Strategic Asset Leasing Inc (LEAS)

[BottomTurn]

Little excitment;

According to the USGS, overall demand for lithium is growing at a rate of 4-5% per year

- Demand for lithium destined for battery usage is predicted to grow by 20% per year

- Over 60% of mobile phones and 90% of laptop computers feature Lithium Ion batteries

- The worldwide market for rechargeable lithium batteries is estimated to be worth over $4 billion/year

- The automotive market alone is projected to reach $337 million in 2012, and $1.6 billion in 2015

The U.S. contains only about 3 percent of the world’s Lithium reserves. Presently “Chile provides 61 percent of lithium exports to the U.S. and Argentina is the source of 36 percent.” United States Geological Survey

Bolivia, at an estimated fifty percent of world supply, has by far, the largest lithium deposits of any country.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...33/1148/AUTO01

http://www.aheadoftheherd.com/Newsle...try%20Risk.htm

Lithium is not traded publicly; it’s sold directly to end users for a negotiated price per ton or pound of Lithium carbonate (Li2CO3). High demand and low supply has recently caused reported paid end user prices to reach US $6,600.00 ton.

But right now price isn’t the issue, rather the issue is one of supply. Demand for lithium is increasing and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. anticipates that demand will increase fivefold to meet the needs of electric vehicles.



There’s one unit of lithium in a cell phone battery, 3,000 units in a hybrid car and 7,000 units in an electric car; the numbers work out to 9 to 30 kilograms of lithium oxide per car battery. One of President Obama’s goals is 1,000,000 built in America hybrid cars on American roads by 2015. The automotive industry needs a secure uninterrupted supply of lithium to ramp up its production of the next generation of hybrid electric vehicles using lithium-ion batteries.