Tesla is evaluating whether to set up a lithium refinery on the Texas Gulf Coast, in order to secure the supply of the precious material used to make electric car batteries.
The electric car company plans to process raw ore material on-site into a “usable state” for lithium battery production, which is now mostly produced in China, the mineral’s largest processor and exporter.
Tesla’s founder and CEO, Elon Musk, has previously said that the car company may have to directly enter the mining and refining industry as lithium prices surge worldwide.
The electric vehicle maker filed an application with the Texas Comptroller’s Office on Aug. 22, describing the facility as the first of its kind in North America….