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Stellantis invests more than $100 million in California lithium project

Stellantis said it would invest more than $100 million in California's Controlled Thermal Resources, its latest bet on the direct lithium extraction (DLE) sector amid the global hunt for new sources of the electric vehicle battery metal. The investment by the Chrysler and Jeep parent announced on Thursday comes as the green energy transition and U.S. Inflation Reduction Act have fueled concerns that supplies of lithium and other materials may fall short of strong demand forecasts. DLE technologies vary, but each aims to mechanically filter lithium from salty brine deposits and thus avoid the need for open pit mines or large evaporation ponds, the two most common but environmentally challenging ways to extract the battery metal. Stellantis, which has said half of its fleet will be electric by 2030, also agreed to nearly triple the amount of lithium it will buy from Controlled Thermal, boosting a previous order to 65,000 metric tons annually for at least 10 years, starting in 2027. "This is a significant investment and goes a long way toward developing this key project," Controlled Thermal CEO Rod Colwell said in an interview. The company plans to spend more than $1 billion to separate lithium from superhot geothermal brines extracted from beneath California's Salton Sea after flashing steam off those brines to spin turbines that will produce electricity starting next year. That renewable power is expected to cut the amount of carbon emitted during lithium production. Rival Berkshire Hathaway has struggled to produce lithium from the same area given large concentrations of silica in the brine that can form glass when cooled, clogging pipes. Colwell said a $65 million facility recently installed by Controlled Thermal can remove that silica and other unwanted metals. DLE equipment licensed from Koch Industries would then remove the lithium. "We're very happy with the equipment," he said. "We're going to deliver. There's just no doubt about it." Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares called the Controlled Thermal partnership "an important step in our care for our customers and our planet as we work to provide clean, safe and affordable mobility." Both companies declined to provide the specific investment amount. Controlled Thermal aims to obtain final permits by October and start construction of a commercial lithium plant soon thereafter, Colwell said. Goldman Sachs is leading the search for additional debt and equity financing, he added.

2015 Ram 1500 Rebel drops the crosshairs, muscles in with new snout

Emboldened by record sale and increasing market share, Ram continues to spin off derivatives of its fullsize pickup. Bowing at today's Detroit Auto Show, the 10th model based on Ram's 1500 series is the new-for-2015 Rebel, and it's designed to capture the affections of that exceedingly popular marketer's bogey, the "active lifestyle enthusiast." Ram officials figure they've already got the hunt/fish/camp crowd all sewn up with the 1500 Outdoorsman, so the Rebel's imposing snout strikes out in a different direction in search of extreme-sports types – namely customers with dirt bikes, side-by-sides, jet-skis and other powersports toys. If that has you envisioning the Rebel as a rival to the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, think again – "It's not an extreme, desert-racer off-road type product," says Ram boss Bob Hegbloom. If you're seeking an analog from another automaker, look to the Toyota Tundra TRD Pro and we think you'll be in the ballpark. The Rebel's most distinctive styling element has to be its radical new grain-finish grille, which does away with Ram's longstanding crosshair motif in favor of an interlocking design that intentionally won't be for everyone. There are lighting changes, too, with black-bucket headlamps featuring LED accents and matching LED foglights. A non-functional twin-snorkel sport hood, tonneau cover with stamped logo, blacked-out taillamps and unique badges are other model telltales. The Rebel (where have we heard that name before?) makes good use of Ram's air suspension system as an easy way to raise the ride height by an inch, which in turn affords inch-longer suspension travel and lends the truck a more formidable stance while helping clear the 33-inch (LT285/70R17E) Toyo Open Country A/T tires. Flares swiped from the 2500 Power Wagon keep the wider rubber mounted on Rebel-exclusive 17-inch wheels nicely – and legally – tucked in. Further off-road-minded modifications include a close-cropped steel front bumper that offers an improved arrival angle as well as 360-degree tow hooks and replaceable center skid plate. Out back, dual exhausts tuck up into the bumper and out of harm's way, but you might be too busy staring at the billboard-sized RAM tailgate lettering to notice. Ram officials assure us the Rebel's suspension has been recalibrated to cope with the higher ride height and better off-road ability (mostly through the inclusion of Bilstein monotube shocks, a softer rear anti-roll bar and reworked jounce bumpers).

Peugeot E-Boxer seems like it would make a nice electric Ram ProMaster

Though electric cars, and especially pickup trucks, are the hot zero-emissions battlefield, there's another sector that's heating up: commercial vans. Startups such as Rivian and Bollinger have announced plans for vans, and Ford has shown a prototype of an electric Transit. It seems Stellantis is slightly ahead of the curve, though, as it has revealed details of its electric vans with the Peugeot E-Boxer. And the reason you should care is that the E-Boxer and gas-powered Boxer are nearly identical to the American-market Ram ProMaster and Italian Fiat Ducato. Powering the E-Boxer is a single electric motor at the front. It's not particularly powerful with just 122 ponies, but it has a more respectable 192 pound-feet of torque. Top speed is limited to 68 mph, which would probably need to be raised if these vans were offered in the U.S. Supplying power is one of two available battery packs: The shorter models get a 37-kWh battery that is rated for 124 miles of range on the WLTP cycle; longer models get a 70-kWh battery rated by WLTP for 211 miles. Those numbers would likely be lower in American EPA testing. While the range isn't incredible, enormous range likely isn't as important for delivery vans that might operate locally. These vans also come with DC fast charging in case more range is needed quickly. Though not quick, the Peugeot E-Boxer doesn't sacrifice on practicality. No cargo space is sacrificed for the electric powertrain, so you can fit just as much into one as a similarly configured gas model. Payload capacity is comparable to the gas vans, even the V6 ProMaster, too, with a maximum of 4,167 pounds. This number does vary based on configuration, just like cargo space. Peugeot will offer it in four different lengths with three roof heights as well as chassis and cutaway cab models. So it's just as configurable as the regular version. With some adjustment to how quick the E-Boxer can go, it would seem like it could be offered in the U.S. and beat some competitors to the punch. It's all built on the existing Ram ProMaster platform that we get here. And electric power would seem appealing to businesses that need delivery vans: lower fuel and maintenance costs. Time will tell if Stellantis sees things the same way. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2018 Volkswagen California Review