Investor's Corner

Tesla Locks Up Lithium Supply for its Gigafactory

Tesla has signed a deal with two companies to supply it with lithium for its GigaFactory at below market prices for 5 years. The lithium comes from Mexico.

Published

10 years ago

August 30, 2015

Steve Hanley

Tesla has taken steps to lock up a guaranteed supply of lithium for the next five years

Bacanora Minerals Ltd. and Rare Earth Minerals PLC, have formed a partnership called the Sonora Lithium Project Partners to mine lithium from clay deposits in northern Mexico which will become a key supplier of lithium for Tesla, at below market rates over the next 5 years. Currently, the United States imports 80% of the lithium it needs, most of it from Bolivia and other countries in South America.

Tesla will need an assured supply of lithium at a guaranteed price in order to fulfill its pledge to make 35 gigawatt-hours of batteries annually, after construction of the Gigafactory is complete. The mine and processing facility are expected to have an initial capacity of 35,000 tons of lithium compounds which can be increased to 50,000 tons if needed to satisfy Tesla’s requirements.

Researchers at the University of Wyoming have identified a large deposit of lithium-rich brine in the Rock Springs Uplift, a geological feature in southwest Wyoming. Tests suggest the 25 square mile area could contain 228,000 tons of lithium. That’s enough to meet annual U.S. demand and is almost twice as much as the reserves at Silver Peak in Nevada, which is currently the largest lithium producing area in the US.

>>>> MUST SEE: Drone video reveals newly constructed walls at Tesla Gigafactory

That find might benefit Tesla’s domestic competitors. The researchers say the Rock Springs Uplift area could produce lithium at well below current world prices from its geologically rich elements critical to lithium production. Making lithium from brine requires large quantities of soda ash (sodium carbonate). The largest US supply of soda ash is located less than 30 miles away.

In addition, the Rock Springs brine is unusually low in magnesium, an impurity that must be removed before processing can begin. Less magnesium means lower costs. Finally, the brine is trapped deep in the ground, where pressures and temperatures are already near those required by the lithium production process. Normally, the brine must be heated and pressurized before lithium can be extracted from it. Operators might be able to eliminate this step entirely, resulting in significant cost savings.

Industry observers say the transition to electric cars by mainstream drivers likely won’t occur until battery prices fall below $100 per kilowatt-hours. Access to less expensive lithium will be a big part of making that happen.

Source: WSJ

Investor's Corner

Elon Musk praises Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater for accumulating TSLA stock

Published

3 weeks ago

February 14, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: Tesla Asia/X

A recent 13-F filing from legendary investor and billionaire Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater Associates has revealed that the hedge fund has added over $62 million worth of Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) to its portfolio.

Elon Musk has praised the billionaire’s investment in a post on X.

Bridgewater’s TSLA stake:

As per Bridgewater’s 13-F filing, it currently holds 153,589 shares of TSLA, which costs $62,025,382.
The firm added the TSLA shares in the fourth quarter.
Tesla shares gained momentum after its Q3 2024 earnings call, and it only gained more strength after the election of U.S. President Donald Trump.
At the end of 2024, Tesla shares were up 62%, as noted in a MarketWatch report.
Tesla stock is still up 88% over 12 months despite a steep drop over the past month.

Smart move
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 14, 2025

A vote of confidence:

Bridgewater Associates is one of the largest hedge funds in the world, so the firm’s stake in TSLA could be interpreted as a vote of confidence in the electric vehicle maker.
Elon Musk has praised the firm’s investment. In a post on X, Musk noted that Bridgewater’s investment was a “smart move.”
Elon Musk has been quite consistent on his idea that Tesla could eventually become the world’s most valuable company. He emphasized this point during the Q4 2024 earnings call.
“I see a path. I’m not saying it’s an easy path but I see a path of Tesla being the most valuable company in the world by far. Not even close. There is a path where Tesla is worth more than the next top five companies combined,” Musk said.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Investor's Corner

Tesla (TSLA) gets $475 price target and “Buy” rating from Benchmark

Published

3 weeks ago

February 12, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: Tesla

Tesla shares (NASDAQ:TSLA) have received a “Buy” rating and a $475 per share price target from Benchmark.

Benchmark’s price target is based on 68.2 times its 2028 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA), as noted in a Morningstar report.

Tesla rating:

In a note to clients, Benchmark analyst Mickey Legg noted that Tesla has outlined a path towards more growth through several of its initiatives.
These include Tesla’s work in autonomous driving systems, robotics, and energy generation.
The company could also make more headway into the electric vehicle segment.
“The company has outlined a path for growth with a more affordable vehicle scheduled for 1H25, unsupervised full self-driving as a paid service this June in Austin, TX, and Optimus robot production ramp through 2026 and beyond,” the analyst stated.

$TSLA +1.8% pre-mkt as Benchmark initiates TSLA with a Buy rating and $475 price target. pic.twitter.com/KT6BTTW5kJ
— Gary Black (@garyblack00) February 12, 2025

More potential:

While he sees potential in Tesla, the Benchmark analyst noted that his current model only incorporates vehicle growth.
Thus, there could be “significant potential upside” if the company’s autonomous vehicle program and Optimus are scaled.
“Tesla’s market leadership, near-term catalysts, strong management, and diversified business justify the stock’s market premium,” Legg noted.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Investor's Corner

Tesla is ‘better-positioned’ as a company and as a stock as tariff situation escalates

Published

4 weeks ago

February 3, 2025

Joey Klender

The Cybertruck-towed Model Y ad at Hayden Planetarium. Credit: Tesla North America | X

Tesla is “better-positioned” as a company and as a stock as the tariff situation between the United States, Mexico, and Canada continues to escalate as President Donald Trump announced sanctions against those countries.

Analysts at Piper Sandler are unconcerned regarding Tesla’s position as a high-level stock holding as the tariff drama continues to unfold. This is mostly due to its reputation as a vehicle manufacturer in the domestic market, especially as it holds a distinct advantage of having some of the most American-made vehicles in the country.

Analysts at the firm, led by Alexander Potter, said Tesla is “one of the most defensive stocks” in the automotive sector as the tariff situation continues.

The defensive play comes from the nature of the stock, which should not be too impacted from a U.S. standpoint because of its focus on building vehicles and sourcing parts from manufacturers and companies based in the United States. Tesla has held the distinct title of having several of the most American-made cars, based on annual studies from Cars.com.

Its most recent study, released in June 2024, showed that the Model Y, Model S, and Model X are three of the top ten vehicles with the most U.S.-based manufacturing.

Tesla captures three spots in Cars.com’s American-Made Index, only U.S. manufacturer in list

The year prior, Tesla swept the top four spots of the study.

Piper Sandler analysts highlighted this point in a new note on Monday morning amidst increasing tension between the U.S. and Canada, as Mexico has already started to work with the Trump Administration on a solution:

“Tesla assembles five vehicles in the U.S., and all five rank among the most American-made cars.”

However, with that being said, there is certainly the potential for things to get tougher. The analysts believe that Tesla, while potentially impacted, will be in a better position than most companies because of their domestic position:

“If nothing changes in the next few days, tariffs will almost certainly deal a crippling blow to automotive supply chains in North America. [There is a possibility that] Trump capitulates in some way (perhaps he’ll delay implementation, in an effort to save face).”

There is no evidence that Tesla will be completely bulletproof when it comes to these potential impacts. However, it is definitely better insulated than other companies.

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Please email me with questions and comments at joey@teslarati.com. I’d love to chat! You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.