General Motors to secure enviro-friendly and low-cost American lithium for its BEVs

General Motors has announced it’s entered a partnership with Californian and Brisbane based firm, Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR), to produce American-made lithium for its next generation of electric vehicles.

CTR produces lithium in an environmentally responsible method which involves a closed-loop, direct extraction process, which recovers lithium from geothermal brine.

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GM said it could utilise the battery-grade lithium hydroxide and carbonate produced directly from CTR’s new Hell's Kitchen Lithium and Power development, located in the Salton Sea Geothermal Field in California.

The innovative site is expected to be yielding lithium by 2024, which would be of considerable benefit to GM, considering almost all lithium currently used in BEVs is mined and processed elsewhere around the globe, with Australia being the largest producer of lithium by far.

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"Lithium is critical to battery production today and will only become more important as consumer adoption of EVs increases, and we accelerate towards our all-electric future," Doug Parks, GM's executive vice president of global product development, purchasing and supply chain, said.

"By securing and localising the lithium supply chain in the US, we're helping ensure our ability to make powerful, affordable, high mileage EVs while also helping to mitigate environmental impact and bring more low-cost lithium to the market as a whole.

“GM looks forward to working with CTR, in addition to state and local leaders, in achieving these goals."

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The news comes as part of GM’s recent announcement it will invest US$35 billion (AU$46.5 billion) in electric and autonomous vehicle technology by 2025.

The General’s Ultium battery and platform technology have already proven to be a formidable piece of equipment in the EV landscape, powering GMC’s Hummer EV, Cadillac’s Lyric, and even Honda’s next fully electric SUV, the Prologue.