithium reserves worldwide by a large margin. Australia comes in second, with reserves estimated at 6.2 million metric tons in 2022.

Silver Peak, Nevada is home to the only active lithium mine in the U.S. It's owned by Albemarle, one of the world's largest lithium producers, and is set to double in size by 2025 to meet growing demand from EV automakers.

Nevada is currently home to the only lithium mine in the United States — the Silver Peak mine — which is operated by North Carolina-based chemicals company Albemarle Corp.

Because lithium deposits come embedded in other metals and minerals, extracting lithium can be incredibly difficult. More refineries—the plants where raw lithium is processed into a concentrated form of the metal that goes into batteries—need to be built in North America.

Lithium mining does have an environmental impact, but it is no worse than oil drilling. This is especially true when you consider the carbon emissions produced from petroleum products during their usage, as compared to lithium-ion batteries that have little to no GHG emissions during their use.

With 8 million tons, Chile has the world's largest known lithium reserves. This puts the South American country ahead of Australia (2.7 million tons), Argentina (2 million tons) and China (1 million tons). Within Europe, Portugal has smaller quantities of the valuable raw material.

China's the largest consumer of lithium because of its booming electronics and electric vehicle industries.

A federal judge in Nevada on Monday upheld the federal government's approval of the largest proposed lithium mine in the nation, dismissing arguments that the Thacker Pass project would degrade nearby aquifers, air quality, and habitat for the imperiled greater sage grouse.

Most lithium comes from Australia, Chile and China, which also dominates in processing lithium and making batteries.

CATL provides lithium-ion batteries to Tesla, Peugeot, Hyundai, Honda, BMW, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. Despite facing strict scrutiny after EV battery-fire recalls in the United States, LG Energy Solution remains the second-biggest battery manufacturer.

Who are the massive lithium battery manufacturers? ›

However, the US is home to what are believed to be the world's largest lithium deposits after those in the so-called Lithium Triangle region in South America. The states of Nevada, North Carolina, and California together host an estimated 4% of the world's lithium reserves.

Panasonic previously invested in and jointly operates a battery factory with Tesla in Sparks, Nevada, outside of Reno, known as the Gigafactory (or Gigafactory 1).

Toyota said its batteries, developed with Panasonic Corp (6752. T), contain a special coolant that does not conduct electricity easily. Battery packs are also structured to keep the cells and coolant separated in case of a leak.

Lithium is currently produced from hard rock or brine mines. Australia is the world's biggest supplier, with production from hard rock mines. Argentina, Chile and China mainly produce it from salt lakes.

Currently the biggest lithium-ion battery manufacturers on the planet, CATL is responsible for the creation of 96.7 gigawatt hours (GWh) of the planet's 296.8 GWh.