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Tesla Lithium Refinery Details: job posts, costs & more

(Credit: Tesla)

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During Investor Day 2023, Tesla told investors that its lithium refinery near Corpus Christi would start commission by the end of the year. Tesla plans to refine and manufacture battery materials for its supply chain at the lithium refinery. 

Drew Baglino shared that Tesla already broke ground on its lithium refinery in Texas. The facility is near Corpus Christi, a city in Nueces County. Documents from Nueces County revealed Tesla’s plans to spend $375 million to develop its lithium refinery

Tesla Lithium Refinery Jobs

As per the documents, Tesla estimated that its lithium refinery would employ about 165 people. Most jobs in the lithium refinery would be high-paying positions, suggesting a certain level of knowledge and skill is required to work at the facility. Tesla has posted three job openings for its lithium refinery, listed below. All the job posts are related to construction. 

Area Superintendent Expectations and Responsibilities

Tesla states that the Area Superintendent will be play a critical role the construction of Tesla’s lithium refinery near Corpus Christi, TX. The Area Superintendent will be the main coordinator of field operations and will need to work cross-functionally, interfacing with general contractors, subcontractors, manufacturing and construction engineering while driving a project’s schedule and budgets.

Project Scheduler Expectations and Responsibilities

According to Tesla the Project Scheduler supports all project phases from engineering through commissioning of construction. To support all the project phases a Project Scheduler should provide project management with critical decision-making information ensure projects are delivered on time. 

“The Scheduler will collaborate closely with other functional teams throughout the project lifecycle to ensure accurate schedule development and reporting to track project performance,” noted Tesla.

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Area Construction Manager Expectations and Responsibilities

The Area Construction Manager will be responsible for delivering capex projects by working with internal and external stakeholders, supporting end users, and collaborating with construction engineering. The Manager must also ensure that projects are ahead of schedule and under budget. 

Tax Incentives for Tesla’s Lithium Refinery

The Robstown Independent School District approved a taxable value limitation for Tesla’s lithium refinery under Chapter 313 of the Texas Tax Code. The incentives agreement limits Tesla’s land value taxes paid to Robstown Independent School District to $20 million for the plant’s first 10 years in operation, starting in 2025. 

Tesla also planned to secure property tax incentives under Chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code with Nueces County. However, Tesla withdrew its request for tax incentives with Nueces County in January 2023. 

“The commissioners [and I] were happy to have those discussions even if we had to postpone them to the January 18th court meeting. It was Tesla that decided at this time that any further abatements were no longer necessary for them to move forward with the proposed refinery,” said New Nueces County Judge Connie Scott.

The Teslarati team would appreciate hearing from you. If you have any tips, contact me at maria@teslarati.com or via Twitter @Writer_01001101.

Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at maria@teslarati.com or via X, @Writer_01001101.

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Volkswagen teams with Uber for robotaxi service with the ID. Buzz

Volkswagen and Uber team up to launch a driverless ID. Buzz robotaxi fleet in U.S. cities. Testing starts in LA this year.

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(Credit: Volkswagen)

Volkswagen of America and Uber unveiled a plan to launch a commercial robotaxi service using autonomous electric ID. Buzz vehicles across U.S. cities over the next decade. The partnership marks a significant step for Volkswagen’s autonomous vehicle ambitions, leveraging Uber’s ride-hailing expertise.

The service will debut in Los Angeles by late 2026, with human safety operators initially overseeing the fleet before transitioning to fully driverless operations in 2027. Volkswagen ADMT, the German automaker’s autonomous subsidiary, will begin testing in Los Angeles later this year upon securing a testing permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The California Public Utilities Commission will oversee permits for the commercial ride-hailing phase.

“Volkswagen is not just a car manufacturer — we are shaping the future of mobility, and our collaboration with Uber accelerates that vision,” said Christian Senger, CEO of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility. “What really sets us apart is our ability to combine the best of both worlds–high-volume manufacturing expertise with cutting-edge technology and a deep understanding of urban mobility needs.”

The Trump administration’s recent policy shift, announced last Thursday by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, supports initiatives like VW and Uber’s partnerships by easing federal safety rules and crash reporting requirements on autonomous vehicle development. According to Duffy, the United States government wants to outpace Chinese competitors in autonomous vehicle development.

Volkswagen ADMT, which launched publicly in July 2023, has been testing 10 ID. Buzz vehicles equipped with Mobileye’s autonomous technology in Austin, reported TechCrunch. Two years ago, Volkswagen focused on selling self-driving vans and fleet management software rather than building its own ride-hailing service. VW’s strategy toward autonomous vehicles appears to have shifted, as reflected in its Uber partnership.

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Uber will strengthen its autonomous vehicle portfolio through its partnership with Volkswagen. The ride-hailing service company has secured deals with over 14 firms, including Waymo in Austin and a forthcoming launch in Atlanta.

The Volkswagen-Uber collaboration positions both companies to capitalize on the growing robotaxi market. With testing imminent and regulatory support increasing, the ID. Buzz fleet could redefine urban mobility, blending Volkswagen’s manufacturing prowess with Uber’s ride-hailing network to compete in the evolving autonomous vehicle landscape.

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These automakers are pushing to overturn California’s gas car ban

This lobbying group represents Detroit’s Big Three automakers, as well as several others selling vehicles in the U.S.

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(Credit: Don Sniegowski/Flicker CC:BY-NC-SA 2.0)

A lobbying group made up of several automakers is pushing Congress to ban California’s plan to phase out and ban new gas car sales altogether by 2035, ahead of a vote that could also affect the 11 other states that have followed with similar plans.

The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI), an organization representing the interests of Ford, General Motors (GM), Stellantis, Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and several others, recently sent a letter to Congress requesting that it overturn a waiver granted to California letting it set its own emissions rules.

Later this week, the U.S. House of Representatives will vote on overturning the waiver granted to California under the 1968 Clean Air Act to impose the tightened standards, according to Reuters. In the previous letter, the AAI argued to Congress that automakers would be “forced to substantially reduce the number of overall vehicles for sale to inflate their proportion of electric vehicle sales,” adding that it would also boost prices and reduce competition in the market.

The waiver, enacted under the Biden administration’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), allows California to mandate at least 80 percent electric vehicle sales by 2035 under the Clean Air Act. The passage of disapproval of the waiver is being ushered under the Congressional Review Act, and an initial vote in the House of Representatives is set to take place on Wednesday.

READ MORE ON STATE EMISSIONS RULES: Tesla could face emissions credit tax in Washington

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia backed the EPA’s decision to grant the waiver last April, following a challenge from 17 Republican-run states. The group claimed that California was being given unconstitutional regulatory power in the decision, adding that other states didn’t have those same powers.

In December, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear out bids from Valero, the AAI, and other groups to oppose the 2035 California gas car sales ban, which would begin phasing them out in 2026 if the waiver remains in place.

You can see the full list of members of the AAI below, including automakers and a handful of other tech companies.

Companies represented by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI)

Here’s the full list of AAI members, according to the lobbying group’s website:

  • AESC
  • AISIN
  • Aptiv
  • Autoliv
  • BMW Group
  • Bosch
  • Denso
  • Emergency Safety Solutions
  • Ferrari
  • Ford
  • GM
  • Harman
  • Honda
  • Hyundai
  • InEos Automotive
  • Infineon
  • Isuzu
  • Jaguar-Land Rover
  • Kia
  • LG
  • Luminar
  • Magna
  • Mazda
  • McLaren
  • Mercedes-Benz
  • Mitsubishi Motors
  • Nissan
  • Nuro
  • Panasonic
  • Porsche
  • Qualcomm
  • RV Industry Association
  • Samsung
  • SiriusXM
  • SK On
  • Stellantis
  • Subaru
  • Texas Instruments
  • Toyota
  • Uber
  • VinFast
  • Volkswagen
  • Volvo
  • Zoox

California proposal to allow self-driving tests for heavy-duty trucks

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Neuralink’s third brain chip patient shares first video edited with BCI

The third Neuralink brain chip patient is the trial’s first patient with ALS and its first non-verbal patient, and he has detailed his experience regaining speech and more.

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Credit: Neuralink

Elon Musk’s Neuralink has officially installed its brain-chip interface (BCI) into a third human patient, and the individual shared a video this week detailing his experiences gaining control of external devices and regaining the ability to talk through the use of AI.

On Monday, X user Bradford G Smith shared a video detailing his experience as the third person in the world to receive the Neuralink BCI, and as the first non-verbal patient and the first with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) to receive the implant. In the video, Smith details how the BCI works, how it’s less limiting than his previous eye tracker technology, and how it has literally helped him regain his voice through AI.

“I am typing this with my brain,” Smith wrote. “It is my primary communication.”

The video, which he says is the first edited directly with a BCI, is narrated by an AI-generated version of his old voice. Prior to the BCI, he was also unable to leave the house using his eye tracker, as it made it difficult to communicate unless he was in dark or low-light settings.

The video also shows how he’s able to connect with external devices using the BCI, with a live shots of him controlling his computer using a cursor.

You can see the full update below, which runs a little under 10 minutes.

READ MORE ON NEURALINK: Elon Musk: over 1,000 humans with Neuralink implants in 2026 is feasible

The news follows Neuralink’s initial update with Brad and other initial BCI patients, as was shared in a post on the company’s website in February. In it, Brad also explained how groundbreaking it was to be able to communicate outside and see his son win a robotics award, along with being able to consider leaving the city area for the first time in half a decade:

The most significant thing that happened this week will sound strange to you: I got to use the computer on the porch, and it worked!!

I went to [my child’s] soccer game, and the referee thought I was sleeping. I was actually able to talk outside. I [am] actually thinking about traveling outside the [city] metro [for] the first time in 5 years.

Both of Neuralink’s studies focus on restoring autonomy to people who are paraplegic through the use of external devices. The company gained initial approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to install the first BCI in a human patient in May 2023, with Noland Arbaugh being the first, a patient named Alex being the second, and Brad being the third.

Neuralink opened its Patient Registry worldwide earlier this month, allowing participants to submit to take part in the company’s initial PRIME and CONVOY studies. The firm also announced plans to operate the PRIME study out of a second location in Miami, Florida in January, after an initial location was launched in Phoenix, Arizona.

Last week, it was reported by Bloomberg that Neuralink is currently targeting a $500 million funding round at a valuation of $8.5 billion. Meanwhile, Neuralink has also been constructing office buildings near Austin, Texas, which initially aimed to be completed in May 2025.

Neuralink human trial patient shares his progress

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