Nice rise today ..... cobalt news is positive, batteries at this stage without it are not so good, some drama with some Chinese batteries for an automaker ..... hey, dig this .... foreign auto makers making cars in China are compelled to use Chinese batteries or else! And China is about the only hard rock spodumene converting place.... I can see EV manufacturers now competing against China on quality and build in other countries. Consumers will be aware of batteries too just as we are of combustion engines and fuels.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/gms-electric-dream-in-china-suddenly-looks-underpowered-1535542446
"General Motors Co.’s plans to ramp up electric-vehicle production in China were set back after the auto maker determined the Chinese-made batteries it intended to use failed to meet its own performance and safety standards during testing."
"GM originally planned to use batteries from South Korea’s LG Chem Ltd. But in 2016, China mandated that auto makers use batteries from a list of approved suppliers, all of which are Chinese."
So tough, see, not really a tariff but certainly government style monopoly and market interference.
A little while ago my phone's (SAMSUNG) battery snuffed it. I couldn't buy a genuine at any shop so went online, got some replacement battery from China on Ebay for it, was some copy brand but same A/hrs etc. That new battery went flat twice as fast, was crap, but I paid like $20.
Batteries aint batteries Sole
