EV makers must partner with miners to secure key metals"A key lithium producer in Australia, the world’s top supplier, is urging electric car manufacturers and battery makers to become its partners in new refinery projects, arguing their direct financial backing is vital to avoid shortfalls of the material that’s crucial to the clean energy transition."
“There’s certainly a level of desperation from some groups” who are end-users of lithium and seeking more access to output, he said. “If you believe the supply-demand outlook, there’s going to be a shortage, and the car companies who haven’t secured the supply chain are going to have a problem.”
Another Australian lithium miner, Liontown Resources Ltd., demonstrated the sector’s growing bargaining power in June, when it sealed a deal with Ford Motor Co. The supply pact was notable because it included a A$300 million ($195 million) loan from the car giant at a comparatively low interest rate of 1.5% above the bank bill swap rate, a common benchmark in Australia.
https://www.mining.com/web/ev-makers-must-partner-with-miners-to-secure-key-metals/