The automaker is taking a 38 per cent stake in the Vancouver-based firm’s Thacker Pass project in Nevada, the mineral company said Wednesday. (The Logic)

Talking point: The investment builds on a US$650-million investment the automaker made in Lithium Americas last year to become its biggest shareholder, and shows that GM is still deepening its investments in the electric-vehicle supply chain even as other automakers delay their EV production plans. The agreement gives GM access to lithium from the Nevada project for 20 years. With the U.S. election looming, Lithium Americas is also trying to close a $2.3-billion loan from the Biden administration in the coming weeks, and plans to use the GM investment as collateral to ensure it happens. “Sourcing critical EV raw materials, like lithium, from suppliers in the U.S., is expected to help us manage battery-cell costs,” GM supply chain executive Jeff Morrison said in a release.