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Tesla is building a lithium hydroxide refinery in Texas for its Cybertruck factory
A recent report from market intelligence publisher Benchmark Mineral Intelligence has revealed that Tesla is poised to build a lithium hydroxide chemical plant in Texas. The lithium hydroxide refinery will reportedly be situated in Texas, and it will be used to feed the upcoming Cybertruck Gigafactory.
The spodumene conversion facility will be built adjacent to Gigafactory Texas, and based on Benchmark Minerals’ report, the facility has a target date of Q4 2022 for its start of operations. This is a notably aggressive timeframe for such a facility, though it is something distinctly Tesla. Ultimately, the lithium hydroxide refinery will add to Tesla’s plans to set up a cathode facility in Texas, which Elon Musk has described as part of the electric car maker’s cell production plan.
The upcoming conversion/refining plant will turn hard rock spodumene ore into lithium hydroxide, which is used directly in battery cells. It should be noted that prior to Tesla’s battery efforts, this process has traditionally been performed in China using spodumene that’s sourced from Australia. In its report, Benchmark Minerals noted that Tesla will be using a hydrometallurgical process to turn its spodumene ore into lithium hydroxide, effectively eliminating the use of sulphuric acid. This process, however, remains untested in the commercial scale.
Interestingly enough, a recent announcement from Australian mining firm Piedmont Lithium has revealed that Tesla has signed a five-year deal to acquire spodumene from a mine in North Carolina. In its press release, Piedmont noted that its Tesla deal represents about one-third of the expected 160,000 tonnes per annum that’s expected to be produced at its North Carolina mine. This deal will likely supply Tesla with 8,000 tonnes of lithium hydroxide a year, starting between July 2022 and July 2023.
In its report, Benchmark stated that the Piedmont Lithium deal will likely account for just over half of Tesla’s battery needs for Gigafactory Texas in 2023, the first estimated full production year of the electric car maker’s 4680 cells. With this in mind, Tesla would still need to secure more spodumene supply beyond Piedmont Lithium’s capabilities, especially if the company intends to fully ramp its battery cell production capabilities. Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Managing Director Simon Moores, for his part, highlighted the significance of Tesla’s battery production push.
“Lithium’s foundations for the 21st century are beginning to shift in what is a China-dominated part of the lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle supply chain. Tesla is the first automotive OEM to enter lithium production – a watershed moment. And it does so without having to mine lithium from the ground. Not only will it allow Tesla to control costs at this supply chain step, it will once again see the spodumene trade flows point towards the USA instead of China, a market that has dominated spodumene conversion for a generation through majors such as Tianqi and Ganfeng Lithium.

“It will also significantly bolster its negotiating power on its future lithium hydroxide contracts once it harnesses the ability to produce a consistent battery ready lithium hydroxide and scales capacity. Tesla has clearly come to the realization that it cannot rely on the upstream of the supply chain or investors to expand quickly enough for its needs. It has now taken some of that responsibility away from the miners and chemical producers and once Tesla gets to grips with the lithium refining process, scale will be introduced and we expect that post-2022 ramp to be rapid,” he said.
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Product Director Andrew Miller added that Tesla’s lithium hydroxide chemical plant in Texas will allow the electric car maker to closely monitor the cost and quality of its batteries’ components. Miller added that Tesla’s efforts to move upstream in the battery supply chain will likely be replicated by other carmakers in the future.
“With Tesla entering the upstream of the lithium-ion battery supply chain at the conversion stage the company does not have to become a lithium miner, a skill-set and company culture that is entirely different to creating chemically refined materials. Controlling the lithium conversion from the raw material – spodumene concentrate – means they can not only reduce the cost but also control the quality of the lithium hydroxide output more closely.
“This is additional evidence that lithium will remain a specialty chemical that is tied to and tailored for the needs of the end-users, rather than a commodity. In addition, Tesla’s efforts to move upstream will likely be replicated by other auto manufacturers, and in other areas of the supply chain. Having control of advanced material costs into the EV supply chain is an increasingly important factor in lowering battery prices,” he said.
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence’s report on Tesla’s lithium hydroxide refinery could be accessed here.
News
Anti-Elon Tesla sticker maker confirms some customers don’t disapprove of Musk
Some of Hiller’s customers may not necessarily disapprove of Elon Musk’s politics or his work with the Trump administration.

Amidst the ongoing controversies and campaigns against Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Hawaii-based entrepreneur Matthew Hiller has made a killing. Hiller is the man behind some of the most popular anti-Elon Musk stickers that have been spotted in Teslas over the past months.
But in a recent comment to NPR, Hiller shared something rather interesting—some of his customers are purchasing stickers even if they do not necessarily disapprove of Elon Musk.
Business Boom
In a comment to NPR, Hiller, who also works at an aquarium in Hawaii, noted that he listed his first anti-Musk sticker in his online shop MadPufferStickers in 2023. The sticker read, “I bought this before we knew Elon was crazy.” At the time, Hiller noted that Musk was “sort of becoming a bully and sort of pushing disinformation.” While Hiller actually considered buying his own Tesla in the past, Musk’s actions ended up disillusioning him from the company.
“I thought they were very cool. I liked the tech. I liked the fact that they were good for the environment… I mean, some things are more important than just tech, you know, like, I just don’t want to support someone who is so against who I am and what I believe. It was a choice and I didn’t want to be just confused for someone who supported him or agreed with him,” Hiller stated.
The entrepreneur’s sticker business saw a notable boost in recent months, especially following the election of U.S. President Donald Trump. Hiller has since expanded his sticker lineup, with popular ones like “Anti Elon Tesla Club,” “Elon is a dogebag,” and “Elon killed my resale value.” Hiller has sold about 70,000 stickers, magnets, and clings across his online shops on Amazon, Etsy, Redbubble, and eBay so far.
Surprising Clientele
With his business rising, Hiller noted that he has received orders from across the globe, allowing him to reach sales of $100,000 in one month. This was no surprise as Musk has become a controversial figure, not just in the United States but in several countries across Europe as well. When Musk performed his controversial gesture in January alone, Hiller recorded 500 sales in one day.
Most surprisingly, however, some of Hiller’s customers may not necessarily disapprove of Elon Musk’s politics or his involvement with the Trump administration through his work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Hiller shared a transaction on his Etsy store to NPR, which involved a sticker that was ordered by a father to his son, who lived in Los Angeles.
“Occasionally, I get people on my Etsy store, they buy a sticker as a gift, and then they get to write a little note along with the gift to the recipient. And occasionally I read the notes and I see one that says like, ‘Happy birthday, from dad. This is to protect you on the mean streets of L.A.,’” Hiller noted.
The customer’s note is not surprising considering that Teslas have been subjected to a wave of vandalism attacks from people or activists who are critical of Elon Musk. The Tesla vandalism incidents, as well as Molotov and shooting attacks on Tesla stores, have been condemned by the Trump administration.
Not a Full-Time Gig
Despite his business boom, Hiller noted that he does not intend to leave his aquarium job yet, nor does he intend to sell stickers full-time. Thus, even if the Elon Musk controversies ended tomorrow, the entrepreneur noted that he would be fine.
“If it ended tomorrow, I’m totally fine. You know, I didn’t set out to do this. And it’s certainly not my business plan going forward. I mean, it’s not a really good business plan to bank on a billionaire just annoying people forever,” Hiller stated.
News
Shark Tank’s Daymond John: Buy Tesla (TSLA), because it’s going back up
The Shark Tank host’s advice was simple—Buy TSLA stock.

In a recent social media post, FUBU founder and Shark Tank host Daymond John shared some financial advice to his followers. John’s advice was simple—Buy TSLA stock, because it’s going back up.
Shark’s Advice
In his video, John acknowledged that Tesla is a controversial stock due to the hate being put towards CEO Elon Musk. But as per the Shark Tank host, the people who are boycotting Tesla or attacking the company will eventually stop. He also noted that Tesla is practically at half price today compared to its price last December.
“You want some financial advice? Buy TSLA. You get all that political crap. People want to burn cars, hate Elon Musk, I don’t know. But let me tell you something. All those people gonna forget all about that just like they forgot about boycotting Gucci or Balenciaga and all that other stuff, and that stock is gonna go back up. It was at $462 in December. It is now at $250. That is almost 50% off,” John stated.
Robotaxi Potential
Interestingly enough, the Shark Tank host pointed at Tesla’s robotaxi service as one of the reasons why he is bullish on the company. As per John, Tesla is just about ready to roll out an autonomous Uber-like ride-sharing service. And when that happens, TSLA stock will react, negative news on Elon Musk or not.
“You see these Waymo cars all around? There’s a couple of them working their way around. But what Tesla has done over the last is all these patterns of what people have driven. They have now created a lot of these driving pattens, and what are they gonna do? They’re gonna end up releasing autonomous Teslas that are gonna be like Uber, and that stock, no matter what, is going to fly,” John stated.
News
China’s Huayou replaces LG in Indonesia’s $7.7B EV battery project
After 5 years of negotiations, Indonesia drops LG and taps Huayou Cobalt to power its EV battery dreams.

China’s Huayou Cobalt replaced LG Energy Solution in Indonesia’s $7.7 billion electric vehicle (EV) battery project. The shift underscores China’s growing influence in Southeast Asia’s EV supply chain.
Indonesia’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil Lahadalia, confirmed that Huayou would replace LG in the Grand Package, a plan to build a comprehensive EV battery ecosystem. The Grand Package, also called Project Titan, included plans to develop raw material mining, processing, and EV battery production in Indonesia.
“Conceptually, the development of the Grand Package has not changed. The infrastructure and production plan remain in accordance with the initial road map. LG is no longer involved and has been replaced by Huayou,” Bahlil said.
LG Energy Solution signed a memorandum of understanding with Jakarta in December 2020 but exited after prolonged talks.
“Taking into account various factors, including market conditions and investment environment, we have agreed to formally withdraw from the Indonesia GP (Grand Package) project,” LGES stated.
Investment Minister Rosan Roeslani noted that the government removed LG on January 31 due to a “long negotiation process” spanning five years. The Investor Minister also mentioned that Indonesia considered the Chinese company because Huayou’s technological capabilities positioned it as a suitable replacement to advance the project.
“We want all of this to run well, quickly, but the negotiations have been going on for five years. The government decided to replace LG with Huayou since it expressed interest in the Titan project last year,” Rosan noted.
The transition highlights Indonesia’s determination to maintain momentum in its EV battery ambitions, resulting in deepening ties with China. Huayou’s leadership ensures Project Titan adheres to its original timeline, reinforcing Indonesia’s role in the global EV supply chain.
China’s expanding presence in the EV sector could reshape regional dynamics as Indonesia leverages its rich nickel resources to attract investments. The move also signals challenges for non-Chinese firms navigating Indonesia’s complex investment landscape.
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