Electric vehicles (EVs) will be a huge part of the world’s efforts to reduce emissions from the transportation sector. EVs produce zero direct emissions, and they also produce fewer life cycle emissions than conventional vehicles because most emissions are lower for electricity generation than burning gasoline or diesel. The important factor lies in the production of electric vehicles. EVs require a significantly greater amount of mineral and metal material, such as lithium for batteries, than conventional vehicles require, and it is critical that these supplies are mined under strict environmental standards like those here in the U.S.
Lithium Americas has a planned lithium mine in Nevada, known as Thacker Pass. The mine has mineral reserves of 3.1 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent and an estimated annual production capacity of 60,000 tons per year of battery-grade lithium, enough to build about a million EVs. With a prospective mine life of 46 years, the Thacker Pass project presents an opportunity to generate significant economic opportunity as Nevada and the U.S. recovers from the COVID-related downturn. Key to this economic stimulus is hiring approximately 300 employees and providing them with family-supporting jobs furnishing the specialty chemicals required to drive America’s clean energy revolution for decades to come.