Let me start off by saying that I am not a big fan of Tesla and their CEO for sure.  Long term I would prefer that LAC stays clear of Tesla but I am beginning to follow the bread crumbs and starting to speculate on what may be going on with LAC.  As Okiedo pointed out recently, LAC moved up their TP production start timeline on their website from late 2022/early 2023 to Q3 2022.  That would mean they would have to break ground in Q1 2021 (once BLM ROD is final) and be producing lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide within ~18 months.  The mining operations side of the project are fairly easy to build out.  With that said, it would be near impossible to build a full chemical processing plant, power plant and all the supporting infrastructure in ~18 months unless LAC has partnered with someone like Tesla.  Tesla excels at building factories/infrastructure in record time so I wonder if that is what accelerated their timeline? 

In the below August 7th letter to the Nevada governor’s office of economic development, Alex Z. mentioned several odd things that both collaborate and contradict some recent announcements / filings by LAC.  Listed below are just a few of them:

• "The Thacker Pass complex has the potential to make Nevada a global leader in the lithium-ion battery processing business by fulfilling two of the four key steps in advanced battery manufacturing".  This letter clearing indicates that LAC is only interested in the mining and specialty chemical part of the 4 step Lithium-Ion battery production process.  In draft versions      of the BLM EIS, LAC was very specific about the build out of a Cathode and on-site Battery production warehouse.  What changed?
• When describing the 4th step, they say the following:  "Manufacture the final batteries for specific application, like at the Tesla/Panasonic Gigafactory. This step is done in various places like Asia and at the Gigafactory in northern Nevada or SK Innovations new investment in Georgia".  I find it odd that they specifically call out Tesla/Panasonic and SK Innovations for that matter.  More bread crumbs......???? 
• In this August 7th they say the following "During the approximately 24-month construction period, tentatively scheduled to begin after financing and major permits are achieved".  Again, I believe something must have changed recently.  How did this construction period move from 24-months to 18-months while we are in the middle of a pandemic?
• I am not sure about this statement "During Phase 1, Thacker Pass will make 30,000 tons per year of lithium carbonate equivalent. Most of this supply is expected to the exported to cathode producers in Asia and elsewhere in the world".  This comment does not support a Tesla partnership and does not support the recent LAC narrative that a domestic supply of lithium in the US is paramount given our current dependance on foreign resources.

No silver bullets here but additional details from our friends at LAC.  10K acres in Nevada? Salt & Clay? Go LAC!!!

WB

https://goed.nv.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/7-B.-Lithium-Nevada-Corp.-Board-Packet-2.pdf