News
Tesla supplier Talon Metals to explore 400,000 acres of Upper Peninsula for nickel
Tesla supplier and key partner, Talon Metals, announced that it has acquired the rights to explore around 400,000 acres of Upper Peninsula land for nickel deposits. The newly acquired land is near Lake Superior and along the southern edge of Channing, MI.
The land is near the only nickel mine in the U.S., Eagle Mine, which is owned by Lundin Mining Corp. and is planning to close down in 2026. Talon Metals plans to explore the area including Eagle’s tailings facility
Rio Tinto previously explored the area but Talon believes its technology strategies and modeling will help it find new deposits.
Brian Goldner, Talon’s Chief Exploration and Operations Officer told Detroit News that he thinks the region of northern Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and southern Ontario could have high-grade nickel deposits due to its “mid-continent rift geology” that was formed 1.1 billion years ago.
The importance of sourcing EV Minerals in America
Todd Malan, Talon’s Chief External Affairs Officer and Head of Climate Strategy emphasized the need to source materials to advance the energy transition. He told Detroit News, “Doing it in America with working people participating ensures that we do it at a high standard.”
I reached out to Todd who expanded on his comment. He told me that the company’s expansion is aligned with Senator Manchin’s challenge to the industry to “be aggressive.”
“We can do this. We have good geology in the US and FTA allies like Canada and Australia. We have new resources from governments in the US, Australia, and Canada that are aimed at helping mining and processing ramp up.”
“Some of the leading automakers are taking a true partnership approach to the supply chain and signing offtake agreements, helping suppliers access new government funding or potentially even investing in new innovative companies.”
“Everyone working together can meet Manchin’s content requirements. We need to do this to save the planet, address dependency for battery minerals on potentially hostile countries, and create more good jobs in the US.”
Talon Metals CEO’s statement
Henri van Rooyen, CEO of Talon Metals, also emphasized that the acquisition of the land is a response to Senator Manchin’s challenge. In an emailed press release he said,
“Talon’s acquisition of the Michigan Nickel Properties is directly responsive to Senator Manchin and other national leaders on both sides of the aisle to take urgent action to establish a battery mineral supply chain from mine to battery within the United States.”
“Talon will bring its proven approach to exploration and use cutting-edge technology to explore for new high-grade nickel, iron and copper deposits in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, currently the only region in the United States that produces nickel.”
“The USA currently has only two known high-grade nickel deposits: Talon’s Tamarack Nickel Project in Minnesota and the Eagle Nickel Mine in Michigan. These two exceptional deposits of high-grade nickel are definitive proof of the nickel potential in the Lake Superior region; notwithstanding this, the amount of modern exploration of this nickel-bearing region is minuscule in comparison to other nickel districts around the world.”
“Talon’s experienced team of ‘nickel hunters’ has the benefit of technologies only dreamed of prior to 2020: new technologies mean faster data collection, processing, interpretation, and drilling, culminating in the ability to generate and test a much larger number of high-priority targets simultaneously.”
“Not only is Talon taking an innovative approach to discovery of high-grade battery nickel and battery-grade iron deposits in the USA for various battery chemistries (including NMC, NCA, and LFP batteries), but Talon is also taking an industry-leading approach to protecting the environment, partnering with unions and building broad-based community support where we operate,”
Disclaimer: Johnna is long Tesla.
I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or see a typo, you can email me at johnna@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @JohnnaCrider1
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Starbase, TX included in $84.6 million coastal funding round
The funds mark another step in the state’s ongoing beach restoration and resilience efforts along the Gulf Coast.
Elon Musk’s Starbase, Texas has been included in an $84.6 million coastal funding round announced by the Texas General Land Office (GLO). The funds mark another step in the state’s ongoing beach restoration and resilience efforts along the Gulf Coast.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham confirmed that 14 coastal counties will receive funding through the Coastal Management Program (CMP) Grant Cycle 31 and Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (CEPRA) program Cycle 14. Among the Brownsville-area recipients listed was the City of Starbase, which is home to SpaceX’s Starship factory.
“As someone who spent more than a decade living on the Texas coast, ensuring our communities, wildlife, and their habitats are safe and thriving is of utmost importance. I am honored to bring this much-needed funding to our coastal communities for these beneficial projects,” Commissioner Buckingham said in a press release.
“By dedicating this crucial assistance to these impactful projects, the GLO is ensuring our Texas coast will continue to thrive and remain resilient for generations to come.”
The official Starbase account acknowledged the support in a post on X, writing: “Coastal resilience takes teamwork. We appreciate @TXGLO and Commissioner Dawn Buckingham for their continued support of beach restoration projects in Starbase.”
The funding will support a range of coastal initiatives, including beach nourishment, dune restoration, shoreline stabilization, habitat restoration, and water quality improvements.
CMP projects are backed by funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, alongside local partner matches. CEPRA projects focus specifically on reducing coastal erosion and are funded through allocations from the Texas Legislature, the Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax, and GOMESA.
Checks were presented in Corpus Christi and Brownsville to counties, municipalities, universities, and conservation groups. In addition to Starbase, Brownsville-area recipients included Cameron County, the City of South Padre Island, Willacy County, and the Willacy County Navigation District.
Elon Musk
The Boring Company wins key approval for Nashville Music City Loop
The approval allows The Boring Company to use state-owned right-of-way along Tennessee’s highway system.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced that the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have jointly approved The Boring Company’s lease application and enhanced grading permit for the Music City Loop.
The approval allows The Boring Company to use state-owned right-of-way along Tennessee’s highway system, clearing a key hurdle for the privately funded tunnel project that aims to connect downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport in approximately eight minutes, the Office of the TN Governor wrote in a press release.
“Tennessee continues to lead the nation in finding innovative solutions to accommodate growth, and in partnership with The Boring Company, we are exploring possibilities we couldn’t achieve on our own,” Gov. Lee said in a statement.
“The Boring Company is grateful for the leadership and hard work of federal, state, and local agencies in bringing this project to a shovel-ready point,” The Boring Company President Steve Davis said. “Music City Loop will be a safe, fast, and fun public transportation system, and we are excited to build it in Nashville.”
With lease and permitting approvals secured, The Boring Company will move forward with the Loop system’s construction immediately. The first segment of the Loop system is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
The Music City Loop will run beneath state-owned roadways and is designed to connect downtown Nashville to the airport, as well as lower Broadway to West End. The project will be 100% privately funded.
“The Music City Loop shows what’s possible when we leverage private-sector innovation and American ingenuity to solve transportation challenges,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “TDOT’s lease approval will help advance this ambitious project as we work to reduce congestion and make travel more seamless for the American people.”
The Boring Company described the Loop as an all-electric, zero-emissions, high-speed underground transportation system that will meet or exceed safety standards. The Vegas Loop, for one, earned a 99.57% safety and security rating from the DHS and the TSA, the highest score ever awarded to any transportation system.
News
Tesla China extends its 7-year financing promotion once more
The move marks Tesla’s second extension of the program this year.
Tesla has extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing programs in China once more, pushing the offers through March 31, the end of the first quarter.
The move marks Tesla’s second extension of the program this year. The financing plan was first introduced on January 6 as a strategy aimed at offsetting higher ownership costs ahead of China’s planned 5% NEV purchase tax in 2026.
The original promotion was set to expire at the end of January but was extended to the end of February. This has now been extended again through March.
The repeated extensions reflect growing competitive pressure. Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China totaled 625,698 units, representing a 4.78% year-on-year decline, as per data compiled by CNEV Post. That being said, this decline is partly caused by the Model Y’s changeover to its new variant in Q1 2025, which resulted in lower sales during the quarter.
In early 2026, the Model Y also lost its position as China’s top-selling EV in January to Xiaomi’s YU7, though this was also a month when Tesla primarily exported vehicles to foreign territories, which pushed local delivery numbers lower.
During January 2026, Tesla China exported 50,644 vehicles, roughly 1.7 times higher than the same month a year ago and more than 15 times higher than December’s level.
Tesla’s financing push has not gone unanswered. BYD this week introduced its own seven-year low-interest plan across its Ocean lineup and Fang Cheng Bao sub-brand, also valid through March 31. Other competitors including NIO, XPeng, Li Auto, and Geely Auto have already rolled out extended-term loan programs as well.
Elon Musk’s Starbase, TX included in $84.6 million coastal funding round
The Boring Company wins key approval for Nashville Music City Loop
