General Motors has announced it’s investing $650 million into the Thacker Pass mine development.
As we've reported, the lithium mining project is set to be developed in Humboldt County.
Under the investment agreement, GM says they'll receive exclusive access to phase one production.
They're also expected to have the right of the first offer on phase two production.
Production at Thacker Pass is projected to begin in the second half of 2026.
General Motors expect the lithium carbonate from the pass to be used in their proprietary Ultium battery cells.
“GM has secured all the battery material we need to build more than 1 million EVs annually in North America in 2025 and our future production will increasingly draw from domestic resources like the site in Nevada we’re developing with Lithium Americas,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra. “Direct sourcing critical EV raw materials and components from suppliers in North America and free-trade-agreement countries helps make our supply chain more secure, helps us manage cell costs, and creates jobs.”
“The agreement with GM is a major milestone in moving Thacker Pass toward production, while setting a foundation for the separation of our U.S. and Argentine businesses,” said Lithium Americas President and CEO Jonathan Evans. “This relationship underscores our commitment to develop a sustainable domestic lithium supply chain for electric vehicles. We are pleased to have GM as our largest investor, and we look forward to working together to accelerate the energy transition while spurring job creation and economic growth in America.”
GM says Lithium Americas expects Thacker Pass to create 1,000 jobs in construction and 500 in operations.
(GM contributed to this report.)
