Dive Brief:
- Lucid Group has launched an initiative meant to accelerate the development of critical mineral resources for domestic electric vehicle battery manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers, the company announced July 23.
- The Minerals for National Automotive Competitiveness Collaboration (MINAC), which the EV maker formed in partnership with critical mineral producers and refiners, has a goal of identifying and resolving barriers to strengthen domestic supply chains as well as grow EV adoption, according to the release.
- “Domestic supply chains strengthen manufacturing resilience, fortify sustainable supply chains, and accelerate job growth,” Marc Winterhoff, Interim CEO of Lucid, said in the release.
Dive Insight:
The group’s formation aligns with President Donald Trump’s executive order issued March 20 to increase American mineral production, according to a statement from Alaska Energy Metals, one of MINAC’s founding members. Other participating companies include Electric Metals USA, Graphite One and RecycLiCo.
Alaska Energy Metals is developing a large-scale mining operation in Alaska for nickel, which is a key raw material for the production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles.
AEMC President and CEO Gregory Beischer in a statement said that Alaska plays a key role in advancing American critical mineral production. Through MINAC, he hopes it will open access to the state’s critical minerals to the rest of the country.
In addition to nickel, manganese is another raw material required for battery production, Electric Metals USA CEO Brian Savage said in a statement. The company is developing the Emily manganese mining operation in Minnesota and aims to become a major domestic producer of high-purity manganese.
Savage said joining the effort coincides with his company’s goal of increasing availability of manganese in the domestic supply chain.
“For years, U.S. industries—including the automotive supply chain—have relied on foreign sources like China for critical minerals,” Savage said. “Our efforts support U.S. policy goals as demand grows for non-Chinese critical materials.”
Graphite One CEO Anthony Huston, whose company announced a graphite supply deal with Lucid in June, said in a statement that the coalition’s formation is a critical step toward creating a fully U.S.-based supply chain.
In addition to a pipeline of raw materials, the arrangement also advances industries that recover and refine critical minerals. Richard Sadowsky, CEO of RecycLiCo, in a statement said that his company is ready to validate and scale its hydrometallurgical technology.
Sadowsky said the global trading environment has fostered reliance on domestic sourcing and “has highlighted the need for the efficient recovery and refinement of critical minerals.”
