WASHINGTON - A U.S. senator plans to introduce legislation on Thursday to streamline regulation and permitting requirements for the development of mines for lithium, graphite and other electric-vehicle supply chain minerals, part of a plan to offset China’s dominance in the space.
While Tesla Inc, Volkswagen AG and other electric-focused automakers and battery manufacturers are expanding in the United States, they are reliant on mineral imports without a major push to develop more domestic mines and processing facilities. “Our challenge is still a failure to understand the vulnerability we are in as a nation when it comes to reliance on others for our minerals,” Murkowski said.
The United States is not the only country playing catch-up with China. France and Germany asked the European Commission earlier this week to support a 1.7 billion-euro battery cell consortium to thwart Asian rivals’ growth in the space.
DavidLenigas Motor manufacturers need the raw materials to make electric cars run The global 'cobalt & lithium war' has already begun Exclusive: U.S. seeks to tamp down China's electric-vehicle supply chain dominance …