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China's lithium price decline is not the full picture to an industry surging
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence | 3 days ago |
http://www.mining.com/web/chinas-lithium-price-decline-not-full-picture-industry-surging/
The downturn in Chinese lithium prices since the start of the year has left many questioning the future of a market which has experienced its biggest upturn in history since late-2015. It has also led to many false conclusions about what is really happening to the lithium price.
the market outside of China still remains relatively tight
Despite expansions in South America finally beginning to bear fruit, the incremental new volumes reaching the market are not going to create the huge oversupply problem some institutions have warned of.
EV & battery demand is surging
The uncertainty sparked by China’s change in EV subsidy policy wreaked havoc in the EV supply chain and saw slower than anticipated demand growth in the first half of 2018.
Despite these challenges, H1 NEV production in China was up 94% and seasonal production patterns alongside the clarification in policy means H2 will almost certainly be another record breaking six months for output.
In addition, the ongoing ramp up at Tesla’s Nevada Gigafactory 1 and the multiple other megafactory expansions in the pipeline – all of which are being built around lithium ion technology – mean the longer-term outlook for lithium demand continues to strengthen.
China has put itself at the centre of this supply chain, and its lithium consumption will increase exponentially over the coming years.
As a result, at Benchmark we urge caution to view the price downturn in Chinese carbonate as the story for all lithium, because it is not. It is an early correction to the lithium carbonate market in China that will go through several phases of growth over the next decade. The growth of anything, let alone an industry that is increasing seven-fold in the next ten years, is not linear. There will bumps in the road as each part of the battery supply chain – from lithium mine to chemical plant to cathode and battery manufacturing – builds out.
Why The Lithium Opportunity Is Bigger Than You Think
Aug. 23, 2018 10:31 AM ET
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4201519-lithium-opportunity-bigger-think
Lithium-ion battery deployments to increase 800% from 2017 to 2022: GTM
By Peter Maloney
Published Aug. 23, 2018
https://www.utilitydive.com/news/lithium-ion-battery-deployments-to-increase-800-from-2017-to-2022-gtm/530798/
News:Nemaska Lithium Receives First USD 75M Payment From Orion Under Streaming Agreement
https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/nemaska-lithium-receives-first-usd-75m-payment-from-orion-under-streaming-agreement-20180823-00750
NMKEF could see $1.20 by Christmas.EOM
“In India the EV market will be huge when it takes off. The market is wide open and it remains to be seen which state will gain the first mover advantage by adopting market friendly EV policies. Whichever state executes well will reap the benefits of billions in potential investments, new jobs, and most importantly, environmental benefits,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group.
To spark an EV revolution, the Ministry of Power recently issued a clarification stating that no license is required to operate EV charging stations in India. This is expected to boost the participation of more private players in the creation of a nationwide EV charging station infrastructure.
With the government making encouraging moves, various national and international companies are being drawn into the rapidly expanding and dynamic industry making it increasingly competitive.
A recent study by NITI Aayog and the Rocky Mountain Institute reiterated the staggering potential of India’s EV market. Researchers found that India could account for more than one-third of the global market for EV batteries by 2030 if it were to be 100 percent EV driven.
Although the EV push is still in early stages, these are some of the states in the country which are making progress towards building a conducive environment for a robust EV market to flourish:
KARNATAKA
Karnataka is the first Indian state to launch a specific EV policy. The policy aims to attract an investment of ?31,000 crore and create employment opportunities for 55,000 individuals, on both the supply and demand sides.
Mysuru (Mysore) is being developed with a holistic EV ecosystem that aligns with the Karnataka government’s EV policy, and reaches beyond the metros.
The Karnataka government is set to procure 640 EVs, 40 electric buses, 100 four-wheelers and 500 three-wheelers, under the FAME program.
Bengaluru (Bangalore) Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) is involved in developing a charging infrastructure for EVs in Bangalore. BESCOM has announced plans to develop 11 fast-charging stations for Bangalore’s EVs.
Bengaluru (Bangalore) is considered India’s IT and Startup Capital. Many car aggregator companies are already turning to EVs.
Currently, Karnataka is the leading solar state and understands how to integrate renewables into the grid.
MAHARASHTRA
Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have signed Memorandas of Understanding (MoUs) with the Maharashtra government to roll out 1,000 EVs in the state.
Recently, the Maharashtra state government cabinet approved the state’s Electric Vehicle Policy 2018. Under the policy, a supportive environment for the manufacture of 500,000 EVs in the state is expected to be created within the next five years.
A 15 percent subsidy is to be provided to the owners of the first 100,000 EVs registered in the state.
The state government is proposing a maximum subsidy of ?1 million (~$15,549) per charging station to the first 250 stations that are set up in Maharashtra.
Recently, Fortum India signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Nagpur Municipal Corporation to set up EV charging infrastructure in the city of Nagpur.
ACME Group is planning to launch India’s first Battery Swapping and Charging Station for EVs in Nagpur.
EV charging stations have been commissioned in Mumbai and its suburbs.
EESL has signed an MoU with the general administration department of the Maharashtra government to gather EVs and install charging infrastructure in the state as part of the Maharashtra government’s EV and Related Infrastructure Policy, 2018.
DELHI
1,000 electric buses is expected to be introduced in the national capital soon.
Delhi’s budget for the financial year (FY) 2018-19 has provision for 905 electric vehicles to facilitate last mile connectivity from metro stations.
The Delhi government aims to boost E-rickshaws in the city through the expansion of eligibility criteria for subsidy.
NTPC is slated to develop20 EV charging stations at various locations in the national capital region.
Recently,Tata Motors won a separate bid to supply 10,000 EVs to Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL). Of those vehicles, 1,000 EVs will be procured for utilization in the New Delhi and national capital region, with service and maintenance facilities are also slated for construction in the national capital region.
NITI Aayog has proposed developing a quick pilot project that would provide a blueprint for the larger planned rollout of EV infrastructure in Delhi. The pilot project proposal includes 55 locations with 135 charging stations, of which 46 would be quick charging DC stations and 89 would be slower charging AC stations.
UTTAR PRADESH
Uttar Pradesh is the third largest beneficiary under the FAME program with 16,038 EVs on the road.
The vehicle total is comprised of 2-wheelers with a maximum power of 250 watts and below, followed by 4-wheelers.
Recently, the state government released a Draft EV Manufacturing Policy. The policy seeks to create employment opportunities on both the supply and demand sides of the market; create an environment that is conducive to shifting from internal combustion engines to EVs; encourage the use of hybrid EVs in Uttar Pradesh; and develop human capital and augment power capacity to meet the needs of the EV industry.
The state government plans to make industrial land available for the development of EV charging infrastructure and EV manufacturing capacity in clusters and zones.
The state government will provide a 100 percent road tax exemption for EVs purchased in Uttar Pradesh.
A 30 percent subsidy on the road price of EVs in the form of a reimbursement to individual families with a single-girl child will be provided.
TELANGANA
Telangana has announced an EV policy aimed at attracting investments worth $3 billion and creating employment for 50,000 individuals by 2022 through EV manufacturing and charging infrastructure development.
EV manufacturing has a large power electronics dependence, giving Telangana a strong supply chain advantage over other automotive hubs in India.
The Telangana State Transport Corporation has set a target of 100 percent electric buses by 2030 for intra-city, intercity and interstate transport (key milestones – 25 percent by 2022, 50 percent by 2025, and 100 percent by 2030).
The State government is expected to set up first 100 fast charging stations in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and other cities in a phased manner.
A mega automotive park with global standard infrastructure is currently in planning stages and the development work is expected to commence by mid-2018. A designated EV cluster spread over 1500-2000 acres catering to EV and EV component manufacturing for two wheelers, cars, buses, and trucks will be integrated with the automotive park plan.
An automotive electronics cluster is expected to be developed within the proposed Electronics City near Hyderabad where special status and incentives will be accorded to units manufacturing electronic components including batteries cells/packs for EVs.
Recently, EESL and GHMC signed up to lease EVs and install EV chargers at GHMC offices.
ANDHRA PRADESH
The state government has released an EV policy with an aim to have 1 million EVs on the road in the next five years.
Consumers, auto makers, battery manufacturers, and charging infrastructure firms are to be incentivized by the state government.
There is expected to be a 100 percent reimbursement of road tax and registration fees, on the sale of EVs in the state up to 2024.
Andhra Pradesh Government and Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) have inked an MoU in which EVs will be introduced in Amravati, the upcoming capital city of the state.
To create demand, the Andhra Pradesh state government has signed an agreement with EESL to procure 10,000 EVs.
GUJARAT
The Gujarat State Government has been providing subsidies to students for the purchase of two-wheeler EVs.
The Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) is implementing a subsidy program for school students (standards 9 to 12) as well as college students in the cities of Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Surat, Gandhinagar.
The state government is planning to roll out a specific EV policy.
Transport infrastructure is of international standards in Gujarat, it will be easy to set up EV charging infrastructure here.
Looking at the developments so far, It is clear that there are a number of Indian states and regions ahead of others in terms of EV policies announced, conducive infrastructure, and targets set. These states are expected to drive India’s EV push and mass acceptance as new technologies gradually reduce the cost of EVs.
https://mercomindia.com/states-poised-lead-ev-revolution/
China is taking on Tesla's electric car supremacy (and winning)
In the west, Tesla is still the pinnacle of the electric vehicle industry. In China, it is anything but
By SAM SHEAD
01 Aug 2018
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/electric-car-sales-china-vs-tesla
Tesla now faces serious competition. In China, car companies are pumping out EVs at an astonishing rate. In the west, Tesla is still the pinnacle of the industry. In China, it is anything but. “I think China holds the major cards, and electrification of transport will be led by China,” says Professor Patrick Luk, head of the electric power and drives group at Cranfield University. William Ford, the executive chairman of Ford, agrees with Luk, according to a report in The New York Times.
You may not have heard of BYD (backed by US billionaire investor Warren Buffet), Zhidou, Byton or Kandi, but they’re all trying to take on Tesla and, for many industry watchers, they’re likely to win. BYD, in particular, is one to watch, and it’s already selling more cars than Tesla. This month analysts were more bullish on BYD stock than they were on Tesla stock, according to a report in The South China Morning Post that was based on data compiled by Bloomberg.
According to Luk, China’s EV firms have an edge on Tesla for four key reasons: several of the top EV car makers in China are state-owned with government backing; they have access to the largest domestic market in the world; the Chinese government's strategic policies are very pro all-electric vehicles, and they have better battery capability.
Today, Chinese drivers buy more new cars, and more EVs, than anywhere else in the world. Global annual sales of EVs surpassed one million for the first time in 2017, and China (where EV sales doubled in 2017) accounted for more than half of those. Of the estimated two million EVs that are expected be on the roads by the end of 2018, 40 per cent will be in China, according to the International Energy Agency.
The Chinese government wants seven million so-called “new energy vehicles” to be sold in the country by 2025. President Xi Xinping has put EV policies in place that should help both manufacturers sell units while also helping tackle China’s putrid air pollution problem. Chinese citizens are offered subsidies of tens of thousands of yuan when they buy EVs. That’s fuelled a surge in the number of purchases in China over the last few years.
Tesla will, in the short term, continue its dominance of the high-end market. That will leave Chinese EV makers to run riot with the bottom and middle.
On a 667 acre site in Shenzhen, BYD is doing just that. The company has created a vast sprawling headquarters includes factories, warehouses, employee dorms, a hotel, a supermarket, and BYD SkyRail (its own monorail system).
Founded in 2003, BYD employs 220,000 people worldwide, which is five times more than Tesla. It sold 114,000 “new energy passenger vehicles” in 2017, which is over 10,000 more than Tesla.
Isbrand Ho, BYD’s European managing director, says the firm has ranked top in China for EV sales for four successive years and globally for three successive years. “Over the past decade, BYD is the only manufacturer in the world that has mastered the three core technology of battery, electric motors, and electric controls,” Ho claims. Beyond this, he explains BYD is also developing electric buses, taxis and an autonomous monorail system for the city of Yinchuan in northwest China.
When it comes to competition with Tesla, Ho admits both companies differ greatly in their target customers. “BYD cars are more affordable for ordinary consumers, which means we are not in direct competition with each other,” he says.
And where Tesla has struggled, Chinese EV markers will look to capitalise. Earlier this year Elon Musk’s firm said it hoped to build 500,000 cars by the end of 2018, but plans to automate the Model 3 assembly line haven’t materialised leading many to doubt whether Tesla will hit that figure this year.
In a bid to boost production and reduce Chinese import costs, Tesla announced last month that it plans to set up one of its Gigafactory manufacturing plants in Shanghai, claiming it’ll eventually be able to produce 500,000 vehicles a year, primarily for the Chinese market. “The fact that Tesla just announced that it is building a factory in Shanghai means that China is both strategic as the place to make EVs and to place to sell EVs, and Tesla knows it,” says Luk.
If approved, the factory could be up and running by 2020, according to Tesla. Goldman Sachs expects it to cost at least $4 billion but Musk has said Tesla can afford it without having to sell more stock or take on more debt. Analysts believe the plans are impossible without massive new capital investments.
While Tesla awaits permission from Chinese regulators, BYD has just launched the world’s biggest battery factory. The lithium battery plant in the northwestern province of Qinghai will eventually produce 24 gigawatt-hours of batteries a year, enough to power 570,000 BYD EV360s. And as Tesla looks to China, Chinese EV makers are starting to look outside China.
Hong Kong’s Byton, founded in 2016 by BMW and Nissan executives, has raised over $700 million (£363 million) from the likes of Chinese web giant Tencent and grown its workforce to 1,100 people to help it take on Tesla.
Incorporated as Future Mobility Corporation, Byton expects cars to start driving themselves soon so it is aiming to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack by focusing more on interior features such as touchscreens and adjustable seats, instead of traditional EV metrics like acceleration and range. One of its prototype cars, the M-Byte, has a 49-inch touchscreen, as well as touchscreens on the steering wheel and the backs of the front seats.
Byton plans to start selling its cars in China initially, in the US by the middle of 2020, and in Europe shortly after. “Elon Musk did an outstanding job in many areas so far and created a lot of acceptance towards EVs in many countries,” says Byton CEO and cofounder Carsten Breitfield. “But our roots and the structure of our company are absolutely different to Tesla.”
China is already the world’s leading manufacturer of cars. And as the world shifts to electric vehicles, there’s a good chance that the nation’s bid to capture the mass market could lead to many of us driving BYDs and Bytons instead of Fords and Fiats. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.
Lithium-Ion Storage Installs Could Grow 55% Every Year Through 2022
Good luck finding that kind of growth anywhere else in the power sector.
JULIAN SPECTOR AUGUST 22, 2018
https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/lithium-ion-storage-installations-could-grow-by-55-percent-annually#gs.VI2xkhM
There's a broad consensus that the world will deploy more grid storage in the coming years than it does today, but few people agree on exactly how much more.
Here's a new prediction: Global lithium-ion battery deployments over the next five years will grow by 55 percent annually, according to a new report from GTM Research.
In other words, annual lithium-ion installations will grow more than eight-fold, from 2 gigawatt-hours in 2017 to 18 in 2022.
This growth is starting from a tiny baseline — for comparison, electric vehicle sales produced demand for 112 gigawatt-hours of batteries in 2017 alone. With 55 percent annual growth, though, grid storage will soon be substantial enough to alter the performance of electrical systems around the world.
Tesla Powerpack In Samoa & The Quest For 100% Renewable Energy Independence
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/08/21/tesla-powerpack-in-samoa-and-the-quest-for-100-renewable-energy-independence-teslayoutube/
-------------------------------------------------
The Powerwall and Powerpack are rechargeable lithium-ion battery stationary energy storage products manufactured by Tesla, Inc.
Powerpack is a high-performance, infinitely scalable battery storage system for utility and commercial applications.
Tesla installed a grid storage facility for Southern California Edison with a capacity of 80 MWh at a power of 20 MW between September 2016 and December 2016. As of January 2017 the storage unit was one of the largest accumulator batteries on the market. Tesla installed 400 Powerpack-2 modules at the Mira Loma transformer station in California. The battery storage serves to store energy at a low network load and then to feed this energy back into the grid at peak load. The principal way of adding peak generation capacity prior to this was the use of gas-fired power stations.
"Powerpack is infinitely scalable", said Elon Musk.[24] Tesla's objective is to "fundamentally change the way the world uses energy"[25] by "fostering a clean energy ecosystem and helping wean the world off fossil fuels"
EVs are simply the future for essentially every vehicle, not just road vehicles.
On the civilian side, electric vehicles are simply more fun. From electric jet skis to electric UTVs (that we tested out!), electric fun-mobiles are just more exciting. The instant torque and whisper quiet rides allow you to hear the nature and wind around you, making the experience that much more thrilling.
On the military side, we are seeing an increasing number of armies adopting EVs, such as Norway’s recent use of electric bicycles for border patrol and the Russian military’s electric motorcycles. The US Army is even exploring the options for electric tanks.............................................................
From:
This awesome new electric ATV is great for both thrill seekers and special forces
Micah Toll- Aug. 22nd 2018 10:32 am ET
https://electrek.co/2018/08/22/new-electric-atv-great-thrill/
40 Million EV Charging Stations Worldwide By 2030
GTM Peers Into The Future & Sees 40 Million EV Charging Stations Worldwide By 2030
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/08/04/gtm-peers-into-the-future-sees-40-million-ev-charging-stations-worldwide-by-2030/
Hyundai Kona Electric:258 miles official EPA range of and efficiency of 120 MPGe
https://electrek.co/2018/08/20/hyundai-kona-electric-official-epa-range-efficiency/
QUEBEC CITY, Aug. 20, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nemaska Lithium Inc.
https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/nemaska-lithium-finalizes-a-5year-supply-agreement-with-northvolt-20180820-00436
Nemaska Lithium Finalizes a 5-Year Supply Agreement With Northvolt
By GlobeNewswire, August 20, 2018, 09:03:00 AM EDT
I like this:
"We are very pleased to have moved this agreement in principle to a firm contract. Northvolt is not the only one to share our vision of a green energy future powered by lithium ion batteries. Our ongoing discussions with buyers reflect a very tight market for high purity lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate. We continue to field inbound calls looking for supply of battery grade lithium hydroxide and carbonate. However, with approximately 90% of its future annual production capacity already committed, Nemaska Lithium is currently more focused on properly executing the construction and upcoming commissioning of its project to satisfy its existing clients," said Guy Bourassa, President & Chief Executive Officer of Nemaska Lithium.
Bourassa continued, "As we continue full speed ahead with the construction, we believe the value in Nemaska Lithium is supported by its strong fundamentals, including: a world class lithium deposit; a proprietary state of the art electrochemical lithium extraction process and strong off take agreements with reliable end users. We have attracted many talented people with past project construction and operations experience and we continue to build on that team. From an intrinsic value perspective, Nemaska Lithium has never been in a better shape and going forward, we strongly believe these strong fundamentals will eventually be properly reflected."
I liked the tone of the pr today and the I like the stock's response.Maybe the low is in.I bought more today.My dry powder is all gone.
Some thoughts:Your best investment can feel like your worst and test you beyond anything you imagined at the time of purchase.Nemaska looks like that to me.Firstly mining is slow and boring compared to fast paced high tech high flyers.There is excitement at times such as a major discovery or a buyout.There was a bullish lithium run and an exciting EV story that saw a nice short term ROI.Then it died.The EV story sounds great but it's still slower then most stories and it's easy to get distracted and even loose faith if you start focusing on the bearish points of view.Nemaska is past it's exciting phase for now as the news is known and there is long wait as construction takes place.Boring!Yawn.....Investments seem to be cruel as they try to inflict maximum pain and shake off weak hands first and then the strong hands get tested.In this slow motion investment we should expect extreme pain and long periods of waiting and grinding it out.Most of us aren't trained for slow and steady.It's a faced paced world and we are conditioned by it.Fast,Fast,Fast isn't Nemaska.The potential ROI is huge but it will require endurance few are conditioned for.We should condition ourselves and prepare for pain.Learn from the mindset of endurance athletes and mountain climbers.Learn to embrace pain and use it to make you
a successful Nemaska investor.I still think NMKEF can go into the .30's.I still believe NMKEF will climb to 15.00-20.00 or higher in 5-10 years.So my thinking is prepare for pain and even learn to enjoy it.This type of training and mindset will become valuable tools we can use in our lives.Embrace the opportunity!
Up on crap volume.could see .30's soon.EOM
Another 20-30%(.10-.15) down is likely.(.38-.33 area for NMKEF)
Epic buying opportunity in gold stocks setting up and lithium miners look similar to me so we will be watching both with great interest.
Gold Stocks are Not Too Oversold Yet
AUGUST 14, 2018 JORDAN ROY-BYRNE CMT, MFTA
https://thedailygold.com/gold-stocks-are-not-too-oversold-yet/
After Monday’s selloff, the gold stocks are hitting oversold levels but have more to go before reaching true oversold extremes.
========================================================
The late 2016 low is gold stocks’ last stand. Once they break below this level, there is no significant support all the way down to the early 2016 low. To be precise, there’s also the 2008 bottom at about 150(HUI), but if gold truly slides and gold miners continue to underperform, this level may not hold.
******Yep HUI 150 is not holding >146.41 -6.16 (4.04%)******
The PMs appeared to be on the verge of a major decline and this appears to be even more likely based on what happened yesterday and during Monday’s session.
Summary
Summing up, the outlook for the precious metals sector is extremely bearish and there are signs that we’re on the verge of seeing another big wave down and that the next local bottom is going to form in about 2.5 weeks. In other words, it seems that our sizable profits on the short positions are going to become even bigger shortly.
https://www.gold-eagle.com/article/even-more-cracks-golden-dam
Even More Cracks In The Golden Dam
P. Radomski
August 8, 2018
Electrification 2018(Aug 20-23)First conference of its kind, will focus on the underlying factors and motivations driving consumer demand for EVs and how emerging electric technologies are driving the global EV adoption rate. The conference and exhibition will also showcase the benefits of electrification as it impacts carbon emission reduction and the sustainability of tomorrow’s cities.
The automotive and transportation industry is making a shift to a more electrified future — one that involves utility companies, city developers, automakers, engineers and technology experts. Automakers around the world are investing big in EV technology and infrastructure, and EPRI experts predict that by 2050, 70% to 90% of all driver fueling will be done at home or work as a result of these investments.
http://www.electrification2018.com/industries/transportation
http://www.electrification2018.com/
A MUST-ATTEND EVENT Aug 20-23 2018 Long Beach California
ELECTRIFICATION 2018
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXPOSITION
Yep.Battery bottlenecks slow lithium demand.EOM
Bearish lithium price projection below 8,000 due to surplus:
"As a result, the Metal Bulletin forecast a lithium surplus of around 7,000 tonnes in 2018 and around 29,000 tonnes in 2019."
http://www.mining.com/auto-industrys-use-lithium-ion-batteries-grow-seven-fold-2025/
from
"Auto industry’s use of lithium-ion batteries to grow seven-fold by 2025"
Gold down,gold miners down,a temporary deflationary mood swing is pulling commodities down IMO.Opportunity in the lithium sector is knocking IMO.
I was just joking and agreeing with you that there isn't a good technical number to look at.I think I posted it could crash to .23 I also looked at .35-.40 as an area of old resistance that could now be potential support.I think the EV story is very bullish and I think the oversupply threat is nonsense but a great weapon for shorters until the trends become clearer.Right now I'm thinking we'll see a bottom in about 2 weeks with a dip into the .30's.But I could change my mind as I read the commentary and watch the charts.I'm trying to get a sense of a max pain point or panic among investors that is as sign of a bottom.It's a feel thing that I can nail sometimes.Sometimes it's just one remark on a message board or an article that jumps out at me and says that's it.
I like the company's position at this time and to me the price is a gift for the bold who can handle paper losses and see the EV market as a powerful long term trend.
It's not going to zero.LOL EOM
Good read:"What Changed In The EV Industry In June & July?"
https://cleantechnica.com/2018/08/10/what-changed-in-the-ev-industry-in-june-july/
Very Good Read!
A 35% drop to .35-.40 area looks likely as the bearish mood prevails.
Why do so few see what is so obvious?EOM
Yes it's already a bargain and even .23 is possible as the knife falls into 3 year panic lows from this 2 year low.That's the way of the markets and I believe $8 will be seen in a few years and then $20 by 2018 is very possible.
NMKEF could see .30 in Aug.EOM
Positive EV News Is Out There:
https://electrek.co/
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Harley Davidson announces plans for multiple electric motorcycles and even an electric bicycle
If the name Harley Davidson conjures up images in your head of leather-clad biker gangs flying down a desert highway while spewing exhaust from their loud chrome pipes, then perhaps you’d better think again. As we reported earlier this summer, Harley Davidson is well on their way to debuting their first electric motorcycle which they are hoping will target a younger, more urban audience – a market with which the brand desperately needs to succeed.
And now the company appears to be doubling down on that commitment by announcing a new lineup of electric motorcycles while simultaneously fleshing out their EV team with a string of new positions.
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Audi teases new e-tron electric supercar
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New York’s first electric moped rental program is scooting riders around in style
It seems like every week now there’s a new electric scooter share program popping up in cities around the US. Companies like Bird, Lime and Skip are quickly distributing those small and zippy little electric scooters that users can rent for just a couple bucks.
What you likely haven’t seen too many of yet are the larger types of electric scooters, ones that are more akin to electric mopeds and allow the rider to sit down as if on a bicycle. And New Yorkers may be seeing them a lot more now that a new electric scooter rental company has opened up shop in Brooklyn.
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‘Production at Tesla is gaining momentum’ says Panasonic as it increases battery cell production at Gigafactory 1
Panasonic, Tesla’s exclusive battery cell supplier for electric vehicles, is planning to increase battery cell production by 30% by the end of the year at Tesla Gigafactory 1.
The company says that ‘production at Tesla is gaining momentum’ and it needs to make sure not to become a bottleneck in the Model 3 production.
The Japanese electronics giant is the sole battery cell supplier for Tesla’s vehicles. It manufactures custom 18650 li-ion cells in Japan for Tesla’s Model S and Model X vehicles. The Model 3 cells are custom 2170 li-ion cells co-developed with Tesla and manufactured by Panasonic at Gigafactory 1.
Earlier this year, Panasonic said it was open to increasing its investment in the factory.
Tesla Gigafactory 1, which started in 2013, has already grown into the biggest battery factory in the world with an annual production capacity of over 20 GWh.
But they need to more than double that over the next year alone in order to support Tesla’s ambitions.
Now Japanese media Nikkan is reporting that Panasonic is planning to increase its battery cell production capacity by 30% at the plant by the end of the year with three new production lines for a total of 13.
Panasonic Chief Financial Officer Hirokazu Umeda confirmed that production has gained momentum and they expect it to start being profitable by the end of the year
Interestingly, that’s also when Tesla plans for the Model 3 program to turn a profit.
Panasonic aims to bring the total battery cell production capacity to 35 GWh by the end of the year.
The current structure has a 1.9 million square-foot footprint. Including several levels, the factory currently has about 4.9 million square feet of operational space. This represents only ~30 percent of the planned completed Gigafactory, according to Tesla.
At 35 GWh, it would be producing at the originally announced production rate, but Tesla has since increased the planned total capacity to 105 GWh of battery cells and 150 GWh of total battery pack output.
The increase in capacity by the end of the year would support close to 10,000 Model 3 vehicles per week on its own – though Tesla doesn’t plan to achieve that until next year.
Panasonic’s battery cell production was never thought to be a bottleneck in Tesla’s Model 3 production until last month when CEO Yoshio Ito said that the recent Tesla Model 3’s production ramp is creating ‘occasional battery cell shortages’.
It looks like Panasonic is now making some adjustments to make sure it doesn’t happen during the second half of Tesla’s ramp up.
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Tesla is reportedly in talks with Germany and Netherlands for Gigafactory 4
After confirming Gigafactory 3 in China, Tesla is reportedly in talks with local governments in Germany and the Netherlands to secure a location for ‘Gigafactory 4’ to produce batteries and electric vehicles in Europe.
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Cheers
30 Lost Ways of Survival from 1880 We Should All Learn
http://www.askaprepper.com/lost-ways-survival-1880/
Ingenious Foods People Made During Famines
https://www.askaprepper.com/ingenious-foods-people-made-famines/
$25,000 in 2018 could become $1 million by 2028.EOM
The world is trying to transition from the Oil Age.It's big effort.Minds and habits are harder to change than than the actual applications.Industries and livelihoods are threatened.EVs are a threat and
are being resisted.There is a war and an active resistance which will cause huge swings and create fantastic opportunities as this tug of war plays out.Nemaska's management is doing a suburb job building a future blue chip natural resource company and the stock price reflects market fear not company progress.That's the way markets work.NMKEF is on the right track in the right place at the right time IMO.
Nemaska Lithium draws closer to completing deal with Northvolt
http://www.northernminer.com/fast-news/nemaska-lithium-draws-closer-to-completing-deal-with-northvolt/1003797950/
BY: NORTHERN MINER STAFF JULY 23, 2018
Nemaska Lithium (TSX: NMX; US-OTC: NMKEF) is in the final stages of completing an off-take deal for battery grade lithium hydroxide with Northvolt, a company set up by two former employees at Tesla who hope to build Europe’s largest lithium-ion battery cell factory in Sweden.
If completed, the agreement with Northvolt will be Nemaska Lithium’s fifth off-take deal, following the announcement earlier this month of a transaction with LG Chemical that promises the Korean conglomerate 7,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide a year for a five-year period starting in October 2020.
LG Chem is one of the world’s leading lithium-ion battery makers.
Nemaska Lithium has already granted Japan’s SoftBank Group the right of first offer to purchase up to 20% of production, and once the Northvolt deal is completed, will have committed or have agreements in principle in place for more than 90% of its future lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate production.
Nemaska Lithium is on track to start producing spodumene concentrate in the second half of 2019 with the production of lithium salts following in the second half of 2020.
“Our offtake contracts are multi-year agreements with several lasting for a period of up to five years,” Guy Bourassa, Nemaska’s president and CEO, stated in a news release. “We are also actively marketing the company to new and existing institutional shareholders with recent meetings in Asia, United States, London, Europe and Canada from which we have had much positive feedback.”
The company completed a $1.1 billion project financing package at the end of May and has resumed construction work on its Whabouchi mine and electrochemical plant in Shawinigan.
Whabouchi is one of the world’s richest lithium spodumene deposits in volume and grade and the spodumene concentrate produced at the mine will be processed at the Shawinigan plant using a membrane electrolysis process.
Buy more at .40 and sell at 16.00!EOM
And Tesla news isn't helping. "Top Analyst’s Outlook on Tesla (TSLA) Zooms from Bad to Worse"
https://www.smarteranalyst.com/analyst-insights/top-analysts-outlook-tesla-tsla-zooms-bad-worse/
"Forget the tweets. The real problem at Tesla is the scramble for cash"
https://money.cnn.com/2018/07/23/investing/tesla-elon-musk-cash-debt/index.html
"Tesla’s Call for Suppliers to Refund Cash ‘Reeks of Desperation’"
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-23/tesla-s-call-for-suppliers-to-refund-cash-reeks-of-desperation
Bearish lithium news from China can explain current market weakness so here it is:
GLOBAL LITHIUM WRAP:
"Battle over market share triggers price war"
A battle over market share in China has triggered a price war, pushing domestic spot battery-grade lithium carbonate prices further down on Thursday July 19, while battery-grade lithium hydroxide prices also drifted with other global markets fairly stable.
July 20, 2018 13:30 PM By Martim Facada Carrie Shi
https://www.fastmarkets.com/article/3822101/global-lithium-wrap-battle-over-market-share-triggers-price-war
It still looks like .40 is in the cards.EOM
Great team building a low cost high quality long term producer positioned to become the industry leader in a high growth sector.I'm thankful for the opportunity to load up and hope to see .40 in this bear cycle.The fear of overcapacity is a gift.