By Hyunjoo Jin and Ernest Scheyder
(Reuters) – Tesla Inc said on Monday it has begun construction on a lithium refinery in Texas that Chief Executive Elon Musk says should produce enough of the battery metal to build about 1 million vehicles. electricity by 2025, becoming the largest processor of the input in North America.
The facility will move Tesla from its core focus of building cars to the complex area of refining and processing lithium, a step Musk said was necessary if the auto giant is to meet its ambitious EV sales targets.
“As we look ahead a few years, a pivotal point in the evolution of electric vehicles is the availability of battery-grade lithium,” Musk said at the ceremony that marked the start of construction on Monday.
Musk said Tesla aims to finish building the factory next year and reach full production about a year later.
The move will make Tesla the only major automaker in North America that will refine its own lithium. Currently, China dominates the processing of many critical minerals, including lithium.
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