Tesla Inc. held a groundbreaking ceremony for its lithium refinery outside Corpus Christi, Texas on Monday, with CEO Elon Musk predicting the company will finish the construction in 2024 to produce lithium for one million vehicles.
The billionaire explained Tesla will continue to use suppliers of lithium, predicting that the fundamental "choke point" in the industry in the coming years will be the refinement of battery-grade lithium. He stressed that the operation will be non-toxic and "very clean" with regard to the environment.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott remarked that the US state needs to be self-reliant, and not depend on any foreign country, going on to thank Musk for propelling the project.
