General Motors has committed $625 million to what is set to become the largest lithium mine in the United States, marking the automaker’s latest effort to secure a domestic supply of raw materials critical for electric vehicles (EVs).
The cash-and-credit funding was announced on Oct. 16 as part of GM’s joint venture with Lithium Americas, a Canadian mining company. Their deal is centered on the development, construction, and operation of a lithium mine on Thacker Pass, a slice of federal land in northern Nevada near the Oregon border.
Thacker Pass sits atop the largest known lithium deposit in North America. Once fully operational in 2027, the mine is projected to produce 40,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate each year—enough to supply batteries for approximately 800,000 EVs. Lithium Americas aims to eventually double production, to 80,000 metric tons per year, with plans to operate the mine for at least 40 years….