Gold in Africa: Volta confirms wide gold mineralization, including higher grade intercepts, at its Kiaka Gold Project in Burkina Faso VTR.v, SGC.v, GG

Gold, Lithium, REE and Twelve Trillion in Debt - Macro View on Micro Caps

Volta Resources is up today 85% on its confirmation of wide gold mineralisation at Kiaka Gold project.

Volta confirms wide gold mineralization, including higher grade intercepts, at its Kiaka Gold Project in Burkina Faso

Press Release Source: Volta Resources Inc. On Wednesday December 16, 2009, 9:52 am EST
-Volta intersects 136m (at) 1.66g/t on the KMZ Zone at Kiaka-
TSX: VTRTORONTO, Dec. 16 /CNW/ - Volta Resources Inc. ("Volta" or the "Company") (TSX: VTR - News) announces the results from the first 3 holes completed on it's Kiaka Gold Project, located approximately 120 kilometres southeast of Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso. Volta acquired the property from Randgold Resources, with the transaction being approved by shareholders on November 13th, 2009. The company commenced an aggressive drilling program comprising more than 150 holes for over 22,000 metres on November 22nd, 2009 (see Figure 1 - http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AqxLv09KWSJHKLmcgo7Vp9.vcq9_;_ylu=X3oDMTE2bGlvMTc4BHBvcwMzBHNlYwNuZXdzYXJzdGFydARzbGsDaHR0cGZpbGVzbmV3/SIG=11l9122k3/**http%3A//files.newswire.ca/407/Volta_Resources.pdf). Volta intends to complete the program by the end of April 2010 and to finalize a National Instrument 43-101 ("NI43-101") compliant resource before the end of June 2010. To date, 9 holes have been completed.
The results for the first 3 holes drilled on Section 5250N have already been received from ALS Chemex Laboratories in Ouagadougou. The highlights include:

Table

Kevin Bullock, Volta's President and CEO, said, "These first impressively wide intersections clearly support Kiaka's historical potential outlined by Randgold. More importantly, they bode well for Volta's decision to aggressively focus on Kiaka as its premier development project."
Vic King, Volta's COO, said, "The results from Volta's infill drillholes confirm the impressive width of the KMZ zone, previously defined by Randgold on the same section in holes KDH05 and KDH14. More importantly, Volta's closer drill spacing has better defined the continuity on the section of discrete higher grade zones. These were initially observed during Volta's due diligence review of the project. Our logging has confirmed that the higher grade zones can be broadly correlated with brittle-ductile deformation, a strong secondary structural fabric and a distinct alteration assemblage. These relationships will facilitate confidently tracking these higher grade zones from section to section, thereby improving geological modeling and resource estimation, with positive implications for improving overall project economics."
Volta's current drill program will test 1,200m strike of the 2,800m long KMZ zone and 500m of the 700m long KHZ zone. The program will infill and extend drilling such that the KMZ zone is drilled to 50m x 50m spacing from surface to a 150m depth and 100m x 50m from 150m to 200m depth. On the narrower KHZ zone, drill spacing will be 50m x 50m from surface to a 100m depth and 100m x 50m from 100m to 150m. Planning and optimization of the drill program was undertaken with input from SRK Consulting (UK) to ensure that the delivery of the independent resource consultant's NI 43-101 compliant resource is delivered as efficiently as possible.
In order to appreciate the extent and geometry of the mineralization on the 5250N section, the results for the three Volta holes and two of Randgold's holes are highlighted in the Table1 below and on the section (see Figure 2 - http://files.newswire.ca/407/Volta_Resources.pdf). Analyses of the Volta samples were undertaken by fire assay on a 50g charge at ALS Chemex Laboratories in Ouagadougou. Both Volta and Randgold sampling and assay procedures included QA/QC elements that employed the inclusion of certified standards and blanks.
The intersections listed in the Table 1 below are based on a 0.3 g/t gold cut-off with maximum internal dilution of 5m for the lower grade mineralization envelope. In order to highlight the continuity of the high grade zone, a 0.8 g/t gold cut-off with maximum internal dilution of 2m has been used. Details of the drilling are provided in

Table 2.

EVs mass market: Daimler Plans Electric Smart Car for China TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, ROC, FMC, AVl.to, RES.v, CCE.v, QUC.v, HEV, F

Daimler is moving with Smart Electric into China - it is where the real mass market for Electric cars will happen according to our estimations. We are not sure how Daimler is going to compete with vast domestic competition. Brand and safety will be on the Smart side, but price vise they will be under heavy pressure. In any case, news are very encouraging as Smart is on sale from this month in Europe. Smart Electric car has a 14 kWh lithium-ion battery and 100 km range. In Germany we were told that the cost of electricity to drive 100km will be 2 euro. It must be much cheaper in China. A lot of Chinese producers are claiming range for their electric cars exceeding 150 or even 200 km per charge - it will be interesting to verify this information by independent tests.

WSJ:

"Daimler Plans Electric Smart Car for China

By PATRICIA JIAYI HO AND NORIHIKO SHIROUZU
BEIJING -- Daimler AG plans to start a pilot program for an electric version of its Smart minicar in China next year, joining a growing list of firms evaluating the potential for next-generation clean-energy vehicles in the world's biggest automobile market.
Daimler is currently considering which cities to test the cars in, said Ulrich Walker, chairman of Daimler Northeast Asia, in a year-end briefing with reporters. "We have to see the acceptance of this car," he said.
The move follows an announcement by the central government last week that it will subsidize private purchases of alternative-energy vehicles in five cities.
Chinese auto makers such as BYD Co., which plans to market all-electric battery cars and other clean-energy cars, say government subsidies are key if pricey alternative-energy vehicles are to be feasible in China on a large scale for consumers and producers.
The German auto maker's move highlights the potential it sees in China for all-electric and other new-energy cars. "We think there are opportunities for electric [vehicles] in China and we are exploring opportunities," Beijing-based spokesman Trevor Hale said.
Daimler's Mercedes-Benz unit currently sells the S400 Hybrid in China, which is based on conventional hybrid technology. Electric vehicles and plug-in cars use newer technology that allows vehicles to be driven exclusively or primarily on electricity.
Nissan Motor Co. said in November it plans to test-market its Leaf electric in China in 2011 by making it available to government agencies and other fleet customers in the city of Wuhan.
General Motors Co. intends to launch the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle Chevrolet Volt in China, starting in 2011. The Volt is powered by lithium-ion batteries and is supplemented by a gasoline engine.
Toyota Motor Corp. has also said it will likely test-market a plug-in hybrid in China.
Meanwhile, Daimler said more Mercedes-Benz buyers are turning to financing rather than cash for their purchases, perhaps reflecting a slowly growing acceptance of credit use. Mr. Walker said Mercedes-Benz's financing portfolio for retail customers and dealerships in China has doubled to 4 billion yuan ($586 million) from the end of 2008.
About 12.5% of Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold in China were bought on credit, as opposed to cash, Mr. Walker said, without giving last year's rate. In smaller cities, financing rates were as high as 30%, he said. Those rates are still relatively low and compare to 50% in the U.S. and Europe, according to the company.
Daimler received regulatory approval to offer vehicle leases in February, but Chinese customers have been slow to embrace the concept, Mr. Walker said.
Mr. Hale said Mercedes-Benz expects its sales in China next year to be "much better" than the overall market's estimated 15%-20% growth. Mercedes-Benz sales in China in the January-November period rose 68% to 59,150 units."

Lithium and REE: WSJ - The Surge in Electric Cars TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, CCE.v, RES.v, QUC.v, HEV, AONE, NSANY

Fisker Karma Sunset

The main message from teaser above - Fisker Karma Sunset is that you can chose to be Electric and do not have to slow down. Electric cars are here, they are Cool and ready to go. In order to be Green and stay Cool you do not have to sacrifice on design, power or experience "Range Anxiety", in couple of years down the road you will have plenty to chose from and they are coming on the roads already now. WSJ is taking the story to the investment mainstream and next idea will be how to capitalise on this Trend.

Electric Cars: Why? When? and How?

Tesla S

WSJ:
The Surge in Electric Cars

Why should anyone buy an electric car? That's going to be a critical question for the auto industry—and the best answer may not be "Because they're green."
WSJ Editor Joseph B. White takes Tesla Motors' all-electric 2010 Roadster for a drive and finds it's a sporty "green" car that packs a punch.
The Obama administration is committing billions of your money to the proposition that electric cars can become a meaningful segment in the U.S. market over the next few years. Faith in the future of such vehicles—which run all or in part on electricity straight from the grid—has waxed and waned many times over the past century, ever since the earliest electric cars were run off the American road by cheaper, more-powerful, more-versatile gasoline-fueled cars.
We're in one of the waxing phases now, and a big reason why is Tesla Motors Inc.
Based in Silicon Valley, Tesla has been offering its all-electric Roadsters for nearly two years and is still the only company selling highway-capable electric vehicles to consumers in volume. That will likely change next year when Nissan Motor Co. launches the Leaf, which is a full-electric, moderately priced family car. Other electric-car offerings are in the wings, including a model from Ford Motor Co. and cars from other startups, such as Coda Automotive.

Nissan Leaf

Late in 2010, General Motors Co. plans to launch the Chevrolet Volt, a car the government-controlled auto maker is now promoting not as a "hybrid" but as an "electric vehicle with extended range capability." The Volt uses a small gasoline engine to recharge its batteries after the first 40 miles of all-electric travel.
Besides the Volt, there will be other partially electric cars hitting the market. Toyota Motor Corp. has said it will offer a "plug-in" version of its Prius hybrid by 2011. Owners will be able to recharge the car's batteries by plugging it into a wall socket or a recharging station, allowing it to go further on electric power alone. Conventional gas-electric hybrid cars use a combination of battery power and fossil fuels, which proponents say overcomes one of the big objections to all-electric vehicles: Namely, that if you run out of juice, you could be stranded.
Driving a Tesla Roadstar Sports model—which I did recently on an extended test drive—is like driving a plus-size go-kart. Some of the Tesla's basic underpinnings are adapted from a Lotus Elise sports car. The steering is stiff. The suspension is jittery on rough pavement. There's gobs of wind noise, and hitting a pothole causes the car's carbon-fiber composite body to shake, rattle and roll. But you can have enormous fun within the legal speed limit as you whoosh around unsuspecting Camry drivers, zapping from 40 to 60 miles per hour in two seconds while the startled victims eat your electric dust.
Tesla says it became profitable earlier this year, but it's being buoyed by a $465 million loan from the U.S. Department of Energy awarded to help develop a seven-passenger electric sedan. The company says it will be assembled in the U.S. and sell for about $49,900, after federal tax credits.

GM Volt

For now, Tesla's sole product is the $109,000 sticker-price Tesla Roadster, or $101,500 after federal tax credits. The Roadster Sport edition costs an extra $19,500. Some states offer additional consumer tax breaks for buying an electric car, topping out as much as $42,000 in Colorado. Still, the Tesla Roadster Sport is a product for an elite few.
The Leaf and the Volt are expected to be more moderately priced. Nissan says the Leaf will cost "in the range of other typical family sedans." The Volt is expected to carry a price tag somewhere in the $40,000 range—which makes this Chevy comparable on a price basis to a luxury car such as a BMW 3 Series sedan. In the world of electric cars, that's "affordable."
The Leaf and the Volt have so far been promoted mainly as environmentally correct, advanced-technology vehicles. The Volt has become a symbol of GM's effort at corporate revival following its bankruptcy earlier this year. The Leaf is a product of Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn's determination to show that Nissan can be a clean-car-technology leader, driving out of rival Toyota Motor's shadow. In promoting the Leaf, Nissan has focused on the fact that it is a "zero emission" vehicle—a traditional environmental pitch.
The Tesla approach incorporates all the green jargon. But there's more. The 2010 Tesla Roadster Sport takes the original Tesla's high-performance drive system to the next level. The regular 2010 Roadster claims a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds; the Sport will get to 60 mph 0.2 seconds faster. It also offers other refinements from the previous model. You get fast-looking forged wheels, a retro-modern push-button transmission with a "valet" mode that caps the car's top speed, preventing a parking attendant from rat-racing your baby while you are playing golf. (Some of you will know it as the "Ferris Bueller" switch.)
Oh yes, and there's now a glove box in the dashboard. It's very tiny. You could fit a pair of gloves in there.
Interior space in the Tesla Roadster Sport is adequate—if your frame of reference is a race car. I am of average weight and height, which is to say I'm a bit short and I could lose a few pounds. My driving partner was a colleague who could play Abe Lincoln if he grew a beard and bought a top hat. He fit in the car. Barely. I had plenty of headroom, but I would have to lose an inch or two of personal width to feel really comfortable.
These concerns became irrelevant when we got out on the 395 freeway in downtown Washington and hit the gas pedal—pardon me, the power pedal—to get around a slowpoke. I was used to driving a turbo-charged car that delivered a lot of boost in the 30-to-50 mph speed band. The Tesla put my Subaru WRX to shame.
Tari Cash, Tesla's Washington-area sales representative, says she has taken orders for 27 Roadsters. Some of the buyers are environmentally conscious. Most, she says, are car enthusiasts who want the New Thing.

The revelation of driving the Tesla is that electric cars make really fun toys. The Tesla uses electric motors and software instead of pistons and displacement to generate its super-torquey, race-car performance. But behind the wheel, you don't miss the gasoline.
Fast acceleration and big helpings of torque are characteristics of electric motors, which deliver all their pulling power right away. "Tesla proves electric cars are going to be a blast to drive," says IHS Global Insight analyst Aaron Bragman, who calls the Chevy Volt "a rocket ship." But he says it's important to temper the current enthusiasm for electric cars. Widespread adoption still confronts big obstacles, such as the lack of public recharging stations, the still-limited range compared with gasoline or diesel vehicles, and the cost. These issues could take another decade to resolve.
Still, promoting electric vehicles as hot rods could be the key to making "alternative" cars mainstream. For 30 years or more, environmentalists have called on us to eschew excess, slow down and leave a smaller footprint. Many Americans pay lip service to this ideal, but most don't choose to live it.
The Tesla turns the frugal environmentalist aesthetic on its head. Sure, it doesn't burn petroleum, and if plugged into a wind turbine or a nuclear plant, it would be a very low-carbon machine. But anyone who buys one will get the most satisfaction from smoking someone's doors off. The Tesla's message is that "green" technology can appeal to the id, not just the superego."

TNR Gold: "Imminent Breakout - It doesn't take a master chart technician to see that" TNR.v, CZX.v, MAI.to, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, F

"Imminent breakout

It doesn't take a master chart technician to see that TNR is completing a multi-month pennant consolidation. We are only days from a breakout of the trading range. Gird your loins, gentlemen."

Interesting people are coming into TNR Gold TNR.v camp now. Gabriel Gray is a long standing shareholder of Minera Andes MAI.to and writes frequently on Gold, economics and investing in junior mining sector. His observations are always very insightful and provide guidance to a lot of shareholders seeking for a sober attitude to life and sound analyses of unfolding economic situation.

Our Macro View on Micro Caps lined up his Technical observations with fundamental picture in Gold and Lithium sector, where juniors are due to finish the consolidation stage.

Please do not forget, that nothing should be taken on this blog as an investment advise and/or solicitation to buy or sell any particular stock.

Electric Cars: Danish prince drives Electric Fisker to Copenhagen TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, RES.v, AVL.to, CCE.v, QUC.v,

This is our Ultimate Electric Car marketing tool in action, this time with HRH Frederik.

"This is what we call the "Cool Factor", it is above and below. It is bold, streamlined and ready to take off. It is your statement about your values. It is not Cheap in any sense and it is a way to go, at least for us - this is what we would like to have on a drive way. Did we mention that it is Electric Hard Hybrid with lithium-ion battery? We did, hundred times already - Electric cars are not Vacuum Cleaners with wheels any more. They are piece of art and coming in numbers. Karma Fisker is an ultimate marketing tool for Electric Revolution to happen. Money in Lithium and REE will be made with EV's mass market saturated with Nissans, Renaults, BYDs and Revas. Mass market wild fire will be started by Cars like Karma."


New Car Net:
Danish prince drives Fisker to Copenhagen

The Crown Prince of Denmark is on his way to the COP15 UN Climate Conference events in Copenhagen driving a Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid car.
The prototype saloon, developed by American automaker Fisker Automotive, can travel 50 miles emission-free on a single charge of its Lithium-ion battery.The Karma can travel an additional 250 miles on a range extending generator turned by an efficient four cylinder petrol engine. Economy is 2.4L/100km and emissions of just 83g/km CO2 - better than today's best hybrids. Still, the Karma can reach 62mph in about 6 seconds and exceed 125mph.HRH Prince Frederik is due to arrive in the Fisker Karma at the Hopenhagen event at Raadhuspladsen around 4pm."

Expert: Lithium Ion Batteries Will Help Hybrids More Than Electric Cars TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, CCE.v, QUC.v, F

We have a different view on the market perspective for full Electric Cars BEV, Plug-In Hybrids PHEV and Hybrids HEV, but here we have an important confirmation from a very conservative angle on development of EVs' market, that battery technology is migrating into Lithium-ion space even in Hybrid sector.

HybridCars:

Expert: Lithium Ion Batteries Will Help Hybrids More Than Electric Cars
Published December 14, 2009

It’s commonly reported that lithium ion batteries will usher in a new era of electric cars and plug-in hybrids. Not exactly, says John German, the engineer who literally wrote (or at least edited) the book about hybrid cars for the Society of Automotive Engineers. After 11 years at Honda, German now serves as a senior fellow for the International Council for Clean Transportation. In an interview with HybridCars.com, German said the next wave of lithium ion batteries will not significantly reduce the cost of electric cars, but they could make conventional hybrids ubiquitous.
In German’s view, the chief benefit of new lithium ion batteries is their greatly enhanced power capabilities—the rate at which energy can go in and out of the battery. “But they don’t store any more energy than the current lithium ion batteries do,” said German, “What we are looking at is a battery which is perfect for conventional hybrids.”
HybridCars.com: Why will the new breed of lithium ion batteries be a bigger benefit to conventional hybrids rather than plug-in hybrids and electric cars?
German: The next generation of lithium ion batteries will reduce the cost of the battery pack for conventional hybrids, but they’re not going to reduce the cost of the battery pack for plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. In effect, these batteries will increase the cost differential between conventional hybrids and plug-in hybrids. That’s why they’re not going to create a plug-in hybrid market, because they’re actually going to make it harder for plug-in hybrids to compete with conventional hybrids.
Walk me through the energy and power requirements for the two different categories of vehicles.
For plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, it’s all about the range. You need a certain amount of energy to drive a certain distance [before needing to recharge]. That’s independent of the battery chemistry. If the new lithium ion chemistry doesn’t store any more energy than your old lithium ion chemistry, then you need just as much battery to drive that distance.
And with conventional hybrids, you don’t need nearly as much energy.
The battery packs in all existing hybrids, up until the new BMW ActiveHybrid 7, are oversized. The reason they’re oversized is that with nickel metal hydride [the technology used in today’s hybrids], you’re limited in how fast you can take energy in and out of a battery without causing significant deterioration. So these batteries are not sized for the energy [storage] requirements. They are sized for the power requirements, so they can deliver enough power without significant deterioration. As a consequence, they hold a lot more energy than they really need to.
With the new high-power lithium ion batteries, they can cut them down to their actual energy requirements and still get all the power they need.
So, with the new lithium ion batteries, the difference in cost between conventional hybrids and gas-powered vehicles could come in line?
In another 10 to 15 years, we should be at the point where the mainstream customer, the average customer, will accept the cost of a hybrid system.
Meaning, maybe a couple of hundred dollars more than a conventional car?
Well, $1,000 to $1,500 more. There’s enough benefit for mainstream customers to accept it.
How rapid will the transition from nickel metal hydride to lithium ion batteries be for conventional hybrids?
It’s a function of sales volume. The current generation of lithium ion batteries is not any cheaper than nickel metal hydride. And they’re not proven. With a lot of the lithium ion chemistries, just sitting and doing nothing in hot weather will degrade the battery pack. The batteries will not last as long in Phoenix as Minneapolis. There’s risk with durability and reliability.
In lower volume applications, new hybrids just coming out, carmakers know they’re not going to be able to capture larger market share right away. So they’re going to be lithium ion batteries starting tomorrow [See Mercedes S400 Hybrid and BMW ActiveHybrid 7]. You don’t have a large volume, so your risk is minimized and you’ve gained experience. It’s going to be cheaper in the long run, and you want to gain experience. So, you’ll see very few new hybrids using nickel metal hydride.
The problem is with high volume existing hybrids. When you’re selling hundreds of thousands of Priuses globally every year, if you encounter something wrong with the lithium ion battery pack, your exposure is enormous. The high volume hybrid applications are going to go to lithium ion last. But even the high volume ones will get there by 2015 or so.
What’s your feeling about the cost per kilowatt-hour of lithium ion batteries? What are they now and where do they need to be?
I thought they were $1,000 per kilowatt-hour, but I’m hearing that it may be more like $700. It’s hard to determine the long-term price potential. They shouldn’t have much trouble getting down to about $320 per kilowatt-hour. It’s going to take a while, but with higher volumes and better production methods, $320 is achievable in the 2018 to 2020 time frame.
The real question is how low can you drive it. I’ve seen some people suggest that the lowest could be $250 to maybe $175.
At $250, doesn’t mean that plug-in cars become affordable?
No. At $250 per kilowatt-hour, the pay back is roughly similar to the hybrid vehicles of about five years ago. So there’s your market, about 3 percent.
If lithium ion batteries bring the plug-in market to 2 or 3 percent, where will conventional hybrids go?
I’ll stick my neck out and say that by sometime around 2025 or 2030, conventional hybrids will be over 70 percent of the market.
And a fairly steady ramp up from now until then?
Yes. It will be a curve. Something like a doubling of hybrid sales every three to five years. There’s no doubt in my mind that by 2030 that hybrids will be in more than half the vehicles sold in the US. I would be astounded if they weren’t. By 2020, I would say we’d be somewhere in the 10 - 15 percent range.
And President Obama’s goal for 1 million plug-in hybrids by 2015?
Not a chance."

Toyota to Sell Plug-In Hybrid with Lithium-ion battery in 2011 TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, RES.v, CCE.v, QUC.v, F

Now we have Toyota in our Lithium camp and it is very important for our Macro View on Micro Caps:

"It is a very important news for our Lithium Demand model. Plug-In Hybrid above is promised in 2010 with Lithium-ion battery, now Toyota announces that new bigger Prius will be with lithium-ion battery in late 2010. Our discussions at Frankfurt Motor Show 2009 now officially confirmed: that all advanced Hybrids and all BEV are using lithium batteries. Salman Partners have recently put an investment Metals Morning Note where they pronounced "Lithium comeback"

The New York Times:

Toyota to Sell Plug-In Hybrid in 2011

By HIROKO TABUCHI
Published: December 14, 2009
Toyota Motor said Monday that it planned a widespread release of its plug-in hybrid car in 2011 as the company scrambled to gain the upper hand in an increasingly crowded battle over next-generation “green” technology.
Kimimasa Mayama/Bloomberg News
Takeshi Uchiyamada, vice president of Toyota, demonstrated how to charge the battery of the Prius plug-in hybrid in Tokyo on Monday.

Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, dominates the current generation of gas-electric hybrid vehicles, but it has refrained from rushing lower-emission cars like the plug-in hybrid to market. Instead, Toyota has focused on plans to introduce regular hybrid technology to all its models by 2020.
But Toyota’s rivals are surging ahead. General Motors plans to build as many as 60,000 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrids a year, starting in late 2010. Other automakers, including Ford and Volkswagen, have announced their own plug-in models, and Nissan plans to mass-produce a fully electric car in 2010.
Toyota is now increasing its pace. “Several tens of thousands” of the plug-in version of its Prius hybrid will go on sale in 2011, the automaker said Monday. A small number of the plug-in models will be available for lease later this month as planned, but those will be limited to government and corporate clients in the United States, Europe and Japan.
Takeshi Uchiyamada, Toyota’s executive vice president, said in Tokyo that the company was waiting until 2011 to begin sales so it could hear feedback from users during the leasing period. The plug-ins would carry an “affordable” price tag, he said, without giving an estimate. Prices for a regular Prius hybrid with no plug-in function start at $22,400 in the United States.
The plug-in Prius would be the first from Toyota to use the powerful lithium-ion battery already used by many of its rivals. The car travels 23.4 kilometers, or 14.5 miles, as an electric vehicle on a single charge before a regular gas-electric hybrid system kicks in. It gets an overall mileage of 57 kilometers a liter, or 134 miles per gallon — exceeding the Prius’s 38 kilometers a liter, according to Toyota.
The plug-in Prius would charge in about 100 minutes and halve the running cost of traveling 30 kilometers in comparison with a regular Prius if recharged at night, when electricity costs are often lower, Toyota said.
The automaker says it also plans to sell a pure electric “urban commuter” vehicle in 2012 that would run on lithium-ion batteries.
But Toyota is not a vocal advocate of cars powered primarily by batteries — partly because it first wants to reap the full benefits of its heavy investment in its hybrid technology. Regular hybrid systems are still the company’s main green technology, Toyota executives stress.
Executives point to a number of constraints for electric vehicles: short range and feeble horsepower, lack of infrastructure like recharging stations, long charging times and the burden the cars could place on the electric grid. All-electric vehicles, in particular, are suitable only for short city runs, they say.
“We have been working on developing efficient powertrains to be able to use oil as efficiently as possible,” Mr. Uchiyamada told the Associated Press on Monday. “Many hurdles remain for alternative fuels.”
Industry experts are split on just how quickly the auto industry will shift to regular hybrids and plug-ins — and ultimately to zero-emissions vehicles like pure electric or even fuel cell-powered cars. Much will depend on the price of oil, as well as emissions standards set by governments, they say.
The uncertainty over the future mix of technologies is forcing carmakers to hedge their bets with various kinds of technology. That means that, for the time being, manufacturers could “struggle to achieve the required scale economies to cover high up-front investment costs,” Clive Wiggins, an auto analyst for Macquarie Bank based in Tokyo, said in a recent note.
Heavy development costs could weigh on the bottom line of automakers already dealing with the fallout of the global economic crisis. Toyota predicts a loss of ¥200 billion, or $2.26 billion, for the fiscal year ending in March, following a record ¥437 billion loss last year.
Mr. Wiggins said he was “cautious on the infrastructure constraints and costs involved” with plug-ins and electric vehicles. Eco-friendly vehicles could log sales of 11.2 million units in 2020, or 12 percent of total auto sales, from 0.8 million in 2009, with the majority of those sales coming from regular hybrids, he predicted.
Others predict that plug-ins and electric vehicles will be “game-changers” that will allow rivals or even newcomers to leapfrog the industry leaders like Toyota.
The Nissan chief executives, Carlos Ghosn, has said that pure electric cars will make up at least 10 percent of global demand by 2020, assuming oil costs more than $70 a barrel.
To address some constraints on its electric vehicle, the company is readying a lithium-ion battery that will power a car for 300 kilometers on a single charge, about twice the distance currently possible, Japan’s largest business daily, The Nikkei, reported last month, without identifying its source.
With a technological leap of that magnitude, and with rising concerns over global warming, consumers could rapidly shift from gasoline cars and hybrids to zero-emissions technology, said Hiroshi Shimizu, an environmental studies professor at Keio University in Tokyo and an electric car advocate.
’“When the market decides on what technology will be dominant,” Mr. Shimizu said, “carmakers better be ready, or ready to fall out of the race.”

Gold, Lithium, REE and Twelve Trillion in Debt - Macro View on Micro Caps. TNR.v, CZX.v, BVG.v, SGC.v, RMK.v, AMM.to, ASM.v, MAX.v, RVM.to, KTN.v,

Our Gold Bull market is intact after recent short term Sell signal and will consolidate before next Leg Up. Retest of 1000 USD/oz break out level is possible, but do not bet on it.

This is the Treasury Bubble Burst we were writing about from last year.

This is the world's largest Lithium producer SQM with only part of its revenue from the Lithium.

CS. Debt of the United States has surpassed Twelve Trillion a few days ago - it is time to put a few lines about destiny of US Dollar, Gold and pockets of Growth. This debt, which is so dangerously close to be a 100% of GDP is a small shadow of U.S. total obligations which could be as high as 114 Trillion dollars.

Recently we gave a Signal:

"We promised to give you an update on Gold Big Picture. First of all we will refer to the Chart above and will tell you that we see a Sell signal short term in the making."

Gold is in a healthy correction now: our Sell signal is confirmed. Things are not rising parabolically, if it is not the last phase of the Gold Bull. We do not think so and now it is time to buy and accumulate positions again. Gold could retest strong support of previous consolidation pattern at around 1000 USD/oz to throw you the number, but do not trade it if you do not have to.

Jim Puplava is talking this week about Gold doubling from here and Mr Gold Corp - Rob McEwen still throws his 5000 figure and makes a Junior Gold mining index. We are in agreement that it is time to rotate into Junior mining sector. After this consolidation, once investment public will realise that Gold will stay above 1000 USD/oz and it was not a final blip, money will go into Juniors, which still lack as a sector previous excitement of Bull Legs Up. Silver moves will be more dramatic, as usual, with double drivers of Inflation and Commodity High Tech Recovery play.

Economy is not rosy at all, but it is our ticket to the Growth. There is always Bull market somewhere. Debts could be only inflated away, do not bet on the Green Fellow - that this counter rally is for real. Orderly decline for Us Dollar is the name of the game.

Gold recent top coincided with Chinese calling for a Gold Bubble - they will be the buyers and keep it above 1000 USD/oz in a few months from now. Central banks become a Buyers in the Gold market with China, India and Russia now increasing positions. It will be the new driver.

For US Dollar to sustain any meaningful rally now means a strict monetary policy and rising rates to curb coming inflation. With elections in 2010, Job picture and real state of economy - it is not possible. We do not expect now Crash in stock markets either - system will not survive another Stress Test like last year, financial system is still insolvent as U.S. itself - if all obligations will be called now - they will never be met. Economy will be in this quazy living state for years to come unless there will be a default as Mark Faber tells us or shock from mortgage mess and derivative losses will be inflated away, taxed and absorbed by the system, as we think. We will live during Kondratieff Winter and will be waiting for the Spring. Any thought about Double Dip will be met with sound of printing press and Quantitative Easing full scale. Stimulus package was in the total amount close to 1.2 Trillion (Jim Puplava) and now Obama talks if not about Second stimulus package, but about Jobs Creation Program.

It is not us: political life is cynical - voters in their majority do not travel to Paris for a weekend and do not hold Gold, be it in physical form or in shares of Majors or Juniors. They will not notice, or complain for that matter, that price of French croissant with morning coffee doubled in US Dollar terms, but they will be not happy with closing schools, lost jobs or refused medical care. They will not be happy with oil above 100 USD/barrel and will freeze to death during Kondratieff Winter with oil above 200 USD/barrel as some analysts are suggesting.

Here we should talk about one Macro Event, which will be crucial for all our Micro Caps, we are writing here about: Burst of the Treasury Bubble. Governments, Institutions and people are holding them now exactly for the wrong reason: To Be Safe. It was important last year, when everybody moved into Treasuries for safety to eliminate Agency problem with collapsing banks, now when all governments back stop banking system Elvis moment for Treasuries is gone.

According to Jim Puplava next year U.S. Treasury will have to roll out 2 Trillion dollars of debt in maturity and finance another estimated 2 Trillion dollars of budget deficit in 2010. When more and more paper is coming into the market, prices are going down. Puru Saxena talks with Jim Puplava this week about FED buying 82-85% of all newly issued treasuries - we do not know, but will not be surprised. Once Treasury market Bubble will start bursting, where all these money will go?

Inflation is a function of printing press, credit expansion. Higher prices will come as a result of created money chasing the same amount of goods. Here is our Gold and Silver play as a store of value.

If these liquidity flood will find its ways into one tiny, but very important sector with Trend starting factors in place we will have our Elvis moment there. It will be pockets of Growth and magic word here is "Low Base". Growth from this place is Explosive by definition. We call it Next Big Thing - Bull market, when "Cool Factor" is multiplied by "Big If".

Tiny sector is Lithium and REE, Trend is Electric Cars and "Low Base" - there is no mass market for them yet, but they are ready and going into production (picture gallery Cool Electric Cars). We will throw few words and couple of figures to get you started:

Words: China, Oil, Jobs (for that unhappy guy at the pump with oil over 100 bucks)

Figures: 2.4 billion cars in the future - UN estimation, from today's 600 million, 12 cent is the cost of mile on gas vs 2.5 cent for Electric Car, 80 percent of Americans do not travel more then 40 miles per day.

Electric cars: Why? When? and How?

We have promised you: Gold, Lithium, REE and Twelve Trillion in Debt - Macro View on Micro Caps - we are almost there.

Just a few more numbers to get you focus Macro into Micro:

114,000,000,000,000 Total US Governmet Obligations

57,000,000,000,000 Total market cap of all world traded companies, May 2008.

12,092,672,900,402 Total US public Debt Outstanding

4,000,000,000,000 To be financed by selling Treasuries next year.

600,000,000,000 Payments for oil by U.S. to foreign companies in 2008.

265,040,000,000 Microsoft Market Cap

220,000,000,000 Philadelphia Gold and Silver Index

208,230,000,000 Walmart Market Cap

190,000,000,000 Amex Gold BUGS (Basket of Unhedged Gold Stocks) Index

10,390,000,000 The world's largest lithium producer Market Cap, SQM

800,000,000 Lithium Carbonate Market annual sales.

190,000,000 Market Cap of Top 5 Canadian Lithium exploration companies.

2.2% Yield on 5 Year Treasury Note

More then 50% of U.S. Debt is now in the hands of the foreigners.

Electric cars: Oil's Going To $225 By 2012, Says Analyst TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, AVL.to, RES.v, CCE.v, QUC.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, HEV, AONE

We will not bet on this particular prediction, but now you can get the feeling: why guys like Fedex are voting for Electrification and, by the way, electric cars are here already (picture gallery).

SAI

Oil's Going To $225 By 2012, Says Analyst

Canada's LeaderPost has an excellent article about the coming oil price surge and the need for uber-aggressive efficiency projects.
LeaderPost.com:
Chinese consumers are buying more than a million cars a month -- and in India when the US$2,500 Nano went on sale, more than 200,000 were ordered in the first two weeks. Adding millions of cars a month to roads will inevitably drive up oil prices.
Jeff Rubin, the former chief economist for CIBC World Markets, predicts that the price of oil will rise to US$225 a barrel by 2012. For readers who dismiss Rubin, think about this:We are in the midst of the biggest recession since the Great Depression and oil has already risen above US$80 a barrel. In 2003, few pundits would have thought US$80 oil was possible. (And Rubin's past predictions have proven deadly accurate: In 2006, he predicted oil would hit US$150 a barrel in 2008.)"

Electric Cars are Cool and They are Ready to Go TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, RES.v, CCE.v, QUC.v, HEV, AONE, VLNC,

Obama just loves all Electric and stays Cool himself, could we also stop to be cynical and truly endorse the "Feel Good Investment Play" for real?

"We will give another "Big IF" today - what if people will decide that it is just Cool not to kill environment any more?"

Regarding Electric Cars - They are Cool and Ready to Go.

Fisker Karma

Electric Cars: Why? When? and How?

We have put together here all known to us at the moment EVs and Hard Hybrids announced by automakers, we excluded all Soft Hybrids known to us.

We will adjust our Lithium Demand model accordingly.

We have put Chinese Electric Cars together as it is still difficult to verify the information.

Fisker Karma

Fisker Karma Sunset

Fisker Karma

Fisker Karma Sunset

Tesla S

Tesla S

Tesla S

Tesla Roadster

Docking XD

Audi e-Tron

Blue Maruti EV

BMW Hybrid

BMW Hybrid

BMW Hybrid X6

BMW EV

BMW Mini EV

Cadillac Converj

Citroen Revolte

Citroen C1

Detroit Electric

Coda Electric

Subaru EV

FIAT e500 Beach Buggy

FIAT EV

FIAT e500 EV

FIAT Palio Weekend Electrico

Ford Focus EV

GM Volt

Honda EV

Honda P-NUT

Huyndai Metro

Huyndai Hybrid

Hyundai i10

Mitsubishi i-MiEV

Mitsubishi i-MiEV Sport

Jaguar Hybrid

KIA Hybrid

Maya 300 Electrovaya

Mercedes Blue Zero

Nissan Nuvu

Nissan Land Glider

Nissan Cube EV

Nissan EV

Nissan Leaf

Opel Aptera

Tata Indica EV

Peugeot BB1

Peugeot Ion

Pinifarina Bollore Blue Car

Pinifarina Nido

Renault Fluence

Renault Zoe

Renault Zoe

Renault Kangoo

Renault Kangoo

Renault Twizzy

Renault Samsung EMX

REVA NXR

REVA NXG

Roewe 750 Hybrid

SA Joule

SAAB Electric 9-5

Skydeck Hybrid

Smart EV

Ssangiong

Subaru Hybrid

Subaru R1E

Subaru G4E

Th!nk.

Toyota EV

Toyota Prius Plug-In


Trabant EV

Volkswagen E-Up

Volvo C30 BEV

Porcshe EV



Chinese Electric Cars

Pihsiang factory



BYD E6


BYD E6

BYD F3DM

Chery S18

BAIC ET

BAIC Foton

Brilliance EV

Dongfeng I-Car

Dongfeng Shuaike

Geely LC-E

EuropeStar EV

Geely IG

Geely EV2

Great Wall Kula

Great Wall Oula

Haime EMP EV

Haima Me EV

Saibao EV

Zotye EV

Henrik Fisker's Electric cars roar into the future TNR.v, CZX.v, LI.v, RM.v, WLC.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, CCE.v, RES.v, QUC.v, HEV. AONE, VLNC, SNE,

This is what we call the "Cool Factor", it is above and below. It is bold, streamlined and ready to take off. It is your statement about your values. It is not Cheap in any sense and it is a way to go, at least for us - this is what we would like to have on a drive way. Did we mention that it is Electric Hard Hybrid with lithium-ion battery? We did, hundred times already - Electric cars are not Vacuum Cleaners with wheels any more. They are piece of art and coming in numbers. Karma Fisker is an ultimate marketing tool for Electric Revolution to happen. Money in Lithium and REE will be made with EV's mass market saturated with Nissans, Renaults, BYDs and Revas. Mass market wild fire will be started by Cars like Karma.

Our bull market is this "Cool Factor" multiplied by "Big IF", position yourselves in your chairs and keep belts fastened - we are ready to take off and will keep you posted.

"At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Henrik Fisker shows off his four-door Karma gas-electric hybrid, a 400-horsepower vehicle that will go from 0 to 60 in about six seconds. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times / December 3, 2009)"

Los Angeles Times

Henrik Fisker's cars roar into the future

By Scott Kraft
December 12, 2009

The Danish designer creates cars to be fast and beautiful, and he's convinced that people will pay for those features in a hybrid. With a federal loan, his Irvine firm will put that to the test.

Not long ago, Henrik Fisker was dashing up Interstate 5 to San Francisco when a highway patrolman clocked his Aston Martin roadster -- a car that Fisker himself designed -- going 97 mph. He protested. ("It was 90 at the most.") He got a ticket and set the cruise control at 70. For the next four hours, "I was overtaken by every grandmother," he said. Running late, he pressed down the pedal. This time, the radar gun caught him going 88 mph. "How long since your last ticket?" the officer asked. Fisker paused, but decided to fess up. "Well, actually, not that long ago," he replied.

Over the last two decades, Fisker has designed some of the sexiest cars on the road: sleek BMWs and Aston Martins that accelerate from 0 to 60 in the time it takes to count the fingers on one hand. Now the Danish designer has his own Irvine-based car company and a half-billion-dollar loan from the U.S. government to build gas-electric hybrid cars that plug into a home outlet, go 50 miles without a drop of gas and don't look a bit eco-friendly. Oh, and they'll also be fast. "People feel very emotional about cars, and I don't want them to feel bad about driving a fast car," said Fisker, as he steered his growling roadster through rush-hour traffic on Sunset Boulevard. "We're building beautiful and fast cars that you can drive without having a bad conscience or ruining the environment."

Many auto industry analysts are skeptical. History is scattered with the wreckage of car companies started by big dreamers, Preston Tucker and John DeLorean among them. Building eco-friendly cars, even eco-chic cars, is one thing, analysts say. Selling them to a fickle public, with pump prices below $3 a gallon, is another. But Fisker, one of the world's most highly regarded designers of luxury automobiles, likes his chances. And he's a focus group of one." As a car lover, I ask myself: What am I going to be buying in the future?" he said. "Will it be a boring, underpowered, dorky car because the government tells me I shouldn't pollute? Or do I come up with a cool-looking, sexy dream car that is also part of the future? "Tall and fit, tanned and blond, Fisker, 46, is a dream front-man for a car maker, with a resume that few designers can match. He is best known for designing the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9 and V8 Vantage, vehicles with six-figure sticker prices and ageless silhouettes. An automobile is one of the most complex products for a designer, who must create an aesthetic that combines elements of proportion, sculpture and graphics while accommodating thousands of parts and teams of engineers and marketers. Fisker is known for designs that are fresh as well as classic. "He can do something new and contemporary -- but do it with an echo of the brand legacy," said Stewart Reed, chairman of the transportation design department at the Art Center College of Design. "He understands the importance of proportion and architecture. But he also understands that design, at the end of the day, is a business tool." The Z8 roadster, a $128,000 update of the 1956 BMW 507, reflects Fisker's classical design sensibilities, with long, sweeping hood lines and a bold curve over the wheels, which is one of his signatures. The result is a car with a powerful stance, an unmistakable BMW pedigree and, as many reviewers put it, a "timeless design."James Bond drives a silver Z8 in the 1999 film "The World is Not Enough." Bond survives in the movie; the car doesn't. It is sawed in half.Walking around his Aston Martin V8 Vantage recently, Fisker pointed out the design elements he used in the $150,000 vehicle. The long, sleek lines are "a human-like form of sculpture that I think makes a car sexy," he said. "It's like a muscle, with the veins of the muscle shining through." The Vantage has a rounded shoulder over the wheels, giving it a muscular bearing. "I like to have the widest part of the car being the wheels and not the body," he said. "It gives it a more athletic look and, with the sculpture, helps make a car look sexy." For Fisker, raw, curbside appeal is the key to car design."You've got to capture the emotional part through the form, so that when people look at it, even before they know if it's a good-quality car or a fast car, even if they aren't a 'car person,' they say, 'Wow, I've got to have that.'"When I see a car I've designed going down the street and somebody admiring it, that's a nice feeling," he said.

The story of how Fisker became a heralded car designer and the eponymous head of what he likes to call "a new American car company" began in Denmark, a country with no automobile manufacturing industry. He had his first inkling that he might one day design cars at age 5, when he was riding in his father's Saab near their home in suburban Copenhagen. A Maserati raced past."I got butterflies in my stomach," Fisker said. "It was then that I knew I had to do something with the way cars look."He began drawing cars for fun and continued long after boys his age outgrew the phase. His teachers discouraged his ambitions; Denmark, after all, had no jobs for car designers. But Fisker's father, an electrical engineer who had visited the United States as a teenager, encouraged him." America had inspired him to believe that you can do whatever you want in life, and that's what he always told me," Fisker said. "That was not a typical thing to say to your kids in Denmark. "Fisker eventually lugged his portfolio to Switzerland, where he studied at the European campus of the Pasadena-based Art Center College of Design. After graduating, he went to work at BMW's advanced design studio and later became president of its subsidiary, Designworks/USA, in Ventura County.In 2001, Fisker moved to Ford Motor Co., first as creative director of its design center in London and then as head of the design studio in Irvine. Later, he was design director, and member of the board, at Aston Martin, the ultra-premium carmaker Ford owned at the time. Two years ago, Fisker and Bernhard Koehler, a German car executive who had worked with Fisker at BMW and Ford, launched Fisker Automotive. The Department of Energy awarded it a $528.7-million loan in September to build two cars, part of a $25-billion effort to jump-start a green revolution in the industry.The first car built will be the Karma, an $87,900 plug-in hybrid sedan with solar panels that will run the climate-control system, keeping the car cool when the vehicle is shut off. The Karma will be assembled in Finland, with a majority of American parts, and production will start late next year, with a target of 15,000 vehicles annually. The majority of the federal money, though, will go to Fisker's next-generation vehicle, code-named Project Nina, a "family oriented" plug-in hybrid sedan that will cost $47,400 (less a $7,500 federal tax credit). The Nina will be built beginning in 2012 at a former GM plant in Delaware, with an annual target of 100,000 vehicles a year."A lot of cars have a stylish and sexy sculpture," Fisker said, but the Nina "will definitely be the most radical, sexy family car on the planet."

Fisker Automotive, with about 75 employees, is headquartered in an office park in Irvine and has an engineering facility in Pontiac, Mich. So far, 45 dealers nationwide have signed up to sell Fisker automobiles, and more than 1,600 people, including former Vice President Al Gore, have placed orders for the Karma. The design of Fisker's Nina remains under wraps at company headquarters, where fingerprint identification is required to access the design rooms. But Fisker executives say it will be as dramatic as the four-door Karma, which is on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show.In designing the Karma, Fisker said, he was mostly focused on what it wouldn't look like: an eco-friendly car. The result is a vehicle with Fisker's characteristic long lines, rounded shoulders over the wheels and, in a radical move for Fisker, a front grille that resembles a smile. The design has won admiring reviews, though Fisker says he's happy if it doesn't appeal to everyone. "We're not making cars for everyone," he said. "I want to have some character in the car. I don't want a design that is a milk doughnut. "Milk doughnut?"Oh, what's the word in English? Milquetoast. That's what I mean. "Both the Karma and Nina will go 50 miles on an eight-hour charge from a 110-volt outlet. After that, a gasoline engine will kick in to generate electricity, adding 250 miles to the range. When using both electricity and gas, the cars will average about 100 miles per gallon, the company says. Fisker noted that the average American commute is less than 30 miles round-trip, and 80% of motorists drive fewer than 40 miles a day. On longer trips where electrical outlets are not available, the Karma and Nina can be driven on gasoline alone, eliminating what designers call "range anxiety" and providing an advantage over all-electric vehicles. As for speed, the 400-horsepower Karma will go from 0 to 60 in about six seconds, almost as quickly as the V8 Vantage, with a top speed of 125 mph. "Our cars will say, 'I care. But I also enjoy life,' " Fisker said. He will have plenty of competition -- from all-electric vehicles made by Tesla Motors, another California recipient of a large federal loan, as well as other companies with hybrids in development. "There's a lot of good with this company, and the Karma is absolutely stunning," said Rebecca Lindland, an auto analyst with IHS Global Insight. "But the risk is huge. They're as likely as a Hollywood starlet to make it. Some do and others don't. What separates the two is often luck." Either way, she said with a touch of admiration, "you have to have a lot of self-confidence and a lot of charisma to start up an auto company." Fisker feels especially at home in California, "a place where people still love cars," he said. He lives with his wife and two teenage children in Newport Beach and commutes to work in the 2009 V8 Vantage, which he leases. ("People think they give you these cars when you design them, but they don't," he said.) By this time next year, he'll be making the drive in a Karma.He still finds time to draw new ideas for cars: in hotels, at his desk at home or on the drafting table in his office." Sometimes I'll be taking in some sun by my pool and, suddenly, I'll have a good idea," he said. "I go in and get a piece of paper and make a little sketch. "He particularly relishes his time behind the wheel, where he keeps the radar detector on and the cellphone off." A car is one of the last things in our civilized society where we can still control amazing power," he said. "If the car were invented today, it wouldn't be legal. "He fondly recalls one day in Germany when he was driving to work on the Autobahn around 5 a.m. He looked up at the speedometer and was surprised to see that he was going 196 mph. "That's why you can't use cup holders in Germany," he said. "My palms were a bit sweaty. It was pretty cool."

EV mass market: BAIC builds electric car manufacture base in Beijing TNR.v, CZX.v, RM.v, LI.v, WLC.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, CCE.v, RES.v, F

Junior mining Lithium and REE plays.
Exploration and development in Lithium and REE.
How to invest in Lithium and REE.

Race in electric space is on, China moves fast and West is not even close to the winners: China is a leader by declared range for Electric cars BYD, cost and controls crucial Rare Earth Elements market, Japan is very aggressive with Nissan and battery makers, France is a leader in Electric cars infrastructure.

We will refer you to our post Electric Cars: Why, When? and How? to get a full picture why Chinese companies are so active in electric cars space, here we will give just a few bullet points:

1. Chinese auto market surpassed U.S. auto market in size this year.
2. There is an estimation from UN that number of cars will increase from 600 million to 2.4 billion in coming years.
3. With a very efficient CE (Combustion Engine) mile cost you 12 cents and with EV 2.5 cents.

Question now is not whether it is worth to do it, but how to make it happen fast in US, otherwise country will lose the last competitive advantage to China - already lowest cost base producer of almost all manufactured good.




China Daily



"BAIC builds electric car manufacture base in Beijing


(chinadaily.com.cn)Updated: 2009-12-12 10:50

Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Co (BAIC) is building an electric car manufacture base in Beijing, in a bid for reinforcing its competitive edge in the promising green energy vehicle segment.
"We have just established a new company focusing on the new energy vehicles in suburb Beijing, including the whole industry chain, from research and development to the final production," said BAIC President Wang Dazong at the Eighth China Entrepreneur Summit, which was held by China Entrepreneur Magazine and China Entrepreneur Club last weekend in Beijing.
"It will be a new challenge for our group, not only in the technology, but also from huge investment and the uncertain market response," said Wang.
Many Chinese automakers are interested in developing eco-friendly, fuel-efficient vehicles.
Warrant Buffet-backed BYD Co, launched its F3DM, an electric plug-in model, last December. It plans to take its electric car to the US market late next year.
Chery Auto is set to unveil its electric vehicle QQEV at the end of this month, priced at between 40,000 yuan and 50,000 yuan.
Geely Automobile Holdings said this week that it has teamed up with Taiwan's Yulon Motor Co to produce and sell electric cars in Taiwan.
Moreover, to support clean energy vehicles, the Chinese government will provide subsidies to green vehicles in five cities selected for a pilot program.
The pilot program will then be expanded to subsidize the purchase of clean-energy vehicles for public transportation fleets in 13 to 20 cities."

Lithium and REE: Mercedes-Benz bring electric cars to the roads TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, RM.v, LI.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, RES.v, CCE.v, QUC.v, F

Jay Taylor

"TNR has focused on lithium given the commitment of various car manufactures to build battery powered automobiles. The most advanced battery technologies use a large amount of lithium. With Nissan and Federal Express committing to build the first electric cars in 2010, the demand for lithium is projected to rise dramatically in the years to come."

From Frankfurt Motor Show 2009 we have reported earlier this year that all three E-Cell Mercedes concepts will be equipped with Lithium-ion batteries. Now they are already on the road and Mercedes in a lot of countries means car by definition, sort of dream to go for. Their leadership in green technologies will bring our Electric Car mass market dreams into reality.

Mercedes-Benz bring electric cars to the roads


By Mercedes-Benz,
Friday, December 11, 2009

As reported by Mercedes-BenzDr. Dieter Zetsche, Daimler CEO and Head of Mercedes-Benz cars says "As a global supplier of premium cars we want to meet the mobility requirements of our customers all over the world. This is why we are broadly positioned and have developed a modular drive mix to suit different requirements. The smart fortwo electric drive and the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL are already demonstrating the contribution that electric cars can make to sustainable mobility.
Experts are unanimous in their belief that the "coexistence" of different drive technologies will shape the face of road traffic for years to come. This is why Daimler's approach is to develop vehicle concepts with modular drive technologies which ensure that the focus is always on both customer benefits and environmental compatibility. In addition to the optimisation of vehicles with state-of-the-art combustion engines and further efficiency increases with hybridisation tailored to customer needs, the third central focus of development is on fuel cell and battery-powered vehicles that do not produce any local emissions. Dr. Thomas Weber, Daimler AG board member responsible for Group Research and Development at Mercedes-Benz Cars says "Each of these technologies demonstrates its advantages with regard to optimum consumption and emission figures in specific fields of application. We are the only manufacturer worldwide to offer our customers appropriate solutions for all fields of application – from personal mobility to local public transport and goods transport on the roads." Electric cars are now being delivered to customers With the electric cars from smart and Mercedes-Benz that are fully suitable for everyday use, zero-emission driving is already a reality. The new smart for two electric drive is a pioneer among battery electric vehicles which are primarily suited to use in urban areas. The second generation is already being built and now boasts a highly efficient lithium-ion battery which enables a range of 135 kilometres and impressive performance. Following the start of series production in Hambach, France in mid November 2009, the first small series of 1000 vehicles will be handed over to customers in Berlin on 17 December. The two-seater car will initially be delivered to selected customers in six European countries plus the USA and Canada within the framework of a leasing or rental model. Volume production will start in 2012 and the smart for two electric drive will then be available to anyone interested.
Thanks to its range of around 400 kilometres, the Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL is suitable for both zero-emission driving in city traffic and also for travelling longer distances. Small series production of this electric car has also started. Next year the first of approximately 200 vehicles will be delivered to customers in Europe and the USA.Both electric cars are fully suitable for everyday use. All the main components are housed in a space-saving position between the axles where they are optimally protected, and this means that the interior space is not compromised in the electric versions of the standard cars. Furthermore, the smart – the ultimate city car – has an extremely comfortable range for city driving and it can be charged at any household socket. The B-Class F-CELL offers a large range and is suitable for travelling longer distances as well. As its hydrogen tanks can be fully refuelled in around three minutes it is also the electric car with the shortest charging time.

Infrastructure is essential.

An appropriate refuelling and electricity charging infrastructure is essential for wide customer acceptance and quick widespread use of electric vehicles. This is why Daimler is committed to setting up a comprehensive network of electricity charging stations and hydrogen filling stations. In September 2009 together with the Federal Ministry of Transport and partners from the energy sector the company presented a plan for establishing a hydrogen infrastructure in Germany. At the same time Daimler reached an agreement with other leading car manufacturers to bring several hundred thousand fuel cell cars to the roads from 2015. Parallel to this, together with various partners in Europe the Stuttgart car manufacturer is advancing the expansion of a public electricity charging infrastructure. This is because although electric vehicles like the smart for two electric drive can easily be charged at a domestic garage socket, around 40 percent of European vehicle owners do not have a parking space of their own. Publicly accessible charging stations are therefore needed. To enable this to be realised Europe-wide as far as possible with standardised framework conditions, Daimler is developing corresponding standards together with other car manufacturers and utility companies. Electric mobility – an affordable alternative? New technologies generally entail high investments and costs. This means that at the current stage of development electric cars are still more expensive than comparable models with combustion engines. Daimler is applying all available levers to reduce the costs to a level that is economically acceptable and attractive to customers. For example, by industrialising lithium-ion technology with the company Deutsche Accumotive GmbH and the economies of scale resulting from this. Furthermore, in product development Daimler is systematically using a modular E-drive system. This enables synergies to be ideally used between the different vehicle segments. There are also numerous other factors that make electric mobility attractive for customers. Tax relief and other government subsidies are an important aspect. For example, the state of Monaco offers tax relief of up to €9,000 to electric car owners. Other countries have also set up funding programmes for sustainable mobility. France offers a "super environment incentive" of €5000 for vehicles that emit less than 60 grams of CO2 per kilometre. China and Japan have announced subsidies of €6,500 and €11,000 respectively.Customers benefit from lower running costsIn addition, owners of electric cars can benefit from lower running costs. For example, in Germany the electricity costs for a distance of 100 kilometres currently stand at between two and three euros. And many experts believe that in the long-term the costs for hydrogen will level out at a price that makes it an inexpensive alternative to fossil fuels. However, the question of the future taxation of new fuels has not yet been clarified. Dr. Thomas Weber says "It would make sense to find a solution that supports the introduction of new drives during the transitional period – for example with temporary tax exemption for electricity and hydrogen, just as various countries offer tax relief today for natural gas used to power vehicles." For example, electric cars like the smart for two electric drive are exempted from the city congestion charge in London, enabling their owners to save considerable sums of money. Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Head of Sales and Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Cars says "All things considered we see good prospects for electric mobility with fuel cells and batteries. Whilst other companies are still presenting electric show cars, we at smart and Mercedes-Benz are already bringing two vehicles that are fully suitable for everyday use to the roads."
Photos: Mercedes-Benz"

Lithium and REE: Electric Porsche Cayenne unveiled by Ruf TNR.c, CZX.v, WLC.v, RM.v, LI.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v, CCE.v, HEV, F

Everything you need to know about Electric Cars

CAR

"Electric Porsche Cayenne unveiled by Ruf

German tuning specialist Ruf has decided to give the Porsche Cayenne the electric treatment. This follows their electrically powered eRuf Greenster, an electric Porsche 911 that appeared at the Geneva Motor Show in March prior to its limited production run.

The latest eRuf variant is the Stormster and it is a plug-in electric Cayenne. It uses the same 270 kilowatt Siemens motor that was in the Greenster along with Li-Tec lithium ion batteries. Ruf says the Stormster will be available in the standard Cayenne body or in a special wide-bodied version."

Rare Metals: Tantalum market uncertainty as serious shortages loom TNR.v, CZX.v, CCE.v, WLC.v, RM.v, LI.v, CLQ.v, FMC, SQM, ROC, HEV, AONE, VLNC, SNE,

TNR Gold/International Lithium Reports Significant Tantalum Mineralization at the Rare Metals Mavis Lake Project, Ont

With this company we will have to study all Periodic Table of the Elements all over again. Back to school. We need to have our homework right in order to stay in this game, like Jay Taylor does when he looks at the companies. Today we will look again at Tantalum market. First, lets remind ourselves about Tantalum as an element and its use.


"About Tantalum

Tantalum is an element found in many ways in our everyday lives, improving technology and material performance. Its many applications include uses in electronics, medicine, engineering and energy generation. Tantalum was discovered by Anders Gustaf Ekenberg, a Swedish chemist, in 1802 in minerals obtained from Ytterby, Sweden. Many scientists believed that he had only discovered an allotrope of niobium, an element that is chemically similar to tantalum. The issue was finally settled in 1866 when, Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac, a Swiss chemist, proved that tantalum and niobium were two distinct elements. The first relatively pure samples of tantalum were first produced in 1907. Today, tantalum is primarily obtained from the minerals columbite ((Fe, Mn, Mg)(Nb, Ta)2O6), tantalite ((Fe, Mn)(Ta, Nb)2O6) and euxenite ((Y, Ca, Er, La, Ce, U, Th)(Nb, Ta, Ti)2O6).Tantalum has unique attributes that make it suitable for several specific purposes. It has an exceedingly high melting point (about 3,000° C), is highly corrosion-resistant, alloys well with other metals, is superconductive for electricity and, most importantly, has an excellent capacity to store and release an electrical charge. Uses for TantalumAbout half of the tantalum consumed each year is used in the electronics industry, mainly as powder and wire for capacitors, owing to tantalum's particular ability to store and release electrical energy. This allows components to be exceptionally small and they are therefore favoured in space-sensitive high-end applications in telecommunications, data storage and implantable medical devices. Tantalum is also used for electronic sound filters and as a barrier against copper diffusion in semi-conductors. Tantalum carbide's hardness makes it ideal for cutting tools.
Tantalum metal and tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5), one of tantalum's compounds, are mainly used in electronics to make a part called a capacitor. It allows the capacitors to be very small and is ideal for high technology uses including digital cameras and video cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, LCD/Plasma televisions, and data storage devices. While the bulk of demand for tantalum capacitors comes from the handheld and gaming markets, as designers cram greater functionality into these ever-shrinking devices, there has also been quite a bit of activity in high reliability markets including military, automotive and medical that require higher performance components. Tantalum capacitors are also in car electronics such as anti-lock braking systems (ABS), navigation systems, wheel traction control, airbag inflation, engine management and fuel economy. Medical uses include heart pacemakers, implanted auto-defibrillators and hearing aids.Tantalum is a strong, ductile metal that is nearly immune to chemical attack at room temperatures. It can be drawn into a fine wire that is used to evaporate metals, such as aluminum. It has a high melting point and is frequently used as a substitute for platinum, which is more expensive. Tantalum is used to make components for chemical plants, nuclear power plants, airplanes and missiles. Tantalum does not react with bodily fluids and is used to make surgical equipment. Tantalum also does not irritate the body and is used to make surgical sutures as well as implants, such as artificial joints and cranial plates. Tantalum is alloyed with steel to increase steel's ductility, strength and melting point.It is also used to make a glass with a high index of refraction that is used in camera lenses. A composite consisting of tantalum carbide (TaC) and graphite is one of the hardest materials known and is used on the cutting edges of high-speed machine tools.

World's Consumption of Tantalum

The two main buyers of tantalum raw materials are the processors HC Starck GmbH and Cabot Corp. Other processors include those located in China (Ningxia Non-ferrous Metals Import and Export Corp., Jiujiang Tanbre Smelter, Jiujiang Jinxin Non-ferrous Metals Co Ltd.), Estonia (AS Silmet), Japan (Mitsui Mining & Smelting Co Ltd.), Kazakhstan (NAC Kazatomprom) and Russia (Solikamsk Magnesium Works).

Main Sources of Tantalum Raw Materials

Tantalum ores are found primarily in Australia, Canada, Brazil, and central Africa, with some additional quantities originating in southeast Asia. The average yearly growth rate of about 8% to 12% in tantalum demand since about 1995 has caused a significant increase in exploration for this element. Tantalum minerals of the greatest economic importance are tantalite, microlite, and wodginite; however, it is common practice to name any tantalum-containing mineral concentrate as 'tantalite' primarily because it will be processed for the tantalum values and is sold on that basis. Tantalum mineral concentrates may contain from two to more than five different tantalum-bearing minerals from the same mining area. The sale of tantalum mineral concentrates is based on a certified analysis for the tantalum oxide they contain, with a range from 10% or 15% to over 60% depending on the mine source. The single largest source of tantalum mineral concentrates is the production by Talison Minerals Pty Ltd. from its mine in Western Australia. They produce between 25% and 35% of the world's supply, with production reported at approximately 1.4 million pounds Ta2O5. Additional operating mines are the Tanco Mine (Cabot) in Manitoba, Canada, the Kenticha Mine (Ethiopia Minerals Development Authority) in Ethiopia, the Yichun Mine in China, and the Pitinga Mine (Paranapanema) and Mibra Mine (Metallurg) in Brazil. Additional quantities are available from Brazil through the processing of small alluvial deposits by prospectors and in numerous countries in Africa such as Rwanda, Namibia, Uganda, DRC, Gabon, Nigeria, South Africa, and Burundi. Due to political instability and associated risk, mining investment in Africa has been significantly curtailed. The central African countries of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC-Kinshasa) and Rwanda and their neighbors in the past had been the source of significant tonnages. Civil war, plundering of national parks and exporting of minerals, diamonds and other natural resources to provide funding of militias has caused the organizations such as the Tantalum-Niobium International Study Center to call on its members to take care to obtain their raw materials from lawful sources. Members are strongly encouraged to refrain from purchasing materials from regions where either human welfare or wildlife are threatened.

Price of Tantalum

Unlike other metals, tantalum does not trade as a commodity in recognized metal markets. Consequently, tantalum trades in negotiated markets. This leaves considerable power with suppliers particularly during an up market.

Worldwide Companies Using Tantalum

Tantalum capacitors are used by many large international corporations:
Wireless Users:
Sony Corporation
Nokia
Motorola Inc.
Panasonic Infrastructure Users:
Cisco Systems Inc.
Nortel Networks Corporation Computer Hardware Users:
Intel Corporation
Hewlett-Packard Company
IBM
Dell Computer Corporation
Compaq Computer Corporation
Seagate Technology Inc."

We will add, that with Electrification and Electric Cars in their mass market phase Demand for Tantalum will increase with all high tech gadgets implemenmted in EVs and smart grid technology with Solar and wind Power energy control systems applications.

MineWeb

Tantalum market uncertainty as serious shortages loom

The western world could be facing a severe shortage of tantalum over the next few years according to a recent study from Roskill Information Services in the UK.

Author: Lawrence Williams Posted: Wednesday , 23 Sep 2009

LONDON -
According to a new special study report from UK metals research consultancy, Roskill Information Services, there are fears in the tantalum market that serious shortages are looming. Weak recent demand has kept prices low. As a consequence primary output has been cut dramatically and processors are increasingly relying on stock drawdowns to make up the shortfall. If there is even a modest recovery in demand for tantalum in the near future, the market faces a difficult period.
Tantalum's major usage at present is in the production of electronic components, mainly capacitors and some high-power resistors. Because of the size and weight advantages, tantalum capacitors are attractive for mobile telephones, personal computers, and automotive electronics. Tantalum is also used to produce a variety of alloys that have high melting points, are strong and have good ductility. Alloyed with other metals, it is also used in making carbide tools for metalworking equipment and in the production of superalloys for jet engine components, chemical process equipment, nuclear reactors, and for the military. Due to the fact that it resists attack by body fluids and is nonirritating, tantalum is widely used in making surgical instruments and implants. For example, porous tantalum coatings are used in the construction of orthopaedic implants due to the metal's ability to form a direct bond to hard tissue.
A key issue in the tantalum market, says Roskill, has been the continuing supply of low-cost columbite-tantalite (coltan) mined in Central Africa, in the DRC and Rwanda, mostly illegally, and sold to fund rebel militias. The major processors will not knowingly buy such material and almost all of it goes to China. The availability of large and growing quantities of cheap tantalum, at a time when global demand for consumer electronics is down and processors are holding substantial raw material stocks, has, however, placed the conventional tantalum industry under great pressure. Unable to win the large increase in prices it needed to be economic, the world's largest primary producer, Talison in Australia, suspended mining operations in late 2008. It was soon followed by two others. Within the space of a few months, close to 40% of global primary tantalum capacity was taken out of the market. There are no guarantees as to when, or even if, it will be brought back into production.
However, Roskill reckons that the market remains well-supplied in the immediate short term. A key characteristic of the tantalum industry in recent years has been that supply has nearly always been greater than demand. As a result, large inventories have been built up at most levels of the supply chain. Those stocks are not inexhaustible. In addition, the US strategic stockpile has gone for good and there are questions as how long tin slags can continue to constitute an important tantalum feedstock.
As has been the case in the past, processors are increasingly turning to scrap and other forms of secondary tantalum. Their receipts of secondary material grew by 70% in 2007 and by a further 25% in 2008. The growing use of scrap is evident in trade data.
The tantalum processing industry is attempting to develop systems to keep coltan out of the market by providing ways to physically indentify it before it is processed and becomes untraceable. Some processors are more committed to this than others, and the system is not yet fully in place, but the industry in general is facing mounting pressure from capacitor manufacturers and OEMs to ensure that coltan is not used. It is quite likely that the supply of coltan to the market will fall sharply over the next year or two.
What will compensate for the likely supply shortfall? Production is being expanded in several countries but probably not by enough to replace the coltan. Numerous new tantalum-niobium projects are in the pipeline and several would be very large producers. The big question is when they will come on-stream. Of the three mega-projects, one was originally planned to come into production in 2006, while another has been held up for over two years by red tape. The third may come into production in 2011.
The global economic downturn had a very marked effect on the tantalum supply/demand balance. Demand in 2009 will very probably prove to be 40% down on 2008, but Roskill considers it will fully recover by 2012, although much will obviously depend on the continuing strength of any global economic revival. Whether or not sufficient supply will be in place to meet that demand recovery is another issue entirely.
As Roskill summarises, a large part of the primary supply chain is not producing in 2009 and there are no clear indications as to when, or if, it will come back to the market. Inventories are running down, scrap is in shorter supply because of a fall in capacitor manufacture and it is quite possible that legislation under consideration in the USA could severely restrict or even halt the supply of tantalum from Central Africa.
It is almost certain therefore, Roskill reckons, that a tantalum supply squeeze is approaching. If demand picks up faster than expected, a spike in spot prices seems inevitable. Stability will probably not return to the market until the new projects come on-stream, or consumers accept contract prices at a level sufficient for Australia's Talison to reopen its mining operation.
For full details of the Roskill report go to www.roskill.com/reports/tantalum"

Electric cars: Why? When? and How? TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, SQM, ROC, FMC, AVL.to, RES.v, CCE.v, QUC.v, HEV, AONE, VLNC, SNE, NSANY, F, BYDDY,

What will be Next Big Thing?

Everything you need to know about Electric Cars from:

"More than a dozen business leaders -- including Carlos Ghosn, President & CEO of Nissan Motor Company; David W. Crane, President & CEO of NRG Energy; and Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President & CEO of FedEx Corporation"

Invest your time before you invest your money to get a feeling: Why is it Real This Time?

Video Electrification Coalition Launch 11/16/09

Report Electrification Roadmap.

TNR Gold/International Lithium Reports Significant Tantalum Mineralization at the Rare Metals Mavis Lake Project, Ont TNR.v, CZX.v, ABX, NG.to, WLC.v,

"The Electrification Roadmap presents a bold and specific vision: By 2040, 75 percent of light-duty vehicle miles traveled in the United States should be electric miles. As a result, oil consumption in the light-duty fleet would be reduced by more than 75 percent, and U.S. crude oil imports could effectively be reduced to zero."

We have a very positive news for the company - the last crucial piece in its strategic plan to be put in place: access to the capital.

TNR Gold reports another significant success of International Lithium Corp. exploration program on Mavis Lake, Ontario. Jay Taylor does his homework right and now we can see why he has suggested recently:

Jay Taylor Says Look Seriously At TNR

Our main take out from the news:

"We are observing both high-grade well-evolved Lithium and Tantalum zonation as well as significant levels of Cesium and Rubidium on the Mavis Lake property," states Gary Schellenberg, President and CEO of TNR Gold, and continues, "The project is clearly emerging as a premier multi-element rare metals project and warrants a major exploration program in 2010."

Dr. Frederick Breaks, Special Advisor for TNR Gold, stated, "The peak tantalum values observed are amongst the highest reported in north western Ontario and when taken in conjunction with the strong widespread nature of the mineralization, this indicates significant exploration potential at the Mavis Lake property."

Now we have a hint where will be exploration efforts of TNR Gold in 2010 in hard rock lithium part of its portfolio.

Mavis Lake Rare Metals project is growing from staking stage into significant exploration target. Hard rock lithium mining, as you remember, includes the crucial element of necessary credit from other metals and minerals, which could make the potential deposit economical even with recent level of prices for lithium.

These discoveries of high Tantalum values, presence of Cesium and Rubidium are making this property a valuable exploration target.

Values of lithium and tantalum and types of minerals found on the property are similar to two producing mines: Tanco mine and Wodgina mine.

Next step will be to confirm exploration model by drilling program on the property in order to find available tonnage of mineralised material and its grade, which will define economics of potential deposit.

There is another significant indication of potential for Mavis Lake property: next to it on the left side on the map is located a historical resource with 500k tones of 1% Li2O in the same geological setting. Size of the property is not limiting exploration potential for economic tonnage to be discovered by further exploration. Tantalum enrichement zone defined by this exploration program is located to the right side of the property after known Lithium enrichment zone.

Mavis Lake project enjoys easy access and infrastracture availible for further development in the area.

We own shares of this company, biased and nothing should be taken as an investment advise on this blog as usual: just enjoy our travel notes "On the way to the Green Future."

TNR Gold/International Lithium Reports Significant Tantalum Mineralization at the Rare Metals Mavis Lake Project, Ont
Press Release

Source: TNR Gold Corp.
On 6:20 pm EST, Wednesday December 9, 2009
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Dec. 9, 2009) - TNR Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE:TNR - News; "TNR" or the "Company") and wholly-owned International Lithium Corp. ("ILC") are pleased to announce results of the 2009 fall field program demonstrating strong and widespread tantalum mineralization on its 100% owned Mavis Lake property located 15km northeast of Dryden in northwestern Ontario.

Key Point Summary:
- 38% or 78 of 204 grab and channel samples returned assay values greater than 150 ppm Ta2O5;
- 1349 ppm and 1246 ppm Ta2O5 from 2 grab samples, amongst highest reported in NW Ontario;
- Highly evolved lithium-tantalum zonation identified similar to producing Tanco mine; and
- Underexplored tantalum zone is significant exploration target.

"We are observing both high-grade well-evolved Lithium and Tantalum zonation as well as significant levels of Cesium and Rubidium on the Mavis Lake property," states Gary Schellenberg, President and CEO of TNR Gold, and continues, "The project is clearly emerging as a premier multi-element rare metals project and warrants a major exploration program in 2010."
2009 Sampling Programs
Two field programs were undertaken in 2009 to assess the lithium (Li), tantalum (Ta) and other rare metals potential of the Mavis Lake property. The initial field program consisted of reconnaissance prospecting and sampling. Samples collected from Pegmatite 18 returned strong results for both Ta and Li with peak assay values of 3.61 Wt% Li2O (lithium oxide) in a grab sample and 1.24 Wt% Li2O over 5.3 metres in a composite channel sample (Company News Release - October 5th 2009).
The follow-up program consisted of detailed mapping and sampling of the known pegmatite occurrences that returned high grade lithium values up to 2.1 wt% Li2O in grab sample and 1.4 wt% Li2O over a 4.7 metre composite channel sample. In addition, a lithogeochemical survey over a 1200m by 900m grid extended the lithium dispersion anomaly (greater than 50 ppm Li) by 1.1kms to 4.5kms in total length (Company News Release - November 19th, 2009). Of special note, 38% (78 of 204 samples) graded better than 150 ppm Ta2O5 (tantalum oxide) demonstrating strong and widespread highly anomalous Tantalum mineralization.
The highest tantalum values came from Pegmatites 13, 14 and 16 which occur within an area of 500 by 800 metres that represents the known southeastern exploration limit for rare metal mineralization on the property. This highly prospective area of elevated tantalum values is underexplored and completely open to the east and southeast and will be the major subject of field investigation in 2010. Samples from this area returned peak Ta2O5 values of 1349 ppm (0.135%) and 1246 ppm (0.125%) from the No.16 and No.14 pegmatites, respectively.
Dr. Frederick Breaks, Special Advisor for TNR Gold, stated, "The peak tantalum values observed are amongst the highest reported in north western Ontario and when taken in conjunction with the strong widespread nature of the mineralization, this indicates significant exploration potential at the Mavis Lake property."
Other highlights include Ta2O5 values of 723 ppm, 614 ppm and 593 ppm from the No.13, No.17 and No.19 pegmatites, respectively (see Table 1).

Samples with very high tantalum values tend to have low lithium values as is typical of sodic aplite and albitite-rock units that represent important host-rocks for tantalum mineralization as exemplified by the Tanco Mine in Manitoba and the Wodgina and Greenbushes Mines of Western Australia. However, there are samples with very high lithium values that also carry strongly anomalous tantalum. Examples of this strong multi-element signature can be found in both grab samples in Table 1 and channel samples of Table 2.
Tantalum mineralization occurs as fine-grained tantalite-columbite group minerals that are hosted primarily in sodic aplite and related albitite (greater than 8 wt% Na2O). Other tantalum-rich minerals may also be present as previous work confirmed wodginite associated with tantalite, columbite, lithium tourmaline and montebrasite at pegmatite 19 (Ontario Geological Survey, 2000 Miscellaneous Release Data 127).
Wodginite is the chief ore mineral for tantalum at the Tanco and Wodgina mines. The Tanco Mine had a historical reserve estimate of 1,879,000 tons grading 0.216% Ta2O5 and has proven to be a world class producer of tantalum, lithium, cesium and rubidium. The Wodgina mine has proven historical reserves of 0.4 million tonnes grading 0.128% Ta2O5. The high-tonnage low-grade Greenbushes mine contains proven and probable reserves of 88.6 million tonnes @ 0.022% Ta2O5.
To view Figure 1 please click on the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/tnr1209.jpg
Mavis Lake Property
The Mavis Lake property is located 15 km Northeast of Dryden, Ontario. It is easily accessed via the Trans-Canada Highway and a series of logging roads. The claim block comprises a total of 2,544 ha and covers several known rare metal pegmatites.
Regional pegmatite mineralization is directly associated with the strongly peraluminous Ghost Lake pluton and related pegmatitic granite dykes. Rare metal mineralization in the Mavis Lake area occurs in zoned pegmatites hosted by mafic metavolcanic rocks. Rare metal mineralization has been noted to occur in four zones: internal beryl zone within the parent of the Ghost Lake pluton that evolves into external zones of beryl-columbite, spodumene-beryl-tantalite and albite-type pegmatites.
The known pegmatite dykes on the Mavis Lake property comprise spodumene-beryl-tantalite, albite-type or a combination of both. The adjacent Fairservice property is dominated by east trending spodumene-beryl-tantalite-type pegmatites, considered to be part of the same dyke swarm as on the Mavis Lake claim block, and has a historical (non NI 43-101 compliant) resource of 500,000 tons at 1.0% Li2O.
Ike Osmani, P.Geo, is the company's qualified person on the project as required under NI 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information contained in this press release. To help understand the technical aspects of Lithium and other Rare Metals please visit TNR's website at www.tnrgoldcorp.com.

ABOUT TNR GOLD / INTERNATIONAL LITHIUM CORP.

TNR is a diversified metals exploration company focused on exploring existing properties and identifying new prospective projects globally. TNR has a total portfolio of 33 properties, of which 16 will be included in the proposed spin-off of International Lithium Corp.
It is anticipated that TNR shareholders of record will receive up to one share and one full tradable warrant of International Lithium Corp. for every 4 shares of TNR held as of the yet determined record date. This will result in TNR shareholders owning shares in both TNR and International Lithium. For further details of the spin-off please refer to TNR's April 27, 2009 news release or visit http://www.internationallithium.com.
The recent acquisition of lithium, other rare metals and rare-earth elements projects in Argentina, Canada, USA and Ireland confirms the company's commitment to generating projects , diversifying its markets, and building shareholder value.
On behalf of the board,
Gary Schellenberg, President"

EV mass market: Car industry welcomes electric tax breaks TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, RM.v, LI.v, SQM, ROC, FMC, AVL.to, CCE.v, RES.v, QUC.v HEV, AONE, VLNC,

Top CEOs Launch Electrification Coalition

"November 16, 2009 3:39 PM EST
Nissan's Carlos Ghosn, NRG's David Crane, FedEx's Fred Smith, Top CEOs Come Together to
Endorse Electrification and Release Roadmap
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- More than a dozen business leaders -- including Carlos Ghosn, President & CEO of Nissan Motor Company; David W. Crane, President & CEO of NRG Energy; and Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President & CEO of FedEx Corporation -- came together today to form the Electrification Coalition. The Coalition is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization committed to promoting policies and actions that will facilitate the deployment of electric vehicles on a mass scale in order to combat the economic, environmental, and national security vulnerabilities caused by our nation's dependence on petroleum.
As its first official act, the Coalition today released the Electrification Roadmap, a sweeping report detailing the dangers of oil dependence, explaining the benefits of electrification, describing the challenges facing electric cars, and providing specific policy proposals to overcome those challenges. PRTM, a global management consulting firm, provided market analysis and technical input for the Roadmap, including detailed modeling on vehicle costs.
"It is time for business leaders and policymakers alike to step up," Smith said. "Our unrelenting dependence on oil has threatened our nation for too long. Up to now, electrification seemed like a pipe dream. But we are offering a realistic, practical, achievable plan to build a transportation system that will enhance our national security, propel economic growth, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions."
The Electrification Roadmap presents a bold and specific vision: By 2040, 75 percent of light-duty vehicle miles traveled in the United States should be electric miles. As a result, oil consumption in the light-duty fleet would be reduced by more than 75 percent, and U.S. crude oil imports could effectively be reduced to zero.
"The first electric vehicles will be delivered in 12 months," Ghosn said. "The widespread acceptance of zero emission cars will require more than the efforts automakers can provide on their own. Public and private collaboration will be the key to mainstream acceptance."
Among its many policy recommendations, the Roadmap proposes the creation of electrification 'ecosystems,' geographic areas in which all of the elements of an electrified transportation system are deployed, thus providing a crucial first step toward moving electrification beyond a niche product into a dominant, compelling, and ubiquitous concept.
"It is absolutely crucial that all of the key elements of an electrified transportation system are introduced in a highly coordinated fashion and in a way that is effective, affordable, and appealing to actual American consumers," Crane said. "Introducing all of the separate elements, from cars to infrastructure, simultaneously in select communities across the country will move electrification beyond the early adopters; policymakers will witness the national benefit derived from a new kind of transportation system while consumers will benefit firsthand from a new kind of driving experience."

This tax breaks are crucial for the initial wave of adaptation of Electric Cars in commercial fleets, where the range is known and it will not be an issue. This field will be the testing ground for this new technology. FedEx is an active member of Electrification Coalition among companies like Nissan, NRG Energy, Inc., Coda Automotive, Johnson Controls Power and others.

Video Electrification Coalition Launch 11/16/09

FT

Car industry welcomes electric tax breaks

By John Reed, Motor Industry Correspondent
Published: December 9 2009 15:22 Last updated: December 9 2009 15:22

Britain’s car industry welcomed the UK government’s decision to extend the tax breaks for electric vehicles, already promised for private consumers, to commercial and fleet buyers.
Alistair Darling said in his pre-Budget report that electric vehicles would be exempted from company car tax – and electric vans from a van benefit charge – for five years. In a further boost to plug-in vans, businsses buying them will be able to write off their full cost against their corporation tax in the first year.
Government earlier this year announced tax breaks of £2,000 to £5,000 from 2011 for private buyers of electric cars, which carmakers and industry analysts say will need generous government subsidies in the first years after their launch to defray their higher costs.
However, business and other fleet buyers are expected to be among electric vehicles’ main first adopters because of the pressures they face to cut emissions, and because company fleets can organise recharging arrangements for the cars more easily than private customers.
The government’s move to extend tax breaks to company cars and electric vans had been rumoured in the industry, which welcomed it on Wednesday.
Renault, which plans to launch two electric cars and an electric version of its Kangoo van in 2011, said it was “delighted” with the decision.
“This announcement will go towards assisting the infrastructure we need to make electric vehicles a viable solution in the UK,” said Jeremy Townsend, a UK spokesman for the French carmaker.
“This will make business buyers much more interested in electric cars and vans,” said Paul Everitt, chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.
The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association’s chief executive, John Lewis, said: “We are really pleased that the chancellor has listened to our call to modernise the business tax regime and give a clear, long-term incentive for companies willing to be early adopters of electric cars and vans.”
Mr Darling’s pre-Budget report also earmarked another £30m ($48.64m) for a government-supported ultra low-carbon vehicle competition.
Gordon Brown’s government is supporting electric vehicles heavily in spite of the continuing doubts in the industry about how many consumers and businesses will adopt them because of their higher cost, limited driving ranges, and the logistical challenges posed by the need to recharge them.
UK pre-Budget report 2009

FT In depth: News and analysis on this year’s pre-Budget report
The government earlier this year earmarked funds for recharging infrastructure, and held talks with Nissan about bringing European production of a planned electric car to its plant in Sunderland, north-east England, and with General Motors about producing its Opel/ Vauxhall Ampera at Ellesmere Port, Merseyside.
Most carmakers are predicting modest initial sales of electric vehicles, and say they will have little short-term impact on the industry as it weathers a deep downturn in sales.
Thanks to government scrapping incentives car sales rose by nearly 58 per cent year on year in November. However, the industry is bracing itself for another difficult year in 2010 with the return of VAT to 17.5 per cent and the end of the government’s £400m scrappage scheme.
The Retail Motor Industry federation on Wednesday said it was disappointed that government had announced no extension of the scheme."

Lithium and REE: Has the era of the electric car finally arrived? TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, AVL.to, CCE.v, RES.v, QUC.v, NSANY, RNO, F, BYDDY,

"As the global market for electrified vehicles grows rapidly over the next several years, lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries in a variety of chemistries will be the technology of choice for auto manufacturers." - this is the most important take out for us and our investment strategy from this report. We have mentioned before that auto makers have confirmed this choice of Lithium-ion technology on a number of auto shows."

THE GLOBE AND MAIL

Has the era of the electric car finally arrived?

Wednesday, December 9, 2009 8:58 AM

Correspondent Eric Reguly writes on life and business in Europe and the United Kingdom.

The Copenhagen climate change conference is a negotiating session on a monster scale. It is also, on the sidelines, a global clean tech souk. Green-energy companies, products and concepts are on display everywhere, from hotel lobbies to cafés and everywhere in between. The lobby of my hotel is crammed with all-electric cars built by Renault, the French auto giant that has a partnership with Japan’s Nissan.
To my great surprise, one of the cars on display– the Renault Fluence – was more than a concept. It could be driven by curious reporters. Within minutes of putting in a request for a spin around Copenhagen, I had the keys in my hand.
The Fluence looked oddly bland for a state-of-the-art machine. It was refrigerator white and resembled any mid-size family sedan. Even the interior presented no obvious clues that the car was powered by the most advanced lithium-ion batteries, not an international combustion engine or the hybrid battery-electric system that made the Toyota Prius famous.
I turned the ignition key. Silence. I gently pressed the “gas” pedal. All I heard was a gentle whirring as the electric motors kicked in. The car accelerated strongly and smoothly. There was no vibration. The Fluence was no sports car – 250-kilos of batteries in the trunk ensured it felt heavy. But the driving experience was pleasant, enjoyable even. And, of course, it was emissions free. In Denmark, at least, this is important. The bike - and wind power - loving country prides itself as Europe’s low-carbon champion.

Unlike the vast majority of all-electric cars you read about or see at auto shows, the Fluence is going into mass production as Renault bets that the era of the electric car, after years of false starts, has finally arrived. The Fluence is one of four electric Renaults that are going into production. Nissan will have its own range of electric vehicles, including the Leaf.
The electric Fluence will be built in Turkey, where a near-identical car with gasoline or diesel engines is already in production, and will launch in Israel and Denmark in 2011, followed by several other European countries.
Why are Israel and Denmark first? Because that’s where Better Place, a company that provides infrastructure for electric transportation, is installing a network of battery-exchange and recharging sites. When the battery on your Fluence runs low, you roll into a Better Place site, where your tapped out Fluence battery will be swapped for a fully-charged one. The process will take only three minutes and involves no grunt work. A hydraulic robot simply removes the battery from underneath the car and slots in a new one.
Earlier this year, the Ontario government signed a partnership with Better Place to install an electric car network in the province. Other partnerships have been signed in the United States, France, Japan and Australia.
Would I buy a Fluence? Hard question.
Renault is doing all the right things. The electric Fluence will come in at roughly the same price as a normal Fluence – about €20,000 ($31,000 Canadian). Typically, the few electric and hybrid cars that exist are far more expensive than their internal-combustion equivalents. Renault is eliminating sticker shock by eliminating the battery purchase. Drivers will lease the battery at a monthly rate. The price, Renault says, will be equivalent to your gasoline or diesel bill.
So what do you get when you buy an electric Fluence? You get a car with a similar purchase price and running costs as a normal sedan. You don’t get the range of a normal car – the claimed range is 160 kms. That’s impressive by electric car standards. It is not enough, however, to get you from your house to the cottage and back. This may change if recharging and battery-swap sites become ubiquitous. In the meantime, the Fluence will be best used as a city or suburban runabout.
What you really get is the satisfaction of driving a car that’s cleaner than an internal-combustion car. It’s not 100-per-cent clean, of course, because the electricity has to come from somewhere and that somewhere could be a grubby, coal-fired generating plant. Renault is showing that practical, cleaner driving doesn’t have to be an unaffordable luxury. That alone makes the car company’s effort laudable."

Jay Taylor Says Look Seriously At TNR Gold TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, QUC.v, RES.v, HEV, AONE, VLNC, F, SNE,

"After San Francisco Hard Asset Conference TNR Gold and International Lithium have gained attention of Jay Taylor - "one of the most respected, independent analysts in the North American mining and energy sectors." Company is building credibility and momentum in delivering its story to the market place."

Jay's Watch List

We have a very positive news for the company - the last crucial piece in its strategic plan to be put in place: access to the capital.

Jay Taylor Says Look Seriously At TNR

December 7, 2009

TNR Gold Corp

December 2, 2009

Traded Toronto: TNR
U.S. OTC: TRRXF
Shares outstanding: 96.9 million
Recent Price: $0.29
Market Cap: $28 million
Toll Free Telephone: 800-667-4470
Website: http://www.tnrgoldcorp.com/

The following remarks are made largely on the basis of a recent conversation I have had with the management of TNR Gold Corp., a member of Jay’s Watchlist.

TNR Gold Corp. is employing the project generator model. For those of you who may not know what a project generator model is, a word of explanation is in order. “Project generators” are companies that pick up early stage exploration ground when there are historical or scientific reasons to believe a property is prospective for a given mineral. Because these properties are obtained at an early stage of development, the cost of obtaining them is very low.

As a project generator, TNR then uses its intellectual capital rather than hard currency capital to add value to its shareholders. By carrying out relatively low cost early exploration work, it demonstrates with greater confidence, the potential for a given property to host an economically viable mineral deposit. At that point in time, TNR hopes to bring in other companies that are willing and able to spend considerably more money to explore and advance those prospects toward production. TNR will generally retain a carried interest in those prospects into the future or at least a Net Smelter Return on any future production from the property. The prospect generator model is in theory a less risky model because, if other companies are spending considerable amounts of money, they can reduce the number of shares issued to raise capital.

TNR is Lithium Then Gold

Although the name of this company is TNR Gold Corp., management has positioned the company for maximum flexibility to allocate its resources into exploration for mineral resources most in demand. That’s why, despite its name being TNR Gold Corp., management is placing most of its emphasis on lithium exploration at this point in time.

I should also mention that the company’s primary geographical area of focus is in Argentina and that is where its number one lithium prospect is. It has 12 projects in the San Juan province of Argentina and one in the most Northern province, named Jujuy.

Aside from Argentina, TNR has projects in Alaska, Nevada, Canada and in Ireland. Its two projects in Nevada are lithium prospects.

Why Lithium over Gold?

TNR has focused on lithium given the commitment of various car manufactures to build battery powered automobiles. The most advanced battery technologies use a large amount of lithium. With Nissan and Federal Express committing to build the first electric cars in 2010, the demand for lithium is projected to rise dramatically in the years to come.

The most exciting lithium prospect for TNR is its Mariana prospect located 120 kilometers from the nearest town, that being Tolar Grande. This is a brine target rather than a hard rock target, which means it is cheaper to explore and less costly from which to produce lithium.

The Mariana project consists of several contiguous claims over 120 km2 covering the entire salar. Historical sampling reported significant lithium, boron, and potash levels in brines and sediments within the main body of the salar. Salares, or salt lakes, contain minerals dissolved in brines and some include buried layers of evaporate minerals. Four of seven water samples collected in the shallow subsurface over approximately 3 km returned values from 188 to 283 mg/L lithium, and 423 to 698 mg/L boron. This confirms that there are some brines present with concentrations similar to those found at producing salares in North and South America.

Current lithium production is coming from Chile, Australia and Argentina and a private company in Clayton Valley, on the California –Nevada border. Management believes that its Mariana prospect has the potential to become one of only a handful of lithium mines in the world to meet what is projected to be a surging demand for lithium.

Given the relative simplicity of mining lithium especially from brines as opposed to hard rock deposits, and the remote location of this prospect, management believes this prospect can be fast tracked with a conceivable feasibility date within 18 months. Assuming continued ongoing work points toward the potential for the Mariana to become a commercially viable lithium mine, we would expect TNR to either sell off this prospect or retain a carried interest in it through a joint venture or by issuing a dividend to shareholders. But I’m getting ahead of myself a bit here. There are no guarantees yet that the Mariana will be a commercially viable project promising as it may appear at this time.

Lithium prospects in Ontario and Nevada

On Oct. 19th, management reported some impressive lithium assays from grab samples on is 100% owned Mavis Lake Property in Northwestern Ontario. Sampling took place on this hard rock prospect over an area measuring 1.1 kilometers by 4.5 kilometers.

The company also has two lithium brine prospects in Nevada, those being at Fish Lake Valley and Mud Lake.

And on Nov. 10th the company announced that it signed an option to acquire a 100% interest in 1,076 hectare Sarcobatus Flats lithium brine property located 109 kilometers south of Tonopah, in Nye County, Nevada.

Management views these lithium prospects as being only the first few of several that it expects will catapult TNR into the number one lithium exploration company.

Gold Second Most Important Mineral for TNR

The company has an abundance of gold, silver and base metals properties located mostly in Argentina. Some of them such as the La Carolina in Argentina have had a fair amount of exploration progress made on them. Most of these prospects are largely gold and silver prospects with significant base metals potential. With a large number of highly prospective gold targets in the U.S. and Argentina, we think the prospects of developing significant intrinsic value for this company’s shares over the longer run are quite good.

The company’s most advanced prospect is its Shotgun project in Alaska, where a non 43-101 resource of approximately 1 million ounces on surface has been outlined. The average grade is just under 1 gram per tone. More exploration work will need to be carried out to determine whether this is a commercially viable gold project.

Dollars in the Ground

The company has a total of 33 or 34 prospects of which 18 are active. Ten of the total projects are currently joint-ventured. Of that total, seven out of ten are with Canadian Gold Hunter, a company that has subsequently been taken over by a Japanese group. At this time, it is uncertain what the plans of the Japanese group are with respect to those joint venture agreements, so the total amount of money to be spent by other companies is uncertain at this time. One project held by La Mancha is committed to spend $1 million in 2010. In due course, once questions of the Japanese concerns are answered, we would expect a clearer picture of how much money other companies are committed to spending to develop TNR’s various prospects.


MANAGEMENT

The Company's management team has experience in all aspects of the mining industry, including the financing and marketing of public and private companies.




Gary Schellenberg, B.Sc. (Geology)Position: President
Mr. Schellenberg has been managing and financing public and private resource based companies for the past 20 years. His experience provides the Company with leadership and well defined corporate goals.



Paul Chung, B.Sc. (Geology), MBA Position: Director
International experience and expertise in the management of public companies over the past 19 years make Mr. Chung a valuable asset to the Company's Board of Directors. He is directly involved in the day-to-day operations of the Company.



Jerry Bella, CGA Position: CFO
Mr. Bella is a Certified General Accountant with over 20 years experience as a director and CFO of various companies trading on the TSX Venture Exchange. He oversees all the financial affairs of the Company on a day to day basis and works closely with other senior management members in meeting TNR's goals and objectives.



Michael Sieb, B.Sc, MBA Position: Chief Operating Officer
Brings 22 years of strong corporate growth and project management experience in international mining and exploration. Prior to joining TNR, Mr. Sieb was president of Brilliant Mining Ltd. which was named by the TSX50 "Top 10 Mining Companies on the TSX: V" for two consecutive years during his tenure. Mr. Sieb is recognized as a committed executive with an exceptional array of skills essential for operating and developing a premier mining company. He has earned a Masters of Business and Administration degree at the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Geology at Concordia University.



Ike Osmani, P.GeoPosition: Chief Geologist for South American Projects
Mr. Osmani brings 26 years of Canadian and international mineral exploration experience in gold, uranium and base metals and has provided exploration consulting services for numerous resource companies. He has 17 years of experience with major and junior exploration/mining companies and as an independent Consultant and 9 years with Ontario Geological Survey (Government of Ontario).



Roberto Lara, Geologist Position: Managing Director of South American Projects
Mr. Lara graduated from Universidad Nacional de San Juan in geology and has been involved in the mining industry in South America since 1988, mainly in the province of San Juan, Argentina. He previously was chief geologist from Crown Resources USA and consulted to numerous resource companies. Presently Mr. Lara is Vice president of Compañia Minera Solitario Argentina S.A., TNR Gold's 100% subsidiary.



John Harrop, P.GeoPosition: Senior Geologist
Mr. Harrop has been involved in many aspects of gold and base metal exploration for 24 years. He has international field experience in North, Central and South America. He also has substantial experience developing and implementing new technology, such as GIS and 3D geophysics, which can provide competitive advantages to exploration teams.



Mr. Jerry Huang, BBAPosition: VP Corporate Development
Jerry graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration and has had a successful career in private and publicly traded companies in a marketing, service, and sales capacity. Prior to this appointment, he was a senior advisor with a major Canadian bank, generating over $40 million dollars of secured equity and investments in 2007. Jerry is currently completing his MBA at Sauder School of Business at University of British Columbia.





FINANCING & LITHIUM SPIN OUT

At present, the company has a cash position of approximately $500,000. It is in the process of raising $3 million of which $2 million is slotted for funding a spinoff company named International Lithium. The proposal is to raise $3 million with the sale of $0.30 stock with each share carrying with it ½ share purchase warrant at $0.50. The completion of the sale of these shares would raise the number of shares outstanding to approximately 110 million.

Management is currently talking about a 4:1 spinoff, meaning that for every 4 share of TNR you currently hold, you will bet one share of International Lithium. I’m told that at most it will be a 5:1 spinoff. With 110 million shares outstanding in TNR, the total number of shares outstanding for the new International Lithium company would be between 22 million and 27.5 million shares. The $2 million in the new company will then be used exclusively for additional exploration and development of lithium projects.

We think this spin out idea is a very good one because we doubt very much the market is fully pricing both the lithium and gold prospects. A spin out of the lithium prospects should allow help to bring full value to shareholders as “green” orientated investors pay focus on what is currently an attractive investment theme.

More spin off to come?

As noted above, the company’s most advanced prospect is its Shotgun project in Alaska where a non 43-101 resource of approximately 1 million ounces on surface has been out lined. The average grade is just under 1 gram per tone. I understand management is having internal discussions about the potential to spin out the Shotgun prospect into another public company with a structure similar to that being proposed for the Lithium spin out. I believe that could very well add value to existing TNR shareholders.

SUMMARY: TNRs’ project generator model is a good low risk business model that enhances longer term gains through diversification. Shareholder risk from dilution is limited given the use of this model. We think the proposed spin off of the lithium property will add value for current shareholders.

Our main concern with the lithium prospects is the political sustainability of the move toward electric powered cars. My concerns arise out of my bearish global economic outlook and also a growing wavering on the part of various countries toward away from a commitment to halt what many think is man made global warming. If demand for lithium powered cars is truly in the early stages of a growth phase, then TNR and its spin off company should be in a good position to profit longer term. In any event, I believe the spinoff of the lithium properties should add value to existing TNR shareholders.

With a market cap of under $30 million, a lithium spin off possibly to be followed by the Shotgun spin off, not to mention numerous other prospects, precious metals and gold properties, we think TNR provides considerable upside potential for investors willing and able to hold these share for a protracted period of time, assuming, as I do, that the bull market in gold has several more years to run.

Lithium and REE: TNR Gold Announces Fully Subscribed $3 Million Private Placement TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, RM.v, LI.v, CLQ.v, SQM, ROC, FMC, AVL.to, RES.v

"We will add from our side, that company (TNR Gold) was trading at the same level in Spring - Summer 2008 before any lithium and REE properties were acquired. It is an early stage exploration play and access to the capital will be critical for the company. Any significant result from the properties could generate a Buy signal from recent consolidation stage. Stock was in an accumulation stage around 0.3CAD recently and Insiders increased their position according to filing. It is the only company from this sector with drivers in lithium, REE, gold and copper with catalyst in the form of announced strategy to spin off International Lithium and Alaska Gold and Copper properties could follow this approach.
We own the shares of this company among others discussed on this blog, please do not take anything as a solicitation to buy or sell any particular stock on this blog."

"Investors are coming into all value chain of the lithium sector our Lithium and REE Junior Mining Plays will start to move soon hopefully as well."

We have a very positive news for the company - the last crucial piece in its strategic plan to be put in place: access to the capital. Insiders can sell in a lot of circumstances, they buy only in one - when they like what they see in the company and they think with their money that the company is undervalued and has a growth potential. Gary Schellenber and all team at TNR Gold apparently made a very good effort this Fall and manage to find strategic investors in the company. Financing is without any fees and shows continuous commitment of a majority shareholder. Strong hands are accumulating shares in the company and will allow it to develop its business plan without distraction from short term minded financial players in the market. After closing of this financing company will be transformed almost overnight into the very aggressive player in Lithium and REE market with capital to prove its ambitions. Company has extended its shareholder base and added a very important link to energy market players and green energy venture capital. Now we have in play Non-Executive Chairman Kirill Klip further commitment to TNR Group of companies, Canada Zinc Metals with its Chinese connections, industry insiders like Barrick Gold, Nova Gold, NGeX Resources and group of funds supporting this company: Pinetree Capital and Tocqueville Fund among them. We have found a new Interview on TNR Gold home page, which can bring more light about Company plans.

"TNR Gold Announces Fully Subscribed $3 Million Private Placement

Press Release
Source: TNR Gold Corp.
On 9:23 am EST, Tuesday December 8, 2009
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Dec. 8, 2009) - TNR Gold Corp. ("TNR" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:TNR - News) and wholly-owned International Lithium Corp. ("ILC") are pleased to announce a fully subscribed non-brokered private placement in TNR for 10,000,000 (ten million) units (the "Units"), priced at $0.30 per Unit, to raise $3,000,000 (the "Offering"). Each Unit consists of one common share and one-half common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.40 for a period of twenty four months from the date of closing. There are no finders fees payable for the placement.
TNR's Non-Executive Chairman, Mr. Kirill Klip, will be taking 5,000,000 units of the private placement and will concurrently sell 5,000,000 shares privately in order to bring key energy sector strategic investors into the Company. Mr. Klip has filed a notice of distribution to disclose the sale of 5,000,000 shares privately. The remaining 5,000,000 units of the private placement will go to one subscriber.
TNR President and Executive Chairman, Gary Schellenberg, states, "We are encouraged by the continuing support received from Mr. Klip and welcome new strategic investors in TNR and International Lithium Corp. It is clear that our strategic focus on Lithium, other Rare Metals and Rare Earth Elements properties around the world has attracted energy sector investors who are building a portfolio of green energy assets including TNR and wholly-owned International Lithium Corp."
All securities issued pursuant to this financing are subject to a 4-month hold period from the date of closing. The Offering is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval and any regulatory approvals.
Proceeds of the private placement will be used to fund the evaluation of TNR's Lithium, other Rare Metals and Rare Earth Elements properties, implement the proposed spin-off of International Lithium Corp. and for general corporate purposes.
Further to the Company's news release dated September 22, 2009, TNR will not be proceeding with the brokered private placement.
ABOUT TNR GOLD / INTERNATIONAL LITHIUM CORP.
TNR is a diversified metals exploration company focused on exploring existing properties and identifying new prospective projects globally. TNR has a total portfolio of 33 properties, of which 16 will be included in the proposed spin-off of International Lithium Corp.
It is anticipated that TNR shareholders of record will receive up to one share and one full tradable warrant of International Lithium Corp. for every 4 shares of TNR held as of the yet determined record date. This will result in TNR shareholders owning shares in both TNR and International Lithium. For further details of the spin-off please refer to TNR's April 27, 2009 news release or visit http://www.internationallithium.com/.
The recent acquisition of lithium, rare metals and rare-earth elements projects in Argentina, Canada, USA and Ireland confirms the company's commitment to generating projects, diversifying its markets, and building shareholder value.
TNR Gold Corp.
On behalf of the board,
Gary Schellenberg, Chairman and CEO"

Lithium and REE: Electric Cars on DOE’s Mind TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v, F, TTM, TM, NSANY, DAI, BMW,

"As the global market for electrified vehicles grows rapidly over the next several years, lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries in a variety of chemistries will be the technology of choice for auto manufacturers." - this is the most important take out for us and our investment strategy from this report. We have mentioned before that auto makers have confirmed this choice of Lithium-ion technology on a number of auto shows. Another important message is a growth rate of this market expected by this company: from $878 million estimated in 2010 to 8 billion in 2015. It means an explosive growth for Lithium Demand if these estimations are valid. Big stakes will be taken in the big game. More about introduction to the sector is in "BBC Rare earth: The New Great Game"

"Electric Cars on DOE’s Mind

The U.S. government is looking to give out a second $100 million funding round to developers of fuels and batteries for electric cars.
The U.S. Department of Energy has another $100 million to give to cutting-edge research, and it's focus remains on accelerating electric car deployment.
The DOE said Monday it's looking for projects in transportation, liquid fuel and batteries as part of its second round of funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The America Competes Act of 2007 created the ARPA-E, which is meant to support sciences that could make a significant contribution to the national goals of reducing foreign oil imports and emissions, and promoting energy efficiencies.
The DOE awarded its first round, $151 million to 37 projects back in October. At the time, $23.7 million of the funding went to startups and universities to investigate ways to make liquid transportation fuels from using sunlight as a key ingredient or even act as a catalyst (see New Form of Solar Energy: Direct Solar Fuel).
For example, BioCee and the University of Minnesota, which received the money from the previous round, are looking at using sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow two organisms for producing hydrocarbon.
Another company, Sun Catalytix, plans to use solar electricity to split water for producing hydrogen, which could be used as a car fuel or fed to fuel cells for electricity generation for homes and businesses at night (see Hydrogen-Harvesting Catalysts From the Sun).
For the latest round of funding, the DOE is again looking for similar, sunlight-to-fuel projects. But instead of projects that rely on the sun, typically for photosynthesis, the DOE wants to fund research that could use engineered microbes to convert carbon dioxide to fuels.
The use of photosynthesis is innovative, but the "overall efficiencies remain low," the DOE said. Plus, the need for sunlight also would limit production to during the day.
Specifically, the DOE is looking for projects to develop microbes that can harvest energy from hydrogen, metal ions or from electric current.
Besides liquid fuel projects, the DOE also wants to fund battery technologies for electric cars, as well as materials and methods to capture carbon dioxide emissions at coal-fired power plants.
Carbon capture remains a focus of various types of DOE funding, given that roughly 50 percent of the country's electricity come from coal-fired power plants."

Lithium-Ion Battery Maker Ener1 Receives $20 Million Strategic Equity Investment from ITOCHU Corporation TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM,

"Another big player enters the battery market for Electric cars, Pike Reseach report is very bullish on the market with projected growth of almost tenfold within next five years, secured Lithium supply will be next big game in this market."

Investors are coming into all value chain of the lithium sector our Lithium and REE Junior Mining Plays will start to move soon hopefully as well.

"Lithium-Ion Battery Maker Ener1 Receives $20 Million Strategic Equity Investment from ITOCHU Corporation

NEW YORK, Dec. 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Large-format lithium-ion battery maker Ener1, Inc. (Nasdaq: HEV) today announced that it has received $20 million in fresh investment capital from ITOCHU Corporation, a Japanese commercial trading giant with deep ties in the automotive, utility and renewable energy industries. ITOCHU purchased 3.2 million shares of common stock from Ener1 at a price of $6.18 per share.
"ITOCHU has been an invaluable strategic partner for Ener1, supplying capital at important phases in the company's growth and granting vital access to materials and equipment," said Ener1 Chairman and CEO Charles Gassenheimer. "Their deeply rooted relationships with many of the world's leading companies involved in grid storage and electric drive continues to foster new relationships and open doors to compelling commercial opportunities."
Ener1 produces high performance battery systems for the automotive and electric utility markets through its EnerDel subsidiary in Indianapolis, Indiana, which operates one of the most advanced production facilities of its kind in the world. In August, the company received a $118 million cost-share grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, which will be used to help double the company's domestic production capacity.
Recent announcements stemming from Ener1's partnership with ITOCHU include the first project in the world linking grid storage, electric vehicles, rapid recharging infrastructure and solar power, working alongside Mazda Corporation and Think Global electric vehicle company; the conversion of Japanese Postal trucks in the Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures; and the development of one of the world's most advanced rapid recharge technologies, working alongside Kyushu Electric Power (KEPCO), the fourth largest power and utility company in Japan.
"We are very excited that we can enhance the strategic partnership between Ener1 and ITOCHU that started in 2003," said Greg Kasagawa, Executive Officer and COO Aerospace and Electronics Division. "We believe that leading edge technologies which Ener1 companies hold and ITOCHU's global market reach will present excellent opportunities to create multiple applications and business models."
Separately, EnerDel has active relationships underway with automakers Think, Volvo, Mazda, Nissan and Fisker. Their battery packs are also being tested by the U.S. Department of Defense in a prototype hybrid Humvee. Last month, the company was chosen to supply the batteries that will power a DOE-funded smart grid energy storage project by Portland General Electric (PGE) that will help manage peak demand and smooth the variations in power from renewable sources like wind and solar.
ABOUT ENER1
Ener1 develops and manufactures compact, high performance lithium-ion batteries to power the next generation of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric vehicles. The publicly traded company (Nasdaq: HEV) is led by an experienced team of engineers and energy system experts at its EnerDel subsidiary located in Indiana. In addition to the automobile market, applications for Ener1 lithium-ion battery technology include the military, grid storage and other growing markets. Ener1 also develops commercial fuel cell products through its EnerFuel subsidiary and nanotechnology-based materials and manufacturing processes for batteries and other applications through its NanoEner subsidiary."

Lithium and REE: ESB expects majority of electric cars by 2035 TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.o, RES.v, QUC.v, NSANY, BYDD

"We think that it is the right time to address different junior mining Exploration and Development companies engaged in Lithium and REE markets."

This junior is involved in Lithium development in Ireland.
Exploring for Lithium, Rare Earth Metals, Precious & Base Metals across the globe from Argentina to Ireland!


THE POST.IE



"ESB expects majority of electric cars by 2035

06 December 2009 By Eibhir Mulqueen

The head of the ESB’s new electric vehicle division has said that he expects the vast majority of fossil-fuelled cars in Ireland to be replaced by electric vehicles by 2035.Paul Mulvaney said the Irish project to introduce electric vehicles as the first choice for motorists would be a flagship one internationally.He has ordered the installation of the first of hundreds of plug-in charging points on streets and in car parks across the country.The first charging points, supplied by Carra Ireland, a provider of intelligent traffic management systems, will be installed in Dublin and Cork. Over time, the charging points, which look like bollards, will replace petrol stations as the fuelling point for motorists, according to Mulvaney.‘‘It’s a new technology, it’s a new industry. It’s very much happening as we speak," he said. The ESB will also be installing charging points in motorists’ homes, where they will typically use cheaper, nighttime electricity. Mulvaney said that, while there were currently very few electric vehicles being operated, the car industry was building up to 2011 for the first major launch of the next-generation vehicles.Meanwhile, the government has an advance order agreement with Renault-Nissan for 2,000 electric vehicles to be delivered next year. Its intermediate target is for 6,000 electric vehicles to be in use by 2013, as it seeks to reduce the state’s carbon footprint."

Byron Capital Markets Initiates Coverage on Western Lithium Canada Corporation TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, RES.v,

Junior mining Lithium and REE plays.

Exploration and development in Lithium and REE.

How to invest in Lithium and REE.

C.S. We think that it is the right time to address different junior mining Exploration and Development companies engaged in Lithium and REE markets. After our Gold Big Picture short term Sell warning and idea of rotation into junior mining sector in Gold and Silver, time is to check other opportunities in the market place. Do not take us wrong: Gold has a very long time to go, do not trade it if it is not your investment approach. We saw the signal - we share it, if we are correct consolidation could be in order and it will be the good time to accumulate Gold and Silver juniors, "which represent even better value as an assets class" if Gold Bull market will be continued. It is Mr Gold Corp - Rob McEwen and we are in a total agreement. While we will be waiting for catalyst (like Major buying out one of the Juniors, continued consolidation among juniors and investment public understanding that Gold will stay above 1000 USD/oz even after consolidation following the recent parabolic run) to propel junior gold and silver mining sector back to multiples close to summer 2008 for Oz of gold and silver in the ground, we will check on other pockets of growth with potential catalyst to unlock the value.

Gold came under pressure last Friday with a "very positive Job Numbers" and US Dollar rally, people started talking again about FED Rate Rise in the next year. We will not bet our farm on it and neither should you. First - you can never find any investment advise here and should not bet on anything, second - US Dollar has a structural problems and the only solution is to keep Green Fellow down. Job Report shows only one, but very important figure - if you are focused enough to destroy your currency value and print money you can postpone financial collapse if others are accepting the game rules (less and less) and financing you by buying your Debt with worthless paper just to keep you going. It means that we will have pockets of growth - there is always a bull market somewhere. We are preaching about ours.

Lithium and REE Investment Manifesto and Next Big Thing in action:
San Francisco notes.

Never let the others make decisions for you. Today we will discuss a few Lithium plays, some with REE flavour and will look at the charts: weather apart from fundamentals, Copenhagen, Warren Buffet and Jay Taylor we have something pointing to catalyst in this sector. We are looking for the start of Second stage of this Bull market.

We will concentrate on Canadian Stock Exchange and will take top five out of 19 mentioned in Lithium - Hype or Substance by Dundee Capital markets on October 28, 2009. All companies are above 10 mil market cap and we will not go below it. Out of six mentioned by Dundee Latin American Minerals will be excluded as they only have a 31% stake in a private company engaged in Lithium. The rest five are presented below with their charts by the market cap.

"Western Lithium Canada Corp. CAD 90 mil MC. WLC.v is focused on it Kings Valley hectorine project in Nevada. The deposit hosts a historic 11 million tonne lithium carbonate equivalent resource (estimated by Chevron in the 1980's) contained in five lences. WLC.v has an updated compliant resource on one of the lences. The Stage 1 (PCD) lens contains 1.3 million tonnes with grade of 0.27% Li (1.44% lithium carbonate). This near surface deposit is hosted by hectorine clay - hectorite clay deposits are not currently exploited on a commercial scale." Dundee. Below you can find Byron Capital price target of 3.5CAD. We note that Canaccord initiated it as well with a speculative buy and Price Target at 1.9CAD Very important notice is that nobody is producing from this type of deposits at the moment. This company is the largest in Lithium among Canadian juniors and Byron's coverage should move all sector if the company is credible enough in the eyes of investors. Technically we have a Cup and Handle bullish formation, all momentum indicators are neutral to positive, selling volume subsided in accumulation and any pick up could create a Buy signal. One project with a new type of deposit and rather low grade should give some concern after next run and consolidation, after it company should give more answers on its development. Recently announced and cancelled M&A deal shows that company is looking for direction, team behind it could give us a hint that they will try to be a consolidator in the sector. Who will be among their targets? We will leave it to your imagination.

"Canada Lithium Corp. 67 mil MC. CLQ.v primary focus is its past-producing Quebec Lithium Project. CLQ is also looking at other spodumene pegamatite deposits in Canada. (They canceled their option to obtain lithium brine project in Nevada after initial exploration - S.). CLQ.v has commenced a pre-feasibility study on Quebec Lithium and aiming for a completed feasibility study in 2010. CLQ.v suggested in March 2009 that it had materially advanced its lithium carbonate metallurgical process and could ultimately produce battery quality lithium carbonite. Quebec Lithium is located 60 km north of Val d'Or and produced for ten years in the 1950's and 60's. Spodumene rich dykes were extracted from the underground operation. A historic resource of 15.6 million tonnes with a grade of 1.14% Li2O remained following a ten year operation." Dundee. Canaccord has initiated coverage with a target Price of 0.5CAD. Technically stock chart could generate Buy near term, but company diluted itself at the very low levels and now is close to be fully priced at least by Canaccord estimations. Former CEO Judy Baker is not adding credibility to the team by her sudden departure and resurrection in American Lithium, which as some suggested could be a heavily promoted company without any substance at all. After one month as a President there she is out again and is a "project manager". Check this one out carefully before any moves.

Lithium One Inc. 33 mil MC. LI.v's primary focus is the 1700 hectare James Bay project in northern Quebec. Several pegmatite dyke swarms have been identified by surface mapping. Drilling and trenching was undertaken in 2009 and most reported intercepts and channel samples have been in the 1.3% to 1.7% Li2O range. Company estimates that true widths of the dykes are up to 30 m wide. The company has also recently acquired over 25000 hectares of land in Argentina with surface brine samples containing high levels of lithium and potash (averaging of 640 ppm Li). Dundee. Canaccord initiated Lithium One with Target price of 1.2CAD On a chart side company looks like overshoot, with a double top and then lost more then 50% of its value from the peak. Nobody was buying it after the top and stock has slided where it is now. It means that insiders and people close to the company was not in a hurry to increase their positions. Company looks like a good combination of hard rock and brine lithium projects. Technical signal Buy could be generated with further buying pressure and there is room for appreciation at least to Canaccord TP of 1.2CAD.

"TNR Gold Corp. and International Lithium Corp. 25 mil MC. TNR Gold was an early mover in acquiring lithium properties and has assembled a package of eight properties that continues to grow. The projects are located in diverse geographical locations with pegmatites in Canada and Ireland and brine projects in Nevada and Argentina. TNR Gold plans a spin out of its lithium and rare earth element assets into International Lithium Corp. in the first quarter of 2010. The company will also be looking for joint venture partners to move their extensive property portfolio forward." Dundee.

Company is not followed by any investment houses with a Price Target at the moment, but was taken on its Watch list by Jay Taylor after San Francisco conference. Any coverage intiation will bring more attention to this junior.

"JAY'S WATCH LIST Nov 26, 2009

"In Our Sights"

TNR Gold Corp / International Lithium, TNR: TSX:

TNR Gold Corp. and wholly-owned International lithium Corp. ("ILC") are demonstrating widespread and strong lithium, rare metals, and rare earth elements (lithium, tantalum, lanthanum, neodymium, and cesium) mineralization on its large portfolio of 16 projects worldwide spanning Argentina, Canada, USA Nevada, and Ireland. This is big news for ILC's spinoff in early 2010.

Also in play are TNR's key projects in Argentina: Eureka, El Salto, and El Tapau; and its Alaskan commitment: Shotgun and Iliamna. Shotgun hosts a million ounces of historic gold deposit, while Iliamna is an early-stage exploration project showing geological similarities to the nearby Pebble Deposit, approximately 50 km away. TNR will strengthen its assets through partnerships with mid-tier and major companies, and establish long-term cash flow through royalty interests and project development."

We will add from our side, that company was trading at the same level in Spring - Summer 2008 before any lithium and REE properties were acquired. It is an early stage exploration play and access to the capital will be critical for the company. Any significant result from the properties could generate a Buy signal from recent consolidation stage. Stock was in an accumulation stage around 0.3CAD recently and Insiders increased their position according to filing. It is the only company from this sector with drivers in lithium, REE, gold and copper with catalyst in the form of announced strategy to spin off International Lithium and Alaska Gold and Copper properties could follow this approach.

We own the shares of this company among others discussed on this blog, please do not take anything as a solicitation to buy or sell any particular stock on this blog.

"Rodinia Minerals Inc. 10 mil MC. RM.v flagship property, the Clayton valley property in Nevada, was acquired in February 2009. The project is located adjacent to the only lithium producing facility in the US, the Silver Peak brine operation (Chemetall-Foote Corp.), which currently produces 1.2 million kg of lithium per annum. Rodinia is the main land holder in the area. The company's second project, the Strider Lithium property in Manitoba, was acquired in May 2009." Dundee.

It is an early stage lithium brine exploration play in Nevada, U.S. Peter Grandich was engaged on promotion side by the company and stock jumped almost 20% forming a Double Bottom. Further upward pressure will confirm the Buy signal on technical side.

Byron Capital Markets Initiates Coverage on Western Lithium Canada Corporation

Toronto, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 12/03/09 -- Byron Capital Markets, a division of Byron Securities Limited, is pleased to announce that it has initiated coverage today on Western Lithium Canada Corporation (TSX VENTURE: WLC) with a Speculative Buy rating and a target price of $3.50.
In this 17-page research report, analyst Dr. Jon Hykawy gives a comprehensive overview of the company and speaks to the processes and economics of lithium production derived from hectorite clays.
This report further exemplifies Byron Capital Markets' continuing commitment to research and, in particular, its ongoing efforts in the Electric Metals space."

Gold and Copper in Argentina: Rob McEwen, Los Azules and TNR Gold. MAI.v, TNR.v, CZX.v, ABX, AUY, GDX, SLV, XAU, HUI, FCX, RTP, BHP,

Above is recent valuation on Los Azules from CanaccordAdams. With a very conservative view on Copper price 2 USD/lb long term, analyst assigned valuation of 350 mil USD with 10%discount rate and 0.25 (!) risk adjustment for NPV (development stage and Argentina). TNR Gold has a back-in right of 25% in the Northern part of the deposit with high grade core positioned mostly on its land. As you remember, conditions of this back in agreement and Title to adjacent Escorpio IV property is under dispute with Xstrata.

In case of successful litigation process all market cap of TNR Gold seems to be more the justified by Los Azules value alone - other properties in Argentina, Shotgun and Illiamna in Alaska are a free top up in this case.

The most important part is, that value for International Lithium will be credited to TNR holdings as a "free paper" in the case of court victory.

TNR Gold legal position is that:

"Gary Schellenberg, President of TNR commented that "Xstrata's decision does not affect TNR's own back-in right with respect to certain of the properties located in the Project. We are confident in the viability of the project therefore fully intend to exercise our back-in at the appropriate time and look forward to a mutually beneficial working relationship with MAI". TNR retains a conditional 25% back-in right to certain of the properties within the Project through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Solitario Argentina S.A. ("Solitario") under an exploration and option agreement (the "Exploration and Option Agreement") between MIM Argentina Explorationes S.A.("MIM"), a subsidiary of Xstrata PLC, and Solitario dated May 15, 200, which is one of the underlying agreements to which MAI's interest is subject. TNR's back-in option is currently the subject of a legal dispute, with a court date set for the fall of 2010. In the legal proceedings, TNR is seeking rectification of the Exploration and Option Agreement to the extent that it purports to terminate Solitario's back-in rights if a feasibility study is not completed within three years of MIM exercising its option. TNR's position is that the true intent of the parties is reflected in a letter of understanding which provided that Solitario's back-in right subsists until 120 days after completion of a feasibility study. TNR is also seeking confirmation of ownership of its Escorpio IV claim, which is located adjacent to the Project; and a declaration that the Escorpio IV property is excluded from the Exploration and Option Agreement."

TNR has George K. Macintosh, Q.C.- one of the best lawyers in Canada working on the case.


Rob McEwen CEO of Minera Andes was marketing Los Azules in San Francisco with the following:

"Los Azules Copper Discovery

Inferred resource containing over 11 billion pounds of copper.
Larger than 83% of the world's copper deposit.
Open at depth and to the north for over 2 miles.
High Grade Core: Approximately 105 million tons of 1% copper near-surface!

Los Azules Preliminary Assessment

NPV (USD 3.0/lb, 8% discount rate) - $4 Billion
IRR - 25%
Initial Capital Expenditure - 2.7 Billion
Mine Life - 23.6 years."

It will be interesting to see how law suit with Xstrata will go on and weather Rob McEwen will be open to a deal with a junior in order to clear the title of Los Azules and be able to market Los Azules project on the market.

Canada Zinc Metals CZX.v stays as a wild card in the game with Chinese Tongling owing 13%. With recent activity in share price of CZX.v, we will not be surprised that Canaccord is right and company will be taken out at one stage. In this case Chinese Tongling as a shareholders in TNR Gold will add spice to the game around this huge Copper and gold mine in Argentina.

We are long standing shareholders in Canada Zinc Metals, TNR Gold and Minera Andes: we are biased and do not take anything as an investment advise as usual, please.

Gold Big Picture, Rob McEwen, Jim Puplava and Inflation. MAI.v, TNR.v, RMK.v, AMM.to, GBN.v, ASM.v, KTN.v, MAX.v, EPZ.v, OK.v, BVG.v, MUN.to, NGQ.to,

C.S. We do not worry about the Gold and direction of the Bull market in Gold and Silver., but you should not expect it to go in a parabolic rise if the end of this bull market is not in the next six months. Consolidation in Gold and Majors is due now and next wave will be in still undervalued Juniors. As Jim Puplava has put it this weekend you can change the Bull fundamentals for Gold market in three cases:

With a Dead Government walking you can save the day with:

1. J.P. "Change the system." S. Will Goldman Sachs pay to put Goldman Sachs in jail? We do not think so. Have you noticed that after this largest Wealth Destruction in the history nobody is really to blame and nobody goes to jail? Everybody will protect status quo. We will not think about it.

2. J.P. "Default on obligations" S. It will be the End of the World as we know it and it will put Elite at risk of losing its influence once and for all very fast. We will not bet on it.

3. J.P. Inflate, print money and dilute the vast financial obligations - this is our take and we can see it is happening all this year. Expansion of monetary base means inflation and Do Not Be Fooled with the official inflation index with Excluded everything You really Need to Survive. Life is not about another DVD player, which you can buy dirt cheap now. It is about how can you drive to work, feed your family, stay healthy and give your kids the education.

Once politicians are in front of the imminent collapse of monetary system holding the fabric of society together and they have a chance to postpone Day of Reckoning by printing money - they will do so , and it is not a theory any more. Quantitative Easing is all over the place.

We promised to give you an update on Gold Big Picture. First of all we will refer to the Chart above and will tell you that we see a Sell signal short term in the making. Weekly candle does look very nasty. Maybe it will go another 10-15% straight up in the next two weeks - we think it will go down and consolidate healthy below recent high of 1224 USD/oz area of resistance predicted by Jim Sinclair. If we wrong on timing - it could be a sense of Real Trouble in the making: Gold will go parabolic to Rob McEwen's 5000 USD/oz Target on a monthly basis, but not overnight. If it is Not the End of the World. It is time to rotate from Majors and into Juniors - we are talking our book here for sure. They will be next year Big Play in gold market. Even with gold consolidating and Majors under pressure with taking profit you can get a very good value in Junior miners, who will provide resources for growth for Majors just to keep up with their production rate.

Recently Jim Puplava had a very good session on Financial Sense on a Gold round table with Rob McEwen, we will recommend to listen to it for everybody involved in the market.

Go to the 26th of November second hour of this audio

You will find out about fundamentals in Gold bull market, why Investment banks are not always your friends and why management thinks differently from shareholders.

Sunridge Gold Drills 15.67 Metres of 10.21% Copper and 2.01 g/t Gold at the Debarwa Deposit, Asmara Project, Eritrea SGC.v, TNR.v, RMK.v, AMM.to,

We have not seen such grades for a while and think that Sunridge Gold SGC.v has finally get its footing after the recent collapse in Juniors. They manage to attract Antofagasta and now can advance their projects more rapidly, this kind of grades will bring attention. Peter Grandich was pushing the company on PR side from as low as 0.2CAD this April with his options priced at 0.15CAD, timing was right: just before Copper picked up and Antofagasta stepped in. He managed to crash share price recently just before this news were announced with a legitimate concern about security in Eritrea in his email blast. Cynical people could think that it is not a news at all, but we will not go there. Somebody liked the news and loaded up, we will monitor the development. For us it is "Big IF in action again" - What if the size of the deposit and its grade will overcome security concerns for the Eritrea and Africa will be on a radar screens again? Nevsun Resources NSU.to ongoing development will generate the news and keep investors alert to the area.

We were not writing about Gold Juniors for a while and will address the Big Picture in Gold later, nothing have changed for us. We are going to have bumps like this Friday after parabolic rise. Everybody is writing about Gold and Majors now and we save our time and energy moving into the new Bull markets at their very beginning. Gold will preserve the wealth and gold Juniors will be next year investment theme in gold again. This pull back will allow to accumulate names you were waiting for and rotate out of majors. We have been rotating out of Junior "Majors" recently known to everybody and accumulating new ideas. We are on the same page with Rob McEwen and following him: The next big play in gold will be in Juniors.

Sunridge Gold Drills 15.67 Metres of 10.21% Copper and 2.01 g/t Gold at the Debarwa Deposit, Asmara Project, Eritrea

Press Release
Source: Sunridge Gold Corp.
On 8:00 am EST, Wednesday December 2, 2009
Companies:
Sunridge Gold Corp. (Tier2)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - 12/02/09) - Sunridge Gold Corp. (TSX-V:SGC - News) is pleased to announce assay results for the first four diamond drill holes from the 2009 drill program at the 100% owned Debarwa high-grade copper-gold-zinc volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit in Eritrea. To date, thirty-five holes have been completed with the objective of expanding the supergene and primary zones. Further assays will be released as available.
DRILL HIGHLIGHTS:
DEBD-092: 36.75 metres grading 4.82% copper and 1.12 g/t gold, including 15.67 metres grading 10.21% copper and 2.01 g/t gold
DEBD-093: 24.00 metres grading 1.13% copper
DEBD-094: 26.15 metres grading 3.77% copper including 14.15 metres grading 6.26% copper
Holes DEBD-092 and 095 were drilled into the main copper supergene zone at Debarwa to further define this zone and to get fresh samples for further metallurgical testing. Results of DEBD-092 are very encouraging because the high grade copper supergene intercept in this hole is significantly wider than predicted. In addition, drill hole DEBD-095 extended the high grade supergene copper zone about 20 metres further down-dip.
Drill holes DEBD-093 and DEBD-094 were drilled to define and extend the high-grade copper mineralization down-dip in the Debarwa South and successfully intercepted the high-grade zone. The Debarwa south zone is located approximately 400 metres south of the main Debarwa zone. DEBD-092 and 094 both indicate potential to increase resources and grades at the Debarwa VMS deposit (see attached map: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/sgc121.pdf).

Table.

The objective of the drill program at Debarwa is to expand the existing resources by testing nearby geophysical anomalies as well as attempting to extend the high-grade copper-gold supergene zone to the south and to extend the copper-zinc primary zone to depth. In addition, fresh samples for metallurgical testwork were recovered.
In the existing resource at Debarwa the copper supergene zone has an average grade of 5.36% copper using a 1% copper cut-off, and is estimated to contain 158 million pounds of copper in the Indicated category. The primary zone at Debarwa has not had significant delineation drilling in previous programs and is open for expansion at depth and along strike. The primary zone has an average grade of 2.53% copper with 3.23% zinc in the Indicated category using a 1% copper cut-off (see the resource statement below).
Michael J. Hopley is the Qualified Person for Sunridge and is the person responsible for preparation of the technical information contained in this news release. Mr. Hopley is President and Chief Executive Officer of Sunridge.
ABOUT SUNRIDGE:
Sunridge Gold Corp. is a mineral exploration and development company focused on the acquisition, exploration, discovery and development of base and precious metal projects on the Asmara Project in Eritrea. On October 2, 2009, Sunridge announced the signing of a definitive exploration and funding agreement with Antofagasta Minerals S.A. to form a strategic partnership whereby Antofagasta will fund US$10,000,000 of exploration work over a five year period on the "Exploration Areas" of the Asmara project to earn up to a 75% interest in these areas and also invested US$5,000,000 in a non-brokered private placement.
Sunridge has approximately 76 million shares outstanding and $8.3 million in cash. Sunridge trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol SGC. For additional information on the Company and its projects please view the slide show on our website at http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AgBUzAh7Qv6Db9mNL99rhpmtcq9_;_ylu=X3oDMTE2aGRwcmY3BHBvcwMyBHNlYwNuZXdzQXJ0Qm9keQRzbGsDd3d3c3VucmlkZ2Vn/SIG=111j5di32/**http%3A//www.sunridgegold.com/ or call Don Halliday or Greg Davis at the numbers listed below.
SUNRIDGE GOLD CORP.
Michael Hopley, President and Chief Executive Officer"

Electric Cars: Video: Nissan Details Schedule for the Leaf, Plus a Test Drive TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, AVL.to, QUC.v, NSANY

One of the important issues,, we found at San Francisco Hard Assets Conference this November, was lack of understanding even by Hard Assets industry analysts and letter writers about technological advance in Lithium-ion technology and speed to market in Electric cars mass market. It is very positive for our Investment Trend - first stage of the bull market was driven by only sector insiders and smart money, idea is not even close to be at an investment public domain yet. Jay Taylor has added TNR Gold / International Lithium to his Watch List after the conference and now we have news for all those still hesitating - it is lithium based and you can drive it. Electric cars are here. Graph below is driving appetite of multinationals piling into the battery business this week and Research reports confirm explosive projections and lithium-ion industry choice.

Our own take from Nissan Leaf North American Tour:

Decision will be price driven: if it is a "normal" car with full utility functions, people will buy it - drivers are: coolness to be Green, High Tech and all gadgets included. Nissan's answer: think about price of family sedan under $30000 before $7500 tax rebate.

Main focus now: Range anxiety. Nissan's business model in U.S.: we do not have a pill - we have technology. Leaf will be equipped with a fast charge in U.S. (S. - and a new battery coming will cure this issue hopefully) You can fast charge your car within 26 minutes up to 80%. (S. - Think Supermarkets and Fast Food restaurants chains). Most people do not realise that they are not driving more the 40 miles every day. It is an everyday commute car. If you need three times a year drive 300 miles - most people have an access to another car.

But this is still a valid point of worry for some people and gives market share to GM Volt and BYD - Hard Hybrids with a range extension systems. We think it will be particularly an issue for U.S.,  Canada and China with a first car in household. In Europe EVs will take a bigger share right from the start.

Nissan: it is Lithium-on polymer battery developed by NEC and Nissan for 17 years. We will remind here that Nissan claims to spend total 5.5 billion dollars on Electric Car program in total. this is what we call anchoring technology.

GreetechMedia

Video: Nissan Details Schedule for the Leaf, Plus a Test Drive

You won’t be able to swap batteries in the Leaf in the U.S., but fast-charging stations will cut the charge time to under a half an hour in San Diego.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The Nissan Leaf. It's blue and you can go from zero to around 40 miles an hour in a few seconds.
We got to drive a near-final prototype of the Nissan Leaf yesterday. The all-electric car will be released late next year. A final version of the Leaf was parked on Santana Road in San Jose (see picture). The test drive took place on the top floor of an empty parking garage. Why? The prototype isn't licensed for the streets.
Overall, it drove like a somewhat peppy mid-sized sedan, but with the benefits of regenerative braking, quick acceleration and almost none of the noise that you'd expect to find in an electric – think of a Honda Accord or Saab but with extras. Like the Tesla Roadster, the Leaf also has a somewhat clean cockpit. You control the transmission with a knob that looks and operates like a joystick.
The camera work isn't glamorous, but check out the video here.

Mark Perry, director of product planning for Nissan, also reiterated and refined some of the details surrounding the car. Nissan will start production in September 2010 and start selling cars in December 2010. Perry wouldn't comment on an exact price – that will come in about eight months – but it will sell for around the same price as a well-equipped Altima, or in the $30,000 range.
The company is still debating how the sales contracts will work. Customers might buy complete cars outright, or buy the car and lease the battery. Leasing the battery will help ease concerns some consumers have about the durability of the battery. Additionally, by leasing the battery, Nissan can reduce the initial price of the car because the lease agreement can contemplate the $7,500 tax credit buyers will get from the Federal government, he said. Since it is not a rebate, car dealers can't give the money to consumers and collect the $7,500 themselves. Leasing can get around this to some degree.
Nissan will not offer battery swapping for the Leaf in America. Instead, it will equip the cars with 480-volt chargers for fast charging. With a fast charger, 80 percent of the battery can be recharged in 26 minutes. San Diego will set up 50 of these by December. Some may be erected in the Bay Area as well.
More in the video."

Lithium and REE: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept: 62 MPG and 0-62 in 4.8 Seconds TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, BMW, AVL.to

BMW has its Vision and we have ours: with this kind of babies even in prototype stage Lithium-ion based technology will pick up quick and make a sizable share of our mobility fleet. What is available now only for High End applications will find its way into mass market faster than a lot of people think. Time is to move this Trend to the front pages. Look for the signs Powered by Lithium-ion Technology.

Vision EfficientDynamics Concept: 62 MPG and 0-62 in 4.8 Seconds

By: Nick Mokey •
December 4, 2009

A lithium-polymer battery pack and two motors push the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics all the way to 155mph.
For those not quite lucky enough to make it to Frankfurt to witness BMW’s new Vision EfficientDynamics concept exposed for the first time, BMW yanked off the cover yet again for an audience at the LA Auto Show on Wednesday.

The ferocious-looking hybrid combines sportscar styling with electric underpinnings to deliver 62 miles per gallon, and a zero to 62 time of 4.8 seconds.
Unlike similar electric vehicles that use lithium-ion or nickel-metal-hydride battery packs, the Vision uses a lithium-polymer battery pack – the same type used in ultrathin laptops like Apple’s MacBook Air. The pack pumps power to a dual front and back electric motors which put down a combined 356 horsepower – enough to push the Vision all the way to 155 mph.
Similar to Volkswagen’s diesel-sipping Up Lite, it also uses an efficient diesel engine to power the batteries between at-home charging.
Although BMW showed footage of the vehicle zipping around twisty forest roads, it remains, unlike Audi’s E-Tron, purely a dream for the time being, with no finite plans for production.

Lithium: Sony to enter car battery market: Stringer TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, SNE, HEV, AONE, VLNC, JCI, PC, NSANY, RNO,

"Pike Research report -As the global market for electrified vehicles grows rapidly over the next several years, lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries in a variety of chemistries will be the technology of choice for auto manufacturers." - this is the most important take out for us and our investment strategy from this report. We have mentioned before that auto makers have confirmed this choice of Lithium-ion technology on a number of auto shows. Another important message is a growth rate of this market expected by this company: from $878 million estimated in 2010 to 8 billion in 2015. It means an explosive growth for Lithium Demand if these estimations are valid. Big stakes will be taken in the big game. More about introduction to the sector is in "BBC Rare earth: The New Great Game"

Another big player enters the battery market for Electric cars, Pike Reseach report is very bullish on the market with projected growth of almost tenfold within next five years, secured Lithium supply will be next big game in this market.



"Sony to enter car battery market: Stringer

December 3, 2009 -->
Sony CEO Howard Stringer speaks to reporters at a round table meeting at the company's headquarters in Tokyo. Stringer said Sony will tap the car battery market amid growing public attention to green cars such as electric cars which would not emit gases responsible for global warming while on the road.
Sony Corp. will tap the rechargeable car battery market amid a growing focus on electric cars and green auto technology, chief executive Howard Stringer said Thursday.



"The energy business is obviously -- given the nature of the world we live in -- going to be a growth area," Stringer told reporters.
"We are going to put some of our own money into it and move quickly ... to see if we can find a place that makes sense for us," he said.
Japanese carmakers have invested heavily in developing hybrid, electric and fuel efficient cars that produce lower or no greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.
Toyota Motor has set up a business with Panasonic to produce lithium-ion batteries, while Nissan Motor and electronics giant NEC have also jointly set up a battery company.
"Somebody said to me, well, battery makers have car deals," said Stringer.
"If you produce the right battery, if you produce it, they will come," he said.
Sony has booked a net loss of 26.3 billion yen (290 million dollars) for the fiscal second quarter through September, hit by weak demand for televisions, cameras and other electronic devices.
It forecasts a net loss of 95 billion yen for the year to March.
However, Stringer said sales in the US holiday season had been brisk so far, especially of the PlayStation 3 game console and Blu-ray disks.
(c) 2009 AFP"

Lithium and REE: Peugeot and Mitsubishi head for £2bn electric car alliance TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, SQM, ROC, FMC, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v, F

Consolidation has started in a Big Game:

"Rare earth: The New Great Game - Now we have BBC with Jack Lifton on its education course for Rare Earth Elements, as we have mentioned before: a lot of analysts find this sector very demanding in technical knowledge and general investment public follows guys like James Dines and Jay Taylor without deep understanding of the subject. Now Warren Buffett and BBC is taking its to the mainstream of investment world with a Bullish Case for Strategic Commodities for 21st century."

Who will start to consolidate Lithium and REE supply chain to match the ambitions of auto makers in Electric Space?

"From The Times

December 4, 2009
Peugeot and Mitsubishi head for £2bn electric car alliance

Leo Lewis

Peugeot Citroën is poised to plunge 300 billion yen (£2 billion) into Mitsubishi Motors to forge an alliance designed to rescue the Japanese company from financial calamity and create a European powerhouse for electric vehicles.
Negotiations have begun amid rising concern over Japan’s motor sector and its ability to compete in the emerging market for electric cars. Some industry analysts believe that Japanese companies may not be able to retain their technical superiority as demand for the combustion engine fades, leaving the new field of electric vehicles open to newer and nimbler players.
The Peugeot-Mitsubishi alliance would effectively make it the world’s sixth-biggest carmaker. The deal could allow Peugeot access to the state-of-the-art plant of GS Yuasa, the Japanese company that leads the fledgeling lithium car battery industry. GS Yuasa has been producing batteries as part of a joint venture with Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Corporation, the trading company. It was unclear how much of the factory’s output would be sold to companies other than Mitsubishi.
If the deal proceeds, the alliance is expected to focus on designing cars to suit first-time buyers in emerging Asian economies. It would also deepen its partnership on a joint production facility in Russia.

The French group’s investment would also allow Mitsubishi to continue developing its i-MiEV electric vehicle — the first in its class to be mass produced but still too expensive to appeal to consumers and in need of further development. The i-MiEV went on sale in July, but, at 3.2 million yen, is more than twice as expensive as the petrol-driven minicar on which it is based. Sales, so far, have been disappointing.
The deal would make the French carmaker the largest single shareholder in Mitsubishi Motors and would allow other companies in the Mitsubishi group to effect longdesired exits from the troubled carmaker that bears their brand. Shares in other Mitsubishi companies, including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ, soared yesterday on the news.
Peugeot’s stake is likely to be bought in a single chunk as a block of privately issued shares, possibly representing as much as 50 per cent of Mitsubishi. Officials of the Japanese company said that such a percentage “would make sense”.
• Word of the talks emerged on a spectacularly good day for Japanese stocks. A fall in the yen and the possibility that the Government might be serious about tackling deflation propelled Tokyo’s shares to a five-week high. The Nikkei 225 closed 368.73 points up at 9,977.67."

Capstone To Launch New Hybrid Electric Car At Los Angeles Auto Show TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, RM.v, LI.v, SQM, ROC, FMC, F, BYDDY, NSANY, BMW, FCX, RTP,

It is a very interesting concept - we need to address range anxiety before batteries will be better and charging infrastructure will be in place. This toy will be a good marketing tool, but will not make our EV mass market. On the other hand this prototype will provide technology to be used in Hard Hybrids like GM Volt and BYD. With all new models coming Pike Research could be not so aggressive after all and Buffett' prediction particularly.

BUSINESS REVIEW

Capstone To Launch New Hybrid Electric Car At Los Angeles Auto Show
Published:30-November-2009
By Staff Reporter

Features a Capstone C30 (30-kilowatt) microturbine that runs on diesel or biodiesel
Capstone Turbine has introduced the CMT-380, a hybrid-electric supercar powered by traditional batteries and an untraditional, ultra-low emission, range-extending microturbine.
The prototype hybrid-electric supercar with microturbine technology will debut at the LA Auto Show Dec. 2-13.
Jim Crouse, Capstone's EVP of sales and marketing, said: "The sleek-looking, high-performance supercar car definitely raises hybrid's cool factor several levels.
"The CMT-380's design performance numbers speak for themselves: 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, 150 mph top speed and an unheard of driving range of up to 500 miles on a single tank of fuel, all with ultra-low exhaust emissions that rival any hybrid on the market today."
Electronic Arts chief creative director Richard Hilleman has developed the concept for the hybrid-electric microturbine vehicle with support from Capstone Turbine.
Capstone and Hilleman's microturbine hybrid supercar features a Capstone C30 (30-kilowatt) microturbine that runs on diesel or biodiesel, which is housed inside a Factory Five Racing GTM body. The Capstone C30 microturbine does not require any exhaust after treatment to meet clean air requirements of the California Air Resources Board or EPA 2010, the company said.
The CMT-380 features lithium-polymer battery cells that can be charged at home or at a public recharging station. While driving, the sports car can operate on 100 percent battery power in zero-emissions mode for a range of up to 80 miles. When the batteries reach a pre-determined state of discharge, the Capstone C30 microturbine quietly fires up and recharges the batteries on the fly to extend the driving range up to 500 miles.
The diesel-fueled C30 microturbine reportedly requires less maintenance than traditional combustion engines and produces ultra-low exhaust emissions."

Sanyo Wins First Lithium-Ion Car Battery Customers TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, SQM, ROC, FMC, LMR.v, TTM, TM, NSANY, BYDDY, DAI, BMW, F, RNO, FCX

Pike Research has put even more aggressive estimations for Lithium-ion batteries than on the graph below:

"Another important message is a growth rate of this market expected by this company: from $878 million estimated in 2010 to 8 billion in 2015. It means an explosive growth for Lithium Demand if these estimations are valid. Big stakes will be taken in the big game."

Secure supply of the lithium will be the next game in town with this kind of development in electric cars market and batteries makers.

"With Lithium picture was more muted and we found that a lot of analyst and letter writers are out of the picture on technological advance and recent developments in Lithium-ion battery space and are taking figures from TRU that stated that all current producers will easily meet Demand in years to come. Apart from cynical observation that they could be paid up by SQM, FMC and ROC, who do not like to change their cosy environment, we must state that here is the place for our "Big IF"

BusinessWeek

Sanyo Wins First Lithium-Ion Car Battery Customers

Big demand from makers of plug-in hybrid electric cars drives Sanyo's production startup. Sales may begin in 2011 to two unnamed automakers
Asia
(Bloomberg) — Sanyo Electric, the world's biggest maker of rechargeable batteries, has won at least two customers for its lithium-ion batteries to fuel plug-in hybrid vehicles, an executive said.
The company will start supplying the batteries to automakers, including a Japanese and a foreign carmaker, as early as in the latter half of 2011, Mitsuru Honma, head of Sanyo's rechargeable-battery unit, said in an interview yesterday at the company's headquarters in Osaka, western Japan. Honma didn't identify the customers, but Toyota's name has been mentioned.
The electronics maker, which is being acquired by Panasonic, is accelerating development of lithium-ion batteries for plug-in hybrid cars in anticipation of growth in demand for low-emission cars. The company estimates that global sales of hybrid cars using lithium-ion cells, including plug-in models, will grow to 2.3 million units by 2015 and 10.2 million by 2020.
"Lithium-ion batteries used in cars are likely to be the winners in a high-growth market and that's why Sanyo has made it the centerpiece of its business strategy," said Nobuo Kurahashi, an analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities in Tokyo. "Any agreement like this is a very positive development."
Most hybrid cars currently use nickel-metal hydride batteries. Automakers are shifting to develop plug-in models and electric cars that use lithium-ion cells, which are lighter, more powerful, and more expensive.
Toyota and GM plan plug-in models
Sanyo shares fell 1.3% to close at 157 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, extending its decline this year to 5.4%. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average added 0.4% today.
Toyota Motor, which makes the Prius, the world's most popular hybrid vehicle, plans to build a plug-in model for retail buyers in 2012. General Motors intends to build as many as 60,000 Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric cars annually, starting in November 2010.
Sanyo will supply lithium-ion batteries for Toyota's plug-in hybrid vehicles, the Asahi newspaper reported on Oct. 21, without saying where it got the information. Toyota spokesman Hideaki Homma today declined to confirm or deny that Sanyo will be its supplier.
Global lithium-ion battery sales will likely grow to 2 trillion yen ($23 billion) in 2020, from 840 billion yen in 2008, fueled by demand for batteries used in electric cars and hybrid vehicles, Daiwa Institute of Research estimated in January. Lithium-ion cells will likely overtake nickel-hydride batteries in the car market around 2014, the researcher said.
"Lithium-ion batteries are big business" because their cost currently makes up about 2 million yen, or almost half the price of electric cars sold in Japan, according to Takeshi Miyao, a Tokyo-based supply-chain analyst for auto consultant Carnorama. While battery power and costs will be lower for hybrid cars, "securing a customer now may lead to future deals with affiliated brands," he said.
Building a cell factory in Japan
Plug-in hybrids will be among the models to drive growth in sales of low-emission cars in the coming years until new technologies for batteries, motors, and charging stations are developed for vehicles fully powered by electricity, Honma said. "About 80% to 90% of environment-friendly cars in 2020 will probably be either plug-in or hybrids."
Sanyo will probably be able to make 300,000 to 400,000 of those cells per month when it starts production as early as 2011 at a new plant being built in Kasai, Hyogo prefecture, western Japan, Honma said in October.
The company's factory in Tokushima prefecture, southwestern Japan, makes lithium-ion batteries exclusively for Volkswagen, Europe's largest automaker.
Last month, Sanyo said it will supply nickel-metal hydride batteries for PSA Peugeot Citroen Group's hybrid cars from 2011. Sanyo already provides batteries to Honda Motor and Ford Motor for their hybrids.
The batterymaker plans to build factories in Europe, China, and the U.S. as early as 2012 to start making car-battery modules, Honma said at a briefing in October.
electric cars 10% of market by 2010?
The average cost of lithium-ion cells used in electric and hybrid cars will likely drop 50% by 2014, research firm Fuji Keizai Group said on Nov. 6. Technical advances and mass production can lower the cost to boost the global lithium-ion car battery market to 2.25 trillion yen in 2014, from 25 billion yen this year, according to the researcher.
Nissan Motor Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn said in August that electric cars will comprise at least 10% of global demand by 2020, assuming oil costs more than $70 a barrel. Nissan plans to start selling its Leaf electric car next year.
Sony is in talks to supply "several companies" with lithium-ion car batteries, Executive Deputy President Hiroshi Yoshioka told reporters last week, declining to identify the potential customers. Yoshioka said on Nov. 19 that Sony plans to spend 100 billion yen researching and developing rechargeable batteries, including those for electric cars.
"It's only natural that Sony plans to enter this market, given its high growth potential," Honma said. "With or without Sony, the competition in this market will intensify, both in terms of technology and prices."
To contact the reporter on this story: Mariko Yasu in Tokyo at myasu@bloomberg.net"

Lithium Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles to Approach $8 Billion in Sales by 2015, Forecasts Pike Research TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, SQM, ROC

"As the global market for electrified vehicles grows rapidly over the next several years, lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries in a variety of chemistries will be the technology of choice for auto manufacturers." - this is the most important take out for us and our investment strategy from this report. We have mentioned before that auto makers have confirmed this choice of Lithium-ion technology on a number of auto shows. Another important message is a growth rate of this market expected by this company: from $878 million estimated in 2010 to 8 billion in 2015. It means an explosive growth for Lithium Demand if these estimations are valid. Big stakes will be taken in the big game. More about introduction to the sector is in "BBC Rare earth: The New Great Game"

Earth Times

Lithium Ion Batteries for Electric Vehicles to Approach $8 Billion in Sales by 2015, Forecasts Pike Research
Posted : Thu, 03 Dec 2009 10:01:41 GMT
Author : Pike Research
Category : Press Release


BOULDER, Colo. - (Business Wire) As the global market for electrified vehicles grows rapidly over the next several years, lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries in a variety of chemistries will be the technology of choice for auto manufacturers. The opportunity for Li-ion batteries will be primarily driven by plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles, which require much larger battery packs than conventional hybrids. According to a new report from Pike Research, this market growth will create a Li-ion transportation battery industry with nearly $8 billion in sales worldwide by 2015, up from $878 million in 2010.
In the near term, the Li-ion market, and the electric vehicle (EV) industry in general, will be largely fueled by government subsidies, incentives, and production goals. “2012 will be the make or break year for the electric vehicle market,” says senior analyst John Gartner. “As government support for the sector winds down, demand from consumers and businesses will need to pick up the slack, or the industry faces the risk of oversupply.”
Gartner anticipates that prices for Li-ion batteries will be a key determinant in the ultimate market acceptance of EVs, since battery cost will represent much of the price premium for electric vehicles. He forecasts that Li-ion prices will improve significantly over the next few years, falling 50% from $940 per kilowatt hour (kWh) in 2010 to $470 per kWh in 2015.
Pike Research’s report, “Electric Vehicle Batteries”, examines the key market dynamics for Lithium Ion batteries in plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles. Analysis includes industry and government drivers for the electrification of vehicles, and the role of advanced battery technologies in the development of this new sector. The report includes profiles of key players and market forecasts through 2015. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.
Pike Research is a market research and consulting firm that provides in-depth analysis of global clean technology markets. The company’s research methodology combines supply-side industry analysis, end-user primary research and demand assessment, and deep examination of technology trends to provide a comprehensive view of the Smart Energy, Clean Transportation, Clean Industry, Corporate Sustainability, and Building Efficiency sectors. "

Lithium and REE: 2009 LA Auto Show: GM's Lutz Calls For Electric Evolution TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, NSANY, TM, RNO, F, DAI, BMW

We have covered technical aspects of GM Volt and investment opportunity of the 21st century before in:

Lithium and REE Investment Manifesto and Next Big Thing in action:

San Francisco notes.

Now we can get the feeling how serious Green Mobility is taken by GM itself and what it means for the future of automakers: we can not support only Nissan, Toyota and BYD - we still have a chance to build up our own future in the West. Wealth creation is based on capital investing in manufacturing, building modern production base, utilising high tech applications and production of high value added goods and services. So far we had plenty of NINJA (No Income No Job Application) mortgage loans played around and only hope for GM Volt. (Tesla Roadster and Fisker Karma will be an important EV Top Brand marketing tools, but hardly a mass market products at this moment). Goldman Sachs and AIG were bailed out, but GM was almost gone. Who will take the charge in the Rare earth: The New Great Game?

2009 LA Auto Show: GM's Lutz Calls For Electric Evolution

The Auto channel

SEE ALSO: EV-MOTORING.COM
Remarks by Robert A. Lutz Motor Press Guild Los Angeles Auto Show December 2, 2009
Thanks, Aaron [Aaron Robinson, MPG President and Technical Editor, Car & Driver magazine] for that kind introduction.
It’s always a pleasure to come to California[and the L.A. Auto Show]… and that’s especially true this year, since I have the great privilege of helping the Motor Press Guild kick off “press week.”
I also want to recognize the L.A. Show organizers for putting together another great event. So, congratulations Aaron, Dave McCurdy, Matt Stone, the local dealer associations, and everyone involved in this year’s show.

Well, it certainly has been an extraordinary year – for those of us in the auto industry, and those of you who cover us.
At GM, it’s almost hard to imagine the transformation we’ve undergone this past year. And while we still have a long way to go, it’s fair to say we have a much better foundation for success than perhaps anyone could have imagined this time last year.
Today, we have a much healthier balance sheet, with significantly less debt. We’ve slashed our operating and labor costs. We’re creating a leaner, stronger dealer network. We’re positioned to be profitable in anything close to a normal automotive sales market. And we’ll begin to repay our government loans sooner than expected, starting this month.
Equally important, we’re going to market in North America with just four brands – Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac – and next year, just 34 nameplates, down from 48 last year.
One key to our success is developing those four brands… We must make people more aware of them and what they mean. Which reminds me of a quick story…
A few years ago, a giant multinational corporation decided to buy up dozens of cattle ranches out West. They planned to make a tidy sum on livestock operations, and to make a killing on the oil and mineral rights that came with the ranches.
When the company's lawyers couldn't agree on what to call the new corporation, they decided to incorporate the names of all the ranches they had purchased: trademarks like Circle J, Lazy M, Dancing K, the Flying Q Ranch, Rocking Horse T, and so on.
They had a high-priced designer bundle all the names together in a corporate trademark, and incorporated the new company in Delaware.
At the company's first annual meeting, the Chairman reported that the entire acquisition had been a big success -- with one exception. The ranching operations were a total loss. All the cattle were dead.
"What happened?" asked a stunned stockholder. "Was it a plague?"
"Were they poisoned?”
"Neither," replied the Chairman. "They didn't survive the branding."
And the moral of that story is, of course, if you don’t know how to handle your brands, you’re dead.
Our May The Best Car Win campaign is all about promoting the four individual brands, and their specific products.
This emphasis on fewer, better entries is enabling us to devote more engineering and marketing resources to each model – products like the Chevrolet Camaro and Equinox, Buick LaCrosse, GMC Terrain, and Cadillac SRX and CTS Sport Wagon.
You see it in the products we’re launching around the world – cars like the Opel Astra in Europe, Daewoo Matiz Creative in Asia Pacific, and Chevrolet Agile in Latin America.
And you’ll see it in the products we launch in the U.S. next year – cars like the Cadillac CTS Coupe, Buick Regal, Chevrolet Cruze, and the revolutionary Chevrolet Volt.
I hasten to add that a key part of our business strategy is an unprecedented focus on green technology – a strategy we first announced here at the L.A. Show just a few years ago. Since then, we’ve come a long way in the energy and environmental areas. Now, in the past year, we’ve ramped up our focus even more.
At GM, we believe that in an energy-constrained world marked by dramatic growth in developing markets, it is critical that the global auto industry – as a business necessity and an obligation to society – develop alternative sources of propulsion, based on diverse sources of energy, to meet the world’s rapidly growing demand for our products.
That’s exactly what we’re doing at GM, and what I’d like to spend the rest of my time talking about this morning

As we look at the global energy and environmental picture today and consider the future of the automobile, one fact stands out above all others – going forward, the auto industry can no longer rely on oil to supply 98 percent of world’s automotive energy requirements .
This matter gets plenty of attention here in California, but it’s a global issue. Take GM’s recent experience.
In September, we signed an agreement with Reva Electric Car Company to cooperate in the development of small car platform based electric vehicles for India. Our goal is to jointly develop, with Reva, EV technology, and advanced vehicle control systems. We’re also working closely with the government of India to develop an electric vehicle infrastructure. In Shanghai this summer, we opened our new China Science Lab to perform research in several automotive fields. Our research will help advance the work we’re already doing with our Chinese joint venture partner, SAIC; China’s prestigious Tsinghua University; and others to move China away from its reliance on petroleum. In Brazil this year, we opened a new technology center to focus, in part, on development of ethanol-based FlexFuel vehicles, in which Brazil and Chevrolet are the world leaders. And in Washington this summer, we joined other OEMs in endorsing a single national standard to control greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy in the United States. This was a major breakthrough – one that, in most years, would have been one of the top two or three automotive stories of the year. A single standard helps OEMs improve our planning and manufacturing efficiency, and develop future product plans with greater consistency and certainty. More importantly, a single standard benefits consumers by getting cleaner, more efficient vehicles on the road quicker and more affordably. The new standards are tough but fair, and we at GM are fully committed to meeting or exceeding them and all future requirements in this area. * * * * * * *

These examples show how widespread the focus on energy and environmental issues has become. They also illustrate the enormous opportunity that we, as an industry, have to influence them.
Around the globe, there are a number of very promising solutions to the energy and environmental challenges we all face. At GM, we’re working on most of them – things like:
improvements to the internal combustion engine; broad-scale application of hybrid technology; development of advanced biofuels like cellulosic, non-food-based ethanol; and further into the future, hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles like the Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell we’ve been testing with customers in California and elsewhere for the last two years. But the technology that generates the most interest here in California and around the world – and one we’re working very hard to bring to market a year from now – is electrically driven vehicles like our Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle.
This still surprises some people, who continue to think of GM as the company that “killed the electric car.” Well, movie titles to the contrary, the electric car is far from dead at GM. And my friend, the filmmaker Chris Paine, would be the first to tell you that.
The truth, of course, is that we have significantly expanded our commitment to electrically-driven vehicles at GM, and are now in the midst of an extraordinary transformation.
GM is moving from a company that, for 100 years, has been based on mechanically driven automobiles, to one that will eventually be focused on electrically driven vehicles. This is a big deal.
The Volt is powered by our exclusive Voltec electric propulsion system. When running off its battery, the Volt operates as a traditional battery-electric vehicle. In this mode, it has a gas-free range of up to 40 miles – which is more than the average daily commute for three-quarters of Americans.
And when the driver of a Volt needs to go farther, the car’s engine-generator kicks in, seamlessly, to produce enough electricity to power it for another 300 miles. The engine-generator eliminates the “range anxiety” of electric-only vehicles – the fear of being stranded by a depleted battery.
* * * * * * *
Now, the key to getting the Volt and other electrically driven vehicles into the hands of consumers is advanced lithium-ion battery technology.
Three years ago, we set out to develop a battery that some said couldn’t be built. Well, we went to work with some of the best battery-cell manufacturers and battery-pack integrators in the world. And after countless hours of research and testing, we’re very confident we have a battery pack that delivers the required power, range, safety, and durability that customers will demand.
In the process, we determined that the design, development, and production of advanced batteries must be a core competency for GM… and so we’ve been building our capability and resources to support this direction.
Last January, we announced the selection of LG Chem to supply lithium-ion battery cells; we signed a joint engineering development contract with Compact Power and LG Chem; and we joined with the University of Michigan to create a new advanced battery lab in Ann Arbor, along with specialized curriculum to develop battery engineers.
In June, we dedicated a new GM battery lab – the most technologically advanced battery test facility in the U.S.
And four months ago, in Michigan, we announced the world’s first OEM-owned, high-volume lithium-ion battery pack plant. We’re moving fast, and I’m happy to report that battery-pack production will begin early next month.
* * * * * * *
And our interest extends well beyond batteries. We also determined that the design, development, and production of electric motors and power electronics need to be core competencies for GM – and we’re moving in those directions, too.
And it’s not just GM. The ripples keep expanding.
In 2006, I can think of only one company that was openly planning to build an electric vehicle [Tesla]. Now, just about every car company in the business is planning one – including several companies that weren’t on the radar in 2006, like Fisker and Coda.
And the ripples extend well beyond the OEMs. EV development is creating entire new industries – an ecosystem of battery developers and recyclers, builders of home and commercial charging stations, power control and electric motor suppliers, and so on.
Needless to say, this electric-vehicle ecosystem is creating new jobs here in the U.S. – green jobs. GM’s lithium-ion battery plant, for example, will provide more than 100 advanced technology jobs. LG Chem, the company we selected to supply lithium-ion battery cells, has announced plans to manufacture cells in the U.S. More U.S. jobs. And that’s just the beginning.
As demand for electric vehicles grows, competition will drive further innovation, the ecosystem will continue to diversify, costs will decline, vehicle sales will climb… and the ripples will continue to expand.
So, while there are huge challenges confronting the industry in the energy and environmental area, there are huge opportunities as well.
In our case, the launch of the new GM last summer provided an unprecedented opportunity to re-energize our advanced propulsion strategy… and to drive the company toward a dramatically greener future. We’re doing that, and introduction of the Volt next year will be a huge step in that direction.
Initially, as we ramp up production, we’ll offer the Volt to customers on a market-by-market basis. And because anticipation for the vehicle is building all over the country, where we initially sell the Volt has become the subject of considerable interest.
We were thrilled this week to confirm that, by the end of next year, the Chevrolet Volt will first be available here in California… along with other lead markets that we’ll announce in a few weeks.
California has long been a leader in environmental change, and we at GM are very excited to offer the Volt’s unique technology to consumers who have demonstrated a keen interest in putting it to use.
Today, I’m also very pleased to announce new partnerships with three California utilities – Pacific Gas & Electric, Southern California Edison, and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District – and EPRI, the Electric Power Research Institute, an independent non-profit research organization based in Palo Alto.
Together, these four organizations will participate in a vast new program led by GM, with a matching grant of over $30 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, to advance the electrification of the automobile.
As part of the program, GM will deliver more than 100 Chevrolet Volts to the program participants to use in their fleets for two years, starting in early 2011.
This extended, real-world study will help us make electric vehicles as good as they can be for our EV customers. We’ll collect vehicle performance data through our OnStar system, gather driver feedback, and report our findings to the DOE.
We’ll also work with the utilities to further explore the infrastructure of automotive electrification, including the installation of more than 500 charging stations.
Overall, this new program will help determine the best methods to accommodate an expanding fleet of electric vehicles, from all OEMs.
* * * * * * *
In closing, let me reiterate that the huge challenges confronting us in the energy and environmental area… are also huge opportunities for driving positive societal change.
I have no doubt that, years from now, we’ll look back at this period as a time of great progress – the “tipping point” that enabled the age of electrically driven vehicles. It will be every bit as momentous as the transition from horses to horsepower.
Thank you for your kind attention. I look forward to your questions."

Lithium: First Look at the 2010 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid TNR.v, CZX.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, AVL.to, QUC.v, RES.v, TTM, NSANY, TM, DAI

"It is a very important news for our Lithium Demand model. Plug-In Hybrid above is promised in 2010 with Lithium-ion battery, now Toyota announces that new bigger Prius will be with lithium-ion battery in late 2010. Our discussions at Frankfurt Motor Show 2009 now officially confirmed: that all advanced Hybrids and all BEV are using lithium batteries. Salman Partners have recently put an investment Metals Morning Note where they pronounced "Lithium comeback".

We do personally expect for full BEVs, like Nissan Leaf, to take off very soon and Toyota's full electric mode range of 13 miles sounds more like a joke now, but this move by Number One Hybrid maker in the world is very important for Lithium Demand in the near term. In September Toyota almost crashed Lithium Juniors market by announcing that it is going to stay with Ni based batteries despite promising Li-ion technology due to it cost. Welcome to the market my friends - Toyota never stops making circles around Lithium producers and developers after that and they are moving to Lithium themselves now. Canadian Papers are questioning now, what commodity is hotter - Gold? Try lithium instead and Prius is still like an icon among other Hybrids: even BBC used it in its "Rare Earth: The Great New Game" discussion on new economic reality with Hybrid of Japan-China relationship moving fast into electrified 21st century economy against the West economies still siting on its Combustion Engines.

"PopularMechanics

First Look at the 2010 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid
By Cari Nelson Published on: December 2, 2009

Toyota is taking a green step into 2010 with the launch of the Prius Plug-In Hybrid. Although derived from the third-generation Prius, the plug-in debuts Toyota's first lithium-ion battery. Toyota has joined forces with battery production company Panasonic Electric Vehicle Energy to create this first-generation battery design. What does lithium-ion offer for the new Prius? The battery enables the driver to reach increased speeds of up to 60 mph while in the electric-only mode. And when the battery is at its maximum charge capacity, Toyota says that the plug-in can drive for 13 miles in electric mode. That's down a bit from the Chevy Volt's 40-mile electric-only range. Once this Prius hits its max EV distance, the PHEV resorts back to its roots by continuing its journey in hybrid mode. Toyota plans to bring 150 cars to the U.S. early next year for a program that will allow an in-depth analysis of the public's acceptance of the new model. During this demonstration, the PHEV will be equipped with monitoring devices that will disclose data to the driver, such as battery depletion status, all-EV driving distance, and vehicle charging figures. We can't wait to test one ourselves."

BBC: Rare earth: The New Great Game TNR.v, CZX.v, AVL.to, RES.v, QUC.v, WLC.v, LI.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, ORE.ax, NSANY, TM, TTM, BYDDY, RNO,

" JAY'S WATCH LIST Nov 26, 2009

"In Our Sights"

TNR Gold Corp / International Lithium, TNR: TSX:

TNR Gold Corp. and wholly-owned International lithium Corp. ("ILC") are demonstrating widespread and strong lithium, rare metals, and rare earth elements (lithium, tantalum, lanthanum, neodymium, and cesium) mineralization on its large portfolio of 16 projects worldwide spanning Argentina, Canada, USA Nevada, and Ireland. This is big news for ILC's spinoff in early 2010.

Also in play are TNR's key projects in Argentina: Eureka, El Salto, and El Tapau; and its Alaskan commitment: Shotgun and Iliamna. Shotgun hosts a million ounces of historic gold deposit, while Iliamna is an early-stage exploration project showing geological similarities to the nearby Pebble Deposit, approximately 50 km away. TNR will strengthen its assets through partnerships with mid-tier and major companies, and establish long-term cash flow through royalty interests and project development."

Now we have BBC with Jack Lifton on its education course for Rare Earth Elements, as we have mentioned before: a lot of analysts find this sector very demanding in technical knowledge and general investment public follows guys like James Dines and Jay Taylor without deep understanding of the subject. Now Warren Buffett and BBC is taking its to the mainstream of investment world with a Bullish Case for Strategic Commodities for 21st century.

Lithium and REE Investment Manifesto and Next Big Thing in action:
San Francisco notes.

BBC

Rare earth: The New Great Game

Paul Mason 14:57 UK time, Wednesday, 18 November 2009

The rare earth story goes to the heart of China's relationship with the West - not just that, but to the heart of the West's inability to understand China.
It is a complicated story, involving a whole chunk of the Periodic Table, high secrecy, patent battles and conspiracy theory.
But it boils down to this - 97% of the specialist metals that are crucial to green technology are currently mined in China.
China is already limiting exports and has plans to limit them some more. As a result much of the hi-tech metals industry is also moving to China.
As you can see in my film for Newsnight:

Video

First the science.
There are 17 rare earth metals; they have got their own special bit of the Periodic Table.
In nature they are mainly found clumped together underground in specific types of rock and ore, so they have to be separated.
It takes a large quantity of rock to make a tiny quantity of rare earth. And the rock can often be radioactive. For now just try and remember two elements - Lanthanum and Neodymium.
In the early 1980s a US company called Ovonics perfected a rechargeable battery using rare earth metals that would form the basis of a whole branch of experimentation in electric and hybrid cars.
For geeks, the battery is a Nickel Metal Hydride battery (NiMH) and uses, primarily, Lanthanum.
But remember the name Ovonics. The firm formed a JV with General Motors, ceding 60% ownership to the car giant.
Meanwhile in 1982 General Motors discovered a new compound that could make cheap, highly effective, permanent magnets, again using a rare earth - in this case Neodymium.
Again for geeks - the nomenclature is a Neodimium-Iron-Boron magnet (NdFeB).
The primary effort at turning science into commercial technology here took place in the United States, with GM at the hub.
In parallel, these scientists were putting in place the key technologies for green capitalism:
• battery powered cars would become crucial in the effort to wean us off the petrol engine and;
• permanent magnets are a crucial component in almost any gadget that moves or sees or is guided by a computer.
And both technologies rely on rare earth metals.
Now the geology.
As far as we know there is rare earth ore in California, Canada, South Africa, Brazil, Vietnam and Australia. There's even some in Greenland.
But the mother lode is sitting under the mountains 50km (30 miles) north of the Inner Mongolian city of Baotou, in the Bayan Obo mine.
In addition to Bayan Obo, China has also found massive deposits in Sichuan.
As Deng Xiao Ping presciently commented, at a time when electric cars and wind power seemed like ecotopian wet dreams: "Arabia has oil, China has rare earth".
The story of how China seized a stranglehold on the ore supply and then large parts of the metallurgy is a modern epic.
"Either by stupidity or design" says one industry insider, "the Chinese flooded the market in the mid 1990s and collapsed the price. Almost everybody else went out of business".
For the purposes of today, there are three big potential sources of rare earth outside China - in California, Canada and Australia.
The Californian mine has not produced since 1998, the Australian mine was set to start production in 2011 but has just lost its financing and the Canadian mine likewise is aiming at 2011. Together their annual production could amount to one third of China's.
Each of these projects has been hampered by lack of finance, particularly since the financial collapse of 2008. Some industry voices say the danger of China flooding the market again, making the mines uneconomic, means only a strategic rather than pure economic view makes them viable.
So with the doubling of demand and the collapse of non-Chinese supply, China ended up with 97% of the ore market.
But as the industry for processing the metal and making products out of it developed rapidly in the late 1990s and this decade, China has also managed to bring much of that on-shore as well.
In addition to producing nearly all the rare earth metals, companies operating in China consumes 60% of the stuff.
How has it achieved this? First by relentless state-backed focus.
If you do a web search for the scientific papers on rare earth, a lot of Chinese results come back. China's metallurgy industry flourished while the West's declined.
But increasingly China has started to pare back exports. It places an export tax on rare earth and a quota. In each of the last two years the quota has been shrunk by 20%.
There is of course, this being China, a flourishing black market. In addition to the 35,000 tonnes officially exported, another 20,000 tonnes were somehow consumed outside China.
There is also endemic illegal mining of the stuff in the Chinese deserts. This export limit is an overt signal to producers of rare earth products that, to ensure supply, they need to move production into the People's Republic of China.
Now, in addition to the export restrictions so far, another problem is looming. China's demand is predicted to equal the entire Chinese supply by 2012.
In a recently released - but not published in the West - draft report, Rare Earths Industry Development Plan 2009-2015, the Chinese government pondered a complete ban on five heavy rare earth elements and a cap on exports at the current level (35,000 tonnes).
Officials later downplayed this, reminding journalists that since "no-one wants to give up profits" the quotas are rarely enforced. However, if they were enforced - ie if smuggling was stopped - it would be a big problem.
Unless the non-Chinese mines ramp up production, there will be a shortage outside China. So Western companies who want to manufacture have, increasingly, got to move onto the Chinese mainland.
As Dr Ian Higgins of the Birkenhead rare earth firm Less Common Metals told Newsnight:
"What you're going to get is no opportunity for manufacturing outside of China. And it just depends how far you think it's acceptable to take this policy. Somewhere along the line do we say 'yes, the world does need some strategic control in terms of manufacturing these materials'?"
Now to the reasons why this is such a problem for the rest of us.
The wind farm and the hybrid car - the two key technologies in the transition to green energy use - are completely reliant on rare earths.
There is about a tonne of rare earth magnets in a wind turbine and about 2kg of Neodymium in the rechargeable battery of a Toyota Prius, plus another kilogram or so of Lanthanum and Praeseodimium in the drive train up the front.
(For those whose focus is more on blowing people to smithereens, it is also disconcerting that guided munitions such as the US's JDam bomb cannot function without rare earth magnets.)
Now to the response of the two big manufacturing powers outside China - the US and Japan. How have they coped with this complex problem of rising new technology creating a resource monopoly for China?
In summary, very differently.
Japan's car manufacturers jumped into the electronic vehicle game early. As a result a joint venture between Toyota and Panasonic is the world's leading manufacturer of rechargeable NiMH batteries.
Likewise on the magnet front, again largely due to the foresight of Toyota and its ilk, Japan makes the majority of the the Neo magnets that are not made in China.
Japanese companies hold an unspecified stockpile of the key materials. In addition Toyota has become the first car maker to own a mine - it has set up a rare earth mine in Vietnam which will solely produce for its car plants.
In addition, according to The Times newspaper, about 20% of all Japanese rare earth imports are black market. One Japanese offical told The Times:
"If the Chinese export quota limits were the reality of what comes into Japan each year, we would be even more worried than we already are."
Now what you can say about Japan's attitude to rare earth is that it is canny. The state and major companies are aligned, they're combining geo-politics with realpolitik up to - if The Times is correct - the point of tolerating a black market.
They have, in the process, gained the best part of a decade's head start on the West in cleantech cars. And, though they are reliant on China for rare earth, they have effectively pulled China into an Asia-centric rare earth economy.
Contrast this with the US. It was not just the free market that closed the Mountain Pass mine in California, but environmental concerns about radiation.
But for whatever reason the US allowed its own rare earth source - the second largest in the world - to go out of business.
Next, the rare earth magnet business. In 1996, GM sold its magnet business, Magnequench, to a Chinese-led consortium. It then moved large parts of its Neo magnet production operations to China.
Magnequench has now been taken over by a joint Chinese-Canadian business, but the bulk of its operations remain in China.
There is a large literature of political claim and counterclaim over this.
Next the rare earth battery business.
In the late 1990s GM famously scrapped its work on the EV1 plug in car and crushed all known models out in the desert.
It sold Ovonics, together with the patents for the key battery technologies, to Chevron/Texaco - an oil company - which successfully sued Toyota to maintain intellectual property rights over of the technology.
The resulting company was named Cobasys. During its period of ownership by Chevron it failed to produce NiMH batteries in large numbers. A highly polemical account of this can be found in the Sony Pictures film Who Killed The Electric Car?
In 2004, a protracted legal dispute between Cobasys and Toyota/Panasonic was resolved by the Japanese firms agreeing to pay Cobasys about $30m and also royalties on the batteries sold in America out to 2013.
As a result of the legal settlement the battery situation in the US is beginning to free up, but the legal battle leaves those promoting hybrids - and their next-generation development, the plug-in hybrid - rueing their dependence on non-US manufactured NiMH batteries.
Sherry Boschert, author of a book on electric cars, wrote in 2007: "It's possible that Cobasys (Chevron) is squelching all access to large NiMH batteries through its control of patent licenses in order to remove a competitor to gasoline.
"Or it's possible that Cobasys simply wants the market for itself and is waiting for a major automaker to start producing plug-in hybrids or electric vehicles."
Cobasys has now been sold to a JV between Samsung and Bosch, which specialises in the rival Li-Ion battery (which is not so rare earth dependent).
What matters, in the long-run, is that the US lost any kind of lead in electric car battery manufacturing and left the Japanese complex of Toyota, Panasonic and Sanyo as the NiMH battery superpower.
It has also taken a major bet on Li-Ion technology which some commentators doubt is wise.
Meanwhile, when Panasonic and Sanyo merged, China's competition regulator this year ordered these two Japanese companies to divest part of their rare earth battery business.
There are no prizes for guessing which country's cash rich state-backed companies will be queuing to take this division off their hands.
Stepping back to see the bigger picture: in little more than two decades China has achieved absolute dominance in the raw materials side of rare earth and forced much of the manufacturing industry to move to China.
Its coming export restrictions will force more of this, but will probably also stimulate non-Chinese raw material production as the price rises.
In the process China has acquired key tech transfers, as is its stated aim under the so-called 863 Program.
And, as a byproduct of US corporate decision making, the China-Japan axis has emerged as the centre of the rare earth economy.
The US is now so worried about all this that in the National Defense Act 2010 there is for the first time a whole section requiring the government to launch an urgent probe into the impact of rare earth dependence on national securi