Do we see a clear pattern of corporate strategies and long-term planning in the following news articles dating from 2021 to-date? Or are they merely what is called in statistics "spurious correlation"? The highlighted and italicised texts are mine.
Jul 28, 2021 (BHP Ann) - BHP is announcing today the signing of a nickel supply agreement with one of the world’s leading sustainable energy companies, Tesla Inc.BHP will supply Tesla Inc. with nickel from its Nickel West asset in Western Australia, one of the most sustainable and lowest carbon emission nickel producers in the world.
Jan 10, 2022 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has signed its first U.S. nickel supply deal, choosing Talon Metals Corp's (TLO.TO) Tamarack mine project in Minnesota due to plans to make the electric vehicle battery metal in a way it considers more environmentally friendly.
May 6, 2022 (Reuters) - Brazilian miner Vale SA (VALE3.SA) said on Friday it has signed a long-term deal with Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) to supply the U.S.-based electric vehicle maker with nickel from its Canadian operations.Vale did not provide financial details on the deal and did not say how long it will last.
June 28, 2022 (SNECI) - Are rare earths an issue in the production of EV batteries?... “Rare earths do not enter, or only in very small quantities (possibly as an additive), in the composition of Lithium-ion (Li-ion), sodium-sulfur (NaS) and lead-acid (PbA) batteries, which are the most common. Only nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries include a rare earth alloy at the cathode. These batteries have been used mainly in hybrid vehicles and in portable electrical equipment, but their use for renewable energy storage will remain very marginal, mainly because of their high cost compared to Li-ion batteries, whose characteristics and performance are better suited to this use,” says ADEME.
Aug 9, 2022 (Mining Technology) - US-based Tesla has reached contracts, valued at nearly $5bn, to purchase battery materials from Indonesian nickel processing companies, reported Reuters citing a senior cabinet minister as saying to CNBC Indonesia.
Feb 6, 2023 (NYT) - More than three years after Elon Musk stunned the auto industry with an electric pickup truck that looked more like a stealth fighter than a way to haul two-by-fours and drywall, Tesla said last month that it would begin building the vehicle by the end of 2023... Tesla advertises that a top-of-the-line version of the truck will be able to tow 14,000 pounds and accelerate faster than a Porsche 911. The Cybertruck’s doors will open automatically when the driver approaches.
Feb 27, 2023 (Teslarati) - Recent reports have indicated that Tesla has signed a high-nickel cathode supply deal with South Korean battery cathode material company L&F Co Ltd. The deal is reportedly worth KRW 3.83 trillion ($2.9 billion).
Feb 27, 2023 (DriveTeslaCanada) - According to industry sources familiar with the ongoing discussions, negotiations between the two companies has progress to the point where the size and duration of the contract are now being discussed. SpaceX has not commented on the potential deal, and SeAh declined to confirm or deny the discussions when reached for comment by Yonhap News Agency. If SeAh is successful in securing the deal they would become the first Korean company to become a SpaceX supplier. According to a report by the Korea Economic Daily, SeAh would likely supply SpaceX with its alloy steel made of nickel, chrome, and titanium for a period of between 3 to 5 years.
Here is a likely reason for the news about Tesla reducing RE metals in batteries:
May 29,2020 (BEST) - Space battery market to see strong growth as firms like SpaceX exploit the final frontier... As Elon Musk’s SpaceX company was preparing to send its first manned flight to the International Space Station (ISS), Japan was sending its final shipment of lithium-ion batteries to the low orbit station.The batteries, produced by GS Yuasa Technology, were aboard the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Kounotori 9 unmanned cargo vessel launched on May 21.The six batteries - using cells adopted in 2012 to replace nickel-metal hydride batteries - were the last batch of a total of 24 after the previous batteries were delivered to the ISS on three separate occasions.
In all of these articles is the understanding that Li, Ni, Co and Mn are the vital metals for EV, and that RE metals are not. So it's best to be alert to click bait news about the latest progresss made in the Tesla and related industries. Or click bait news about Tesla and related industries ditching Li, or Ni or Co or Mn for the next great battery invention.
End.
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