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General Motors to contribute $625 mln to brand-new JV with Lithium Americas

Canadian miner Lithium Americas said on Wednesday General Motors will contribute $ 625 million to their new joint endeavor for developing the Thacker Pass project in Nevada.

U.S. automakers are increase their output of EVs and hybrids and intending to decrease their dependence on China for battery-related materials in a competitive market.

U.S.-listed shares of Lithium Americas were up 16.5% at $ 3.11 in premarket trade.

The Vancouver, Canada-based company said GM will obtain a 38%. asset-level ownership stake in Thacker Pass for $625 million,. that includes $430 countless direct money financing to support. the building and construction of Phase 1 and a $195 million letter of credit. facility.

The brand-new arrangement replaces the postponed investment worth $330. million in August by both companies.

Previously this year, the U.S. Department of Energy had planned. to lend Lithium Americas as much as $2.26 billion to develop the. Thacker Pass lithium task, which holds enough of the battery. metal to construct 1 million electrical lorries yearly.

The company said it expects to close the DOE loan in the. next few weeks and means to make the last financial investment choice. for the job by the end of the year.

Initial building at the site in Humboldt County, just. south of Nevada's border with Oregon, began in March 2023. after Lithium Americas won a long-running and complicated court case. against conservationists, ranchers and Native communities.

The lithium miner said GM will likewise enter into an extra. 20-year offtake agreement for as much as 38% of production from Stage. 2 of Thacker Pass, upon closing of the deal.

Individually, GM said it would invest $10 million into. material science company Forge Nano. The car manufacturer plans to utilize. the firm's battery product finish on EV cells to increase. efficiency and life time.

(source: Reuters)