The proposal to classify the metal as a reproductive toxin could severely hurt Europe’s burgeoning EV industry, they argued.

Tesla is likely to lose its position as the dominant EV maker in the US to GM or Ford by 2025, says analyst John Murphy.

The group plans to pay 1.8 billion yuan ($269 million) for a 71% stake in a company mining for lithium in Hunan province.

Governor Gavin Newsom approved the tax as part of a must-pass state budget on Thursday.

Chief Executive Officer Herbert Diess called China the company’s “second home market” this week.

The brewing tension comes as America's largest state is trying to position itself as a leader in the green energy revolution.

China's biggest cobalt refiner acquired the hard-rock Arcadia lithium mine, just outside the capital Harare, for $422 million earlier this year.