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Canada

Snow Lake Lithium a Manitoba based mining company has developed plans for the first all-electric lithium mine in Manitoba. This will create a domestic supply of lithium – a critical resource to the electric vehicle battery. Snow Lake Lithium is currently seeking a joint venture with an automotive brand or battery manufacture.

—Philip Gross, CEO of Snow Lake Lithium

Manitoba has location benefits as it has access to the US rail network via the Arctic Gateway railway, which reduces transportation from thousands of kilometers by road and boat to just several hundred by train.

Snow Lake Lithium’s site is expected to produce 160,000 tonnes of 6% lithium spodumene a year over a 10-year period. Snow Lake Lithium’s mine will be operated by almost 100% renewable, hydroelectric power to ensure the most sustainable manufacturing approach.

Snow Lake Lithium will continue its engineering evaluation and drilling programme across its Thompson Brothers Lithium Project site, with the expectation that the mine will transition to commercial production in late 2024.

• 3 things to take into consideration when charging your vehicle in the winter when temperatures drop and ice forms. 

  • 1. Charging will take longerIt’s important to note that the vehicle controls the charging rate, not the charger. When temperatures drop, the electric vehicle’s software reduces its charging power to avoid stressing the battery. When temperatures are colder, it’s important to plan ahead for longer charge times, whether the trip is part of your daily commute or a longer road trip. It’s also important to note that the charging rate will always decrease as the battery reaches full capacity (state of charge, or SOC), to maintain battery life and durability.

  • 2. Your EVs range will be reducedLow temperatures will reduce your electric vehicles range, sometimes by as much as 20%. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep an eye on your EVs console to monitor the range so you don’t get stranded. Although the range of your battery will be affected, the overall health of your battery is not affected. In the winter months, when your range is decreased, don’t worry about the health of your battery, it’s simply the range that is affected.

  • 3. EV’s cold weather featuresMost EVs have a pre-conditioning feature that will allow the vehicle to be programmed to warm up the battery to more optimal temperatures. While this pre-conditioning process does use some battery power to provide a warmth, it can make the battery more efficient while maximizing driving range. By understanding your EV and its charging needs, especially during colder weather, you’ll be better prepared to rely on an electric car no matter when and where you’re driving.

• Natural Resources Canada announced a combined investment total of $4,646,577 to 22 organizations in Canada to support zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) awareness projects. These projects will help Canadians know about the clean options available when choosing their next vehicle.These projects include:

  • $300,000 to Eco-West Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to deliver a series of webinars and workshops to help increase EV adoption in the Prairies;

  • $300,000 to Alberta Motor Transport Association in Rocky View, Alberta, to deliver Canada's first public heavy-duty hydrogen vehicle demonstration project;

  • $300,000 to the City of Toronto to raise awareness around EV adoption and EV technology options within the greater Toronto area;

  • $50,000 to Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley in Canmore, Alberta, to design and implement a series of webinars, which will cover various topics relating to ZEVs;

  • $71,560 to Eastern Charlotte Waterways Inc. in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick, to increase knowledge and understanding around electric vehicles while reducing community and corporate greenhouse gas emissions;

  • $100,000 to the Community Energy Association in Vancouver, British Columbia, to address a gap in current ZEV outreach initiatives to Indigenous communities and to employ Indigenous values and priorities in guiding the implementation of ZEV awareness activities for these communities;

  • $101,775 to McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, to develop educational tools and to promote best practices to support ZEV fleet adoption awareness in transit;

  • $128,448 to Upcycle Green Technology – Auto Shop Inc. to promote the adoption of ZEVs in Atlantic Canada through digital media and engagement sessions;

  • $147,810 to Three Nations Energy GP Inc. in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta, to raise awareness around the benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) to encourage the adoption of electric trucks/vans within the Fort Chipewyan community;

  • $150,000 to Volta Research in Toronto, Ontario, to raise awareness about Vehicle to Grid (V2G) opportunities and benefits with current and prospective EV owners to help promote the uptake of ZEVs;

  • $157,412 to EcoSchools Canada in Toronto, Ontario, to promote and increase awareness around ZEVs and low-carbon commuting among young new drivers across all of Canada by developing new tools and resources;

  • $187,500 to Wyse Meter Solutions Inc. in Concord, Ontario, to showcase EV technology and infrastructure deployment options available for property owners and residents;

  • $224,000 to the Capital Regional District in Victoria, British Columbia, to increase knowledge of the advantages of EVs and electric bicycle (e-bike) ownership in the capital region of Southern Vancouver Island through the development of a ZEV mobile demonstration unit;

  • $225,000 to Red River College in Winnipeg, Manitoba to research and distribute informational material on workplace EV charging;

  • $225,970 to the Green Learning Canada Foundation in Drayton Valley, Alberta, to support 65 youths in Alberta in developing a pilot education program that supports the electrification of transportation;

  • $238,900 to the New Brunswick Lung Association in Fredericton, New Brunswick, to promote the benefits of low-carbon commuting and address common misconceptions, as well as to build capacity among aligned organizations across Atlantic Canada with the objectives of increasing EV adoption in the region;

  • $250,000 to the City of Edmonton in Alberta to raise awareness of ZEVs and charging infrastructure by organizing tradeshows and workshops;

  • $291,030 to the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne in Quebec to execute Phase 1 of a multi-phased project that includes the installation and promotion of EV chargers; 

  • $297,270 to Hydro-Québec to promote the advantages of driving electric through various activities, events and workshops;

  • $299,902 to the Environmental Careers Organization of Canada in Calgary, Alberta, to engage rural, remote and Indigenous communities across Canada to inform, educate, and provide resources that will increase awareness, knowledge and confidence in ZEVs;

  • $300,000 to H2GO Canada Inc. in Toronto, Ontario, to target knowledge barriers to the adoption of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) among identified audience segments within commercial truck, transit bus and taxi/limo fleet operations; and

  • $300,000 to the Fondation québécoise d'éducation en sécurité routière in Laval, Quebec, to implement a single large event to raise EV awareness, and to educate and build public confidence in zero-emission vehicles.

EV Around the World 🌏

• President Biden, along with the US Department of Energy (DOE) have announced just under 3 billion in funding to support EV battery manufacturing and recycling. Specifically, the DOE plans to use the funds to further battery materials refining, production plants, and battery cell manufacturing facilities in addition to battery recycling.Previous to this announcement, the US Department of Energy, this time along the US Department of Transportation jointly announced nearly 5 billion to support a national electric vehicle charging network.With the latest announcement with a focus on EV batteries, the US Government acknowledges the dependency of lithium-ion batteries from China and is allocating funds to bring more manufacturing of lithium-ion batteries to the US.As reported by Electrek, by bringing EV battery manufacturing stateside, the US hopes to increase economic competitiveness in the global EV market and gain energy independence from the battery monopoly China currently operates. Furthermore, the overall manufacturing process will significantly shorten US supply chains and bring new clean energy jobs to US workers. US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm spoke:

• CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd) is STILL the largest battery manufacturer. SNE Research, based in South Korea has released a report that ranked the top 10 largest battery manufacturers based on electric vehicle-mounted batteries sold in 2021 in the world.CATL accounts for 32.6% of all EV batteries installed in 2021. The next closest competitor is LG Energy Solutions which makes up 20.3%.CATL has grown over 165% from 2020 to 2021 and has held the title of world’s largest battery manufacture for the 5th year in a row. CATL supplies EV batteries to Tesla, NIO, Volkswagen and will soon Fisker. CATL has also been developing sodium-ion battery cells and other battery technologies such as a an EV battery swap solution - EVOGO.

QuickEV

• Electric compost trucks are coming!

• [VIDEO] BMW iX VS Audi e-tron VS Mercedes EQC review.

• KTM to produce an E-Duke electric motorcycle.

• Toyota Patents Plans For EV With Manual Transmission And Clutch.

• [VIDEO] Tesla Gigafactory Texas 360-degree flight around Giga Texas!

• [VIDEO] Inside the Tesla Gigafactory.

• Ford Signs Top Tesla Engineer Alan Clarke To Boost EV Development.

• Smart #1 Is The Actual Name Of Brand's First Electric Crossover.

• [VIDEO] 11 Ways To Improve the Range of Your Tesla.

• Lexus unveils: Lexus Electrified with sleek looking models.

EV Meme of the Week