Friday, November 15

Mexico could become a supplier of lithium for electric car batteries


The lithium reserves in Mexico could represent a golden opportunity for the country to position itself within the automotive industry as an important link in the supply chain

México podría convertirse en un proveedor de litio para baterías de autos eléctricos
If it ventures as a supplier of lithium, Mexico could benefit from the boom in electric vehicles that invades the United States after the launch of the F – 150 Lightning.

Photo: Ford / Courtesy

José Vicente Henríquez

Mexico is studying the idea of ​​becoming one of the most important suppliers of lithium

, one of the metals used in the construction of batteries for electric vehicles. To achieve this, the country would bet on its mineral reserves, which can cover the demand that would be led mainly by the United States, a country whose profound energy transformation is taking place at accelerated steps. This decision finds its origins at the end of last year, when the Mexican government gave the first details about this type of business, and has taken a new turn with its decision to present a bill that supports this initiative.

If approved, this bill would be pointing towards the future of the automotive industry , an all-electric future in which the demand for the precious material will skyrocket to extraordinary figures . Therefore, this first step represents a visionary strategy that will now take on much more force thanks to the trade agreement that Mexico has established with the United States and Canada (T-MEC).

Foto del equipo de Ford encargado de la investigación y prueba de baterías para vehículos eléctricos
Lithium is already being demanded by manufacturers as a material to build batteries for electric vehicles. / Photo: courtesy Ford.

The T- MEC requires that at least one 80% of the components of the cars produced in Mexico, the United States and Canada are extracted in the same region made up of these three countries, a rule that makes Mexico a potential lithium supplier thanks to its reserves. In addition, this vast region will later translate into a gigantic supply chain and Mexico may have a large share, placing itself on a par with Australia, Asia and South America, three regions where the largest amount of this material comes from.

The lithium market is not something new for Mexico, In fact, the country has already granted several concessions to foreign companies that have mining projects around this metal in the Sonora area , but its extraction has not represented significant income despite all the effort involved. But that scenario is changing daily, thanks to the advances that are taking place in the region in terms of electrification, such as Manufacture of the F – 150 Ford Lightning, the all-electric version of Ford’s best-selling truck in America, a vehicle that has opened a huge door for all that is to come .

You may also like: Apple would be negotiating batteries for its electric car, rumors claim

Share this:

Like this: