Over the past few years, Tesla has been trying to build its nickel supply chain with great success in this regard, which is an important element in the production of batteries. Sources said the company has reached another large nickel supply deal with mining giant Vale SA, but the contents of the agreement have not yet been announced.
As a leader in electric vehicles, Tesla understands the value of nickel. Tesla unveiled its own 4680 battery at Tesla Battery Day 2020, when Tesla CEO Lon Musk urged mining companies to speed up the development of nickel ore. He promised to sign large contracts with companies that could efficiently mine nickel in an environmentally friendly manner.
Interestingly, as soon as his remarks came out, the nickel mine rose sharply, and the influence of Musk and Tesla was evident. In 2021, Tesla signed large agreements with several nickel suppliers.
On March 30, Bloomberg quoted an unnamed source as saying that this included a multi-year supply deal with mining giant Vale SA. The deal has not been publicly announced, and its details remain unknown.
Tesla's deal with Vale is one of several agreements the company has signed over the past year. In January, the company pledged to buy 75,000 tons of nickel concentrate from Minnesota's Talon Metals Corp. Previously, the company had reached an agreement with BHP Group, Australia's largest global mining company. Tesla also struck a deal with the operator of a nickel mine in New Caledonia in the South Pacific.
Todd Malan, a spokesman for Talon Metals, said of Tesla at the time: "People don't realize how far ahead Tesla is in ensuring an integrated approach to the raw material supply chain and battery materials." ”
It can be seen that just one thing is not a thing in front of others, if everything can be walked in front, that is the real long-term vision, and now it seems that Tesla's success is not accidental.