Panasonic to start building new EV battery factory in U.S.

Game changer if Panasonic can source the necessary raw materials. Currently China hoards much of the Lithium Carbonate (for its LFP chemistry battery). To make NCM chemistry batteries which uses lithium hydroxide, further refinement is required using Lithium Carbonate stock. I wouldn't think China would help a foreign competitor to produce a superior battery that will undercut its own inferior battery.

Game changer if Panasonic can source the necessary raw materials

It is not a problem. The Salton Sea area od southeastern California is awash in lithium that is easily extracted as part of the geothermal power generation process.

https://www.onfutureforward.com/a-guide-to-the-complex-salton-seas-lithium-project/

Always nice to hear that Japanese companies pulling out of Japan to open new businesses in America for American high tech and high intelligence methods.

@Desert

Lithium is an abundant resource, everywhere. It's the refining capability that's is in shortage.

You refine Lithium stock to make Lithium Carbonate, then uses Lithium Carbonate to refine further to make Lithium hydroxide.

Lithium Carbonate is used in inferior LFP battery. Lithium Hydroxide is used to make NCM battery. NCM/NCA is the way forward, but more expensive, for obvious reason, more refining.

Lithium is an abundant resource, everywhere. It's the refining capability that's is in shortage.

Here is a direct quote from your original post:

"Game changer if Panasonic can source the necessary raw materials."

I pointed out that the raw material, lithium, is abundant in California. Now you change your story and say the raw materials are abundant. Lithium refining capacity is being built in the US to meet the demand not just of the EV industry but also for utility scale storage of wind and solar power, as well as for military purposes. Tesla among others are building such plants in the US.

Always nice to hear that Japanese companies pulling out of Japan to open new businesses in America for American high tech and high intelligence methods.

Panasonic announced they will build a new production facility for new Lithium-Ion Batteries for EVs at Wakayama Factory in Japan

https://news.panasonic.com/global/press/en220228-6

Panasonic is building a complete infrastructure for producing EV batteries in North America, from mining to refining materials to producing finished batteries all within North America

https://news.panasonic.com/uploads/tmg_block_page_image/file/12198/en221020-5-1.pdf

https://chargedevs.com/newswire/lithium-supplier-ioneer-signs-supply-agreement-with-toyota-panasonic-jv/

From the May 27, 2021 Guardian, in an article "In Search of Lithium...."

"The company estimates an initial lithium and geothermal plant will cost $520 million to build and will produce 40,000 tons of lithium along with 130 megawatts of power by 2024." - talking about a plant being built in the Salton Sea area of California.

Worldwide, 100,000 tons of lithium were mined in 2021. The government of California estimates the 600,000 tons of lithium could be produced annually from the Salton Sea deposits.

At one point, California was actually the world leader in lithium production, but the high cost of refining the ore was a problem. The development of geothermal energy, also potentially available in the area, will bring down the cost of refining the ore.

The largest deposits of lithium so far found in the USA are not even in California, but in Nevada.

As mentioned, the projected bottleneck for producing lithium batteries will not be in mining, but in processing the product into batteries. This is where companies such as Panasonic come in.

Always nice to hear that Japanese companies pulling out of Japan to open new businesses in America for American high tech and high intelligence methods.

Cut the fantasy..

They are not using high technology from the US or better methods, it is a JAPANESE company that uses JAPANESE technology and methods..

They are only making convenient agreements with other countries, in this case they are using cheap labor from the US, which has plenty of it..

Same as Vietnam or Thailandia..

They are not using high technology from the US or better methods, it is a JAPANESE company that uses JAPANESE technology and methods..

America doesn’t have any high tech companies? Or a booming Electric Car market??

Here is a direct quote from your original post:

"Game changer if Panasonic can source the necessary raw materials."

I should be more specific.

Nickel - mostly Russia

Cobalt - Congo - mostly Chinese

Lithium - refinining ??? so far Chinese dominate Lithium Carbonate.

....further back in the chain it's spodumene (LiAl(SiO3)2) that is mined, not Lithium itself.

BTW, Panasonic like everyone else is jumping onto the IRA bandwagon, and why not.

They are not using high technology from the US or better methods, it is a JAPANESE company that uses JAPANESE technology and methods..

Eh, at the Gigafactory in Nevada Panasonic is producing batteries to a Tesla design. Panasonic was chosen as Tesla's partner because Panasonic has the assembly quality necessary to build Tesla's unique and difficult to build batteries.. But be aware Panasonic is building batteries using their customer's technology, not their own.

Cobalt - Congo - mostly Chinese

Cobalt is being replaced with other cathode materials in Li batteries to reduce demand for something made under appalling labor conditions. Cobalt is no longer needed for Li batteries.

Lithium - refinining ??? so far Chinese dominate Lithium Carbonate.

The Chinese are responsible for about 20% of the worlds refined lithium carbonate. That might be higher than the percent refined by any other nation but it is not even close to dominance.

They are only making convenient agreements with other countries, in this case they are using cheap labor from the US, which has plenty of it..

They are building factories in the places the batteries will be used. Batteries are expensive and sometimes hazardous to ship.

Compared to other counties US labor is emphatically not cheap, but also compared to other nations land and energy are both cheaper.