Reuters.
In case when all cars will be electric my answer will be: I do not know exactly how big the demand for lithium will be - it is important that we will have enough for us! We are building
vertically integrated lithium business with Ganfeng Lithium from China financing our J/V in Argentina and Ireland. China is already the centre of Lithium Universe. It is the largest lithium market, China is rising very fast to claim the number one position in Lithium Battery business and will become the largest market for electric cars after 400% growth in EVs sales like Tesla has tweeted today. Now it is learning to build the best electric cars with the advanced lithium technology - meet LeEco Electric Super Car.
ElecTreck.
Despite his very conservative approach and very controversial policies of some companies he is investing in - like utilities in Nevada, Warren Buffett is plugged in solidly into Energy rEVolution. He is the largest investor in Solar in the U.S. and owns 10% of BYD.
BYD is the leader in electric cars production and sales in China and the world-wide leader in electric buses.
With Tesla Model 3 orders surging above 300,000 we have the clear indication that customers are ready for the great electric cars now. But are auto-makers ready to make them? Tesla's waiting list now will stretch easily into the next two years, who will fill up the void? In the U.S. GM Bolt will take the lead, but BYD is the real coming global force now. They have their own Lithium Batteries Megafactories in the making in China and Brasil now, building electric buss and lithium batteries facilities in Argentina and have just made the headlines about the security of Lithium Supply. They can buy a lot of time to the market if BYD can ever make a strategic alliance with Tesla and buy Tesla Model 3 powertrains - than we can talk about millions of EVs in China very fast.
Read more."
Reuters:
China's Le Holdings Co Ltd, also known as LeEco and formerly as LeTV, on Wednesday unveiled an all-electric battery concept car whose production version the company hopes will compete head-on with Tesla Motors Inc's Model S.
The concept car, called LeSEE, which hints at a production version of the car LeEco is widely expected to launch in the future, is one of an array of similarly positioned premium electric vehicles (EVs) due to hit the market in the next few years from more than half a dozen Chinese-funded EV start-ups.
LeEco said the concept car, which will be displayed at next week's Beijing auto show, is not only fully electrically propelled but has been engineered to be a "smart", "connected" and "automated self-driving" car.
Jia Yueting, co-founder and head of LeEco, said he hopes that when the car hits the market it will help China's auto industry reach the forefront of the global auto sector.
"When everyone is questioning us over our ability to develop a car like this and is laughing at us, we are still able to be here and show you this car ... I am so emotional," Jia said at a LeEco launch event for several products in Beijing on Wednesday.
Jia said LeEco is also developing a car-sharing business in connection with its green car efforts.
He said one day LeEco cars would be offered free of charge to consumers because the company aims to make money on content and other services it sells through those connected cars. Jia did not say when that day might come.
"Our cars' pricing model will be similar to pricing models for cellphones and tv sets we sell today," he said. "One day our cars will be free ... We are getting there some day."
LeEco's electric vehicle unit and other EV startups in China proliferated after the government, looking to fuel a more determined switch to electricity as the ultimate alternative to petrol, liberalized and opened its automotive industry to allow deep-pocketed tech firms to invest as long as they dabble in electric cars.
Aside from LeEco, the likes of Baidu Inc, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd, Xiaomi Inc, Tencent Holdings Ltd and other tech firms have funded more than half a dozen EV start-ups, which include NextEV and CH-Auto.
Those new players have been emboldened by the government's all-out support for all types of electric cars, which includes generous incentives to buyers.
They also expect industry policymakers to mandate
providers
of public transportation such as bus companies, taxi operators and even courier services to purchase electric vehicles and invest in charging infrastructure to usher in an electric future.
(Reporting by Noriqhiko Shirouzu, editing by David Evans)"
