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In early September, several Japanese automakers jointly announced plans to launch an electric vehicle (EV) battery collection and recycling project in October. Recycling factories will be established initially in 7 prefectures in Japan.

Ganfeng Lithium agreed the purchase of SQM’s 50% stake in the Cauchari-Olaroz lithium project in Argentina. Minera Exar, the joint venture company formed between Lithium Americas and SQM in 2016, will remain the operator of the Cauchari-Olaroz project.

China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) is to launch a pilot EV battery recycling program aimed at controlling the whole life cycle of automotive lithium-ion batteries, extending to battery production, sales, use, and disposal. The program will start in 17 major cities during August 2018 and will encourage cities and auto manufacturers to establish specific EV recycling outlets.

German automotive giant BMW has signed a contract worth more than US$1.16Bn with Chinese lithium-ion battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL). Under the terms of the agreement, CATL will provide lithium-ion battery cells for use in the BMW i range of hybrid and electric vehicles.

The first production plant to manufacture cathode active materials for the European automotive market will be build in Nysa, Poland, close to existing and expanding battery plants. The plant will build upon proprietary production technologies targeting most likely NMC precursors. The first phase of this investment is due to start deliveries at the beginning of 2021.

South Korean steelmaker POSCO has sealed a deal to buy lithium mining rights in Argentina from Galaxy Resources for $280 million. Galaxy will still hold the other tenements of their Sal de Vida project.

Albemarle announced to increase lithium production in Chile to as much as 145,000 metric tons LCE, enabled by the company's deployment of innovative technology without the need for additional brine pumping at the Salar de Atacama. A simple calculation shows that this is physically not possible.

The Czech government has canceled a deal that could have given Australian company European Metals Holding (EMH) the right to mine a huge deposit of lithium, a key component in electric batteries. Trade and Industry Minister Tomas Huner said Thursday he had informed the European Metals Holdings company he considered the deal invalid.

The world’s biggest automotive supplier announced it has now abandoned the plan to build its own EV battery cell manufacturing plant, because it represented unjustifiable risky investments and fierce competition.

BMW's head of supply told the FAZ newspaper that the company is close before signing 10-year supply contracts for critical raw materilas, like cobalt and lithium.