Yes the downstream battery producers or the EV producers are already trying to be lithium miners. They will certainly be in a JV with lithium miners as well.
The best example of that is BYD.
BYD went to Chile and got a contract from Chile Gov. to extract lithium from brine resources in Chile at the beginning of 2022.
"China's BYD Wins Chile Lithium Extraction Contract" 14/02/2022
"China’s BYD wins Chile lithium tender - BMI" 13/01/2022
However that contract was suspended a few days later by the gov.
"Chilean Court Suspends BYD's Lithium Extraction Contract" 19/01/2022
That means the battery and EV producers will not hesitate to involve in mining business. Because there is no other way for them to have big shares in EV market. That's the essence of what I was saying on my post.
As you already may know many Auto OEMs have stakes in lithium mines (Toyota in AKE, Great Wall in PLS, etc.)
Automakers have to build their own batteries & have stakes in lithium mines, page-14
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