GM Sustainability Chief Discusses Auto Maker’s Push to an All-Electric Lineup

The Wall Street Journal - Dieter Holger

Excerpt:

WSJ Pro: More batteries are needed both for electric vehicles and the grid, but there are also concerns about how to responsibly source the metals. What is GM doing around this?

Ms. Siemen: We’ve localized as much of the supply chain as possible to ensure that we do have a secure, sustainable, scalable, cost-competitive supply chain. We have binding agreements for all of the raw material that will support our goal of 1 million units [in] North America by the end of 2025. That is everything from lithium, nickel, cobalt in ensuring that sustainability is integrated into that supply chain. We also have the battery cell manufacturing local here in the U.S.

WSJ Pro: There are emissions involved in mining. What is GM doing to minimize those emissions?

Ms. Siemen: That goes back to the localization of the materials. We are doing things with suppliers like Controlled Thermal Resources, who supplies lithium, and they use a more environmentally friendly process than traditional lithium production. We have first rights to what is produced there in the Salton Sea [in California]. There is enough lithium there to meet all of the U.S.’s projected future demand and I think it is up to like 40% of the world’s demand.

Read full story HERE