“The potential of a lithium hydroxide plant for batteries would be enormous”. Tesla spoke about this a year ago, when the American company asked the local Texas authorities for permission to build in Robstown lithium refining plant.
After several months of work, the manufacturer is preparing to open the doors of its first factory for the production of “white gold”, The refinery, which should start operating at the beginning of next yearor rather the first quarter, according to Jason Bevan, Tesla’s chief operating officer.
” We will launch our resources from around the beginning of next year and then go to the first half of 2024. In the second half of the year, we will increase production..
The factory was built in record time
Tesla’s lithium refinery, which will initially employ 165 people, was built in record time. At the beginning of 2023, Elon Musk announced that the construction of the plant should be completed within a year. and is targeting 2025 for full operation.
That’s longer than the Gigafactory in Shanghai, China, as it only took 168 days to build that factory, but it’s still pretty impressive for a new manufacturing site. Interestingly, these delays generally contrast with the time it takes for Tesla to bring its new products to market, which are consistently delayed, like the Cybertruck, to name just one.
Tesla wants to better control its production chain
In general, by building this refinery, Tesla wants to ensure the supply of high-quality lithium for its future electric vehicles.
“If we look a few years ahead, we will see that the availability of quality lithium for batteries is the main obstacle to the development of electric vehicles”– said Elon Musk during the official registration of the oil refinery project.
That would make Tesla the only major North American carmaker to refine its own lithium, at a time when China now dominates the market for metals used in semiconductors and batteries.
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Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.