Tesla CEO says product rollout is tied to battery production and "we have to look further down the supply chain."

European lithium projects are making a fresh push for capital, eager to supply the white metal to a burgeoning network of battery manufacturers and electric vehicle makers across the continent, the world's second-largest EV market after China.

Mining consultancy firm Benchmark Minerals, which specializes in lithium-ion raw materials, has released a statement in response to the LME.

The lithium project, situated in Ganzi in western province of Sichuan, is expected to produce about 30,000 tonnes of lithium concentrate this year.

Lithium miners are seeing investor interest go up in smoke.

Nemaska Lithium Inc may issue new shares, take on new debt or sell assets as it hunts for fresh capital to build a lithium project in Quebec.

The company described a process that evokes the industry standard of using a series of evaporation ponds.

The country produced 96,053 tonnes of the white metal, which is used to make electric vehicle batteries, in 2018.