Tesla already sources three quarters of its lithium feedstock from Australia and over a third of its nickel, Denham said, without specifying a dollar figure.

“Australian mining companies do have a good reputation, great expertise, professionalism and are preferred by manufacturers increasingly concerned about meeting both today’s and the future’s ESG requirements,” she said in Canberra.

The comments are in line with a new policy under way by U.S. President Joe Biden’s Administration to rely on allies to supply of the bulk of the metals needed to build electric vehicles.

The U.S. will then focus on processing those metals domestically into battery parts, part of a strategy designed to placate environmentalists, two administration officials with direct knowledge told Reuters last month.

Australia, alongside Canada and Brazil, are among the countries expected to benefit.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/international-business/article-tesla-to-spend-more-than-1-billion-a-year-on-battery-raw-materials/