China, Zinc and Lithium: Canada Zinc Metals 2009 Akie and Kechika Regional Exploration Program Commences CZX.v, TNR.v, CGH.to, ABX, NG.to, FXI, HUI,

We have our promised surprise on growth in China:

"China’s Economic Growth Accelerates to 7.9% on Loans (Update1)
By Bloomberg News
July 16 (Bloomberg) -- China’s gross domestic product grew 7.9 percent in the second quarter as the nation became the first of the major economies to rebound from the global recession.
The figure, announced by the statistics bureau in Beijing today, exceeded the 7.8 percent median forecast of 20 economists in a Bloomberg survey and a 6.1 percent gain in the first quarter that was the slowest in almost a decade.
China, the biggest contributor to global growth, overtook Japan as the world’s second-largest stock market by value yesterday after a 4 trillion yuan ($585 billion) stimulus package spurred record lending and boosted share prices. The first-half expansion laid the foundation for meeting the year’s 8 percent growth target for creating jobs and maintaining social stability, the statistics bureau said today."

And we have our Chinese M&A Canada Zinc, Lithium and REE story on the radar screen now: Canaccord Adams Junior Mining put it among others as desired target for Chinese expansion.

"Canada Zinc Metals CZX.v is as a Takeover Target in July 15th Canaccord Capital's Morning Coffee

Chinese Takeout Candidates

Insatiable appetite. In the first half of 2009, commodities discussion generally focused on China stockpiling physical metal, building inventories to supply feed for its expanding industrial base. With its storehouses bursting with metal, China may have altered its focus from the present to the future. Security of supply has tended to be tied to rarer metals and minerals. However, security of supply has taken on a different tone within the borders of China. Security of supply is no longer simply applicable to those specific resources required to sustain strategic industries that are considered vital to a national existence. For China, it seems that “security of supply” has evolved into a synonym for “competitive advantage”. Chinese demand for metals has been a significant factor in maintaining high metal prices and now it appears that China’s appetite for metals could begin to have a more significant impact on the pricing of mining equities. From an investor’s perspective, the goal is to own what China needs and China needs metals. And strategically, it could be easier for China’s state-owned corporations to fly under the radar and buy or take positions in smaller foreign corporations rather than their larger cousins. We return to our long-term thesis: own quality junior exploration and mining companies with superior projects. Canaccord Adams Junior Mining Weekly team highlights the following junior companies with projects that could be of interest to a Chinese mining group: Axmin Resources (AXM), Bear Creek Mining (BCM), Canada Zinc Metals (CZX), Candente Resources (DNT), Chariot Resources (CHD), Continental Minerals (KMK), Corriente Resources (CTQ), Forsys Metals Corp (FSY), Norsemont Mining (NOM), and Zazu Metals Corp (ZAZ)."

As we have mentioned yesterday:

"Companies (Chinese - S.) are allowed from 1st of August basically to shop around the world for necessary resources in exchange for US Dollars effectively which are overflowing the monetary system."

After recent strategic investment in TNR Gold TNR.v Canada Zinc Metals is busy on developing its status as regional play:

"Strategy looks like Investment expansion:Tongling - Canada Zinc Metals - District play with TEC and Korea Zinc - Lundin Mining on board - Zinc and Lead - Cars - Growth space: China largest auto market from March - New Bull - Electric cars - Lithium and REE - TNR Gold and International Lithium Corp."

"Canada Zinc Metals's Akie holds 23.6 million tons of high grade Zinc, nearby J/V between TEC and Korea Zinc holds another 50 million tons. District play can mean 100 million tons with further discoveries and deals among these three players and now CZX.v has a strong backing strategic partner with deep pockets."

"Vancouver, British Columbia CANADA, Jul 15, 2009 (Filing Services Canada via COMTEX) ---- Canada Zinc Metals Corp. (CZX: undefined, undefined, undefined% - TSX Venture), ("Canada Zinc Metals " or the "Company") is pleased to report that the 2009 exploration program on the Akie Property and Kechika Regional tenures (collectively the" Properties") has commenced. This year's exploration program, which is helicopter supported, will be staged from the Akie base camp and will consist primarily of geologic mapping, geochemical sampling and detailed prospecting, with particular emphasis on the latter.. The Properties, all owned 100% by the Company, are centered approximately 260 kilometers north-northwest of the town of Mackenzie in northeastern British Columbia.
Akie Property Program
Work will focus on three high priority soil +/- silt geochemical targets, all underlain by permissive Gunsteel shale, that have been identified as a result of previous work by the Company and others. Of these, the North Lead Anomaly, located some 2.3 km northwest of the nearest drill hole to penetrate the Cardiac Creek deposit, is considered to be the most prospective due to the presence of coarse grained, heterogeneous, mineralization encountered in a 1996 drill hole (11.60% zinc and 9.05% lead over an interval of 0.80 m) within a geologic environment identical to that at Cardiac Creek. In addition, this mineralization is accompanied by sulphide (pyrite, sphalerite and galena) replacement of the fragments and the matrix of an underlying debris flow, quartz-carbonate alteration in footwall rocks beneath the debris flow, and widespread high lead/zinc ratios in the soil samples collected from the surrounding area, all characteristics of a typical vent complex/feeder zone associated with a SEDEX deposit. Hydrothermal centres such as these are often associated with higher grade mineralization at the transition between the vent complex and the laterally extensive bedded ore facies.
Kechika Regional Program
The Kechika regional program will focus on the Pie, Yuen Extension and Yuen claims that extend northwestward from the Akie Property for a distance of some 30 km and encompass the key geological package of Middle to Late Devonian fine grained sediments and associated carbonate rocks that host the Company's Cardiac Creek deposit and the nearby Cirque deposits owned by Teck Resources and Korea Zinc.
The 2009 regional exploration program will have two primary components:
I. To conduct a detailed investigation of the favourable Gunsteel stratigraphy along strike from the Cardiac Creek deposit. These rocks exhibit widespread anomalous lead-zinc soil and silt geochemistry and numerous lead-zinc-barite showings over almost the entire extent of the three tenures, and;
II. To evaluate the continuation to the northwest onto the Yuen tenure and southeast onto the Pie tenure of the prospective package of Gunsteel rocks that host the two Cirque deposits. The favourable strike length covers a total distance of 15 kilometres.
"With the commencement of our 2009 exploration program, we anticipate field work leading to even better and more refined understanding of the geologic setting and to a more concentrated focus that will result in a drill program on new targets. Given our successful first phase of regional exploration last year in combination with historical work, I am certain new discoveries can be made in the months to come," commented Jim Mustard, President of Canada Zinc Metals. "Although there is continued uncertainty in the capital markets, we are pleased that the Board of Directors has approved an exploration budget this year of approximately $1.5 million. The work that we will be conducting at the Akie property, including further environmental baseline studies, will continue to advance the project towards a potential underground program next year."
About the Akie and Kechika Regional Properties
The Akie zinc-lead property is situated within the southern-most part (Kechika Trough) of the regionally extensive Paleozoic Selwyn Basin, one of the most prolific sedimentary basins in the world for the occurrence of SEDEX zinc-lead-silver and stratiform barite deposits.
Drilling on the Akie property by Inmet Mining Corporation during the period 1994 to 1996 and by Canada Zinc Metals since 2005 has identified a significant body of baritic-zinc-lead SEDEX mineralization (Cardiac Creek deposit). The deposit is hosted by variably siliceous, fine grained clastic rocks of the Middle to Late Devonian 'Gunsteel' formation. The Company has outlined a NI 43-101 compliant inferred resource of 23.6 million tonnes grading 7.6% Zn, 1.5% Pb and 13.0 g/t Ag (at a 5% Zn cut off grade).
Two similar deposits, Cirque and Cirque South Cirque, located some 20 km northwest of Akie and owned under a joint venture by Teck Resources and Korea Zinc, are also hosted by Gunsteel rocks and have a combined geologic inventory in excess of 50 million tonnes (non 43-101 compliant).
In addition to the Akie property, Canada Zinc Metals controls a large contiguous group of claims called Kechika Regional hosting identical geology as occurs at Cirque and Akie. Kechika Regional includes Mt Alcock (best historic drill intercept 8.8 metres grading 9.3% Zn+Pb) and several regional base metal anomalies.
Qualified Person
John R. Fraser, P.Geo. (B.C.), Vice President of Exploration and a Director of Canada Zinc Metals is the Qualified Person for the Company, as defined by NI 43-101, and is responsible for the technical information contained in this release."

Lithium and REE: Mitsubishi Plans Five More Electric Cars TNR.v, SQM, ROC, TTM, BYD, NSANY, TM, F, GOOG, WLC.v, AVL.to, HUI, XAU, FXI, AAPL, RIMM

Here comes our mass market for the Next Big Thing. Choice and price range will make Electric cars reality on our roads. 20% of volume for EV by 2020 is not bad for beginning of Lithium rush.

June 18, 2009, 12:29 pm

Mitsubishi Plans Five More Electric Cars

By Richard S. Chang

Mitsubishi announced earlier this month that its i-MiEV electric car would cost $45,660, and Wheels readers raised their eyebrows at the high price for the tiny car. Even with a $14,000 credit from the Japanese government, the car would be expensive for what it is — a small city car with a battery range of 75 to 100 miles.
“These companies better get real about their prices, unless they are including a lifetime supply of batteries,” wrote Dick.
“That sum is about equal to the retail value of all three of my existing cars when they were brand new,” wrote Steve O.
It looks as if Mitsubishi is well aware of the i-MiEV’s sticker shock. The Nikkei reports (via Bloomberg News) that the Japanese company is working on a cheaper electric car with a target price of $31,000 (or $17,000 after Japanese credits), which it plans to bring to market by 2012.
According to Green Car Congress, which also cites the Nikkei, Mitsubishi has plans for an additional five electric cars by the end of the 2013 fiscal year. These include a left-hand-drive i-MiEV by the 2010 fiscal year for the European market (and later the American market); an electric commercial vehicle in the 2010 fiscal year; a larger electric car; a sportier version of the i-MiEV; and a plug-in hybrid S.U.V. by the 2013 fiscal year.
Mitsubishi is the only major automaker producing electric cars in any volume, if you consider volume 1,400 i-MiEVs — four-seaters — by next spring. In a statement released this month, Mitsubishi said its goal was to have 20 percent of its production volume be E.V.’s by 2020."

Lithium and REE: Silicon Valley and Green mobility - Recharging the future Bull. TNR.v, TTM, SQM, ROC, DAI, NSANY, F, BYD, GOOG, RIMM, AAPL, HUI, XAU,

Our Next Big Thing is following previous technological boom: World Wide Web - Internet, standardisation will bring an explosive growth, inter connectivity and wide acceptance in the market place. Some Juniors are trying to join the hey days of start ups and innovations as well: talking about incubators and project generation models - minimising dilution and allowing fast strategic deals for project developments.

"An Open Platform for Electric Car-Charging Networks?

Some players in the market envision a Java-like platform to accelerate deployment and foster innovation
By Josie Garthwaite
Technology

A growing number of political leaders—from mayors on up to presidents and prime ministers —are taking up the electric vehicle (EV) torch, working on policies and incentives to spur widespread adoption of plug-in cars. In parts of the U.S., U.K., Japan, and elsewhere, initiatives to quickly develop networks of charging stations for the plug-in vehicles slated to roll out in 2011 and beyond are taking form—and running up against a key question on the road to a competitive green car marketplace: How do you accelerate deployment of today's technology while remaining open to future innovations?
On some level, this question is about the familiar issue of how (and how much) government should play a role in free markets. But it's also another example of how lessons from the history of computing can apply to cleantech innovations. According to the finance chief for London's climate change program, Padmesh Shukla, Sun Microsystems' Java platform—an ubiquitous system for software development for mobile devices, enterprise servers, and the Web—offers a model governments can use to craft guidelines for companies bidding on government-backed EV infrastructure projects.
Bottom line, Shukla said at a recent panel hosted by Think London, which works to attract direct investment in the city and help foreign companies set up business there, London wants to have EV infrastructure that looks more like Java, which software developers can use for free, than Microsoft's proprietary technology. "It has to be an open platform," Shukla said.
In software, open platforms allow third parties to add functionality to a basic framework—providing, as O'Reilly Radar explained back in 2007, tools and services that the platform provider has not gotten around to yet or has not done well. For electric vehicle infrastructure, Shukla explained that the London government, working in conjunction with larger U.K. initiatives, does not want to pick one technology or company to have a monopoly on charging infrastructure. Using the open platform model, the idea is to help foster development of common standards, tools, and practices for charge point developers, ensuring that all charging stations can operate with all electric models and generally create an environment in which electric car companies can prosper.
"It's a chicken-and-egg problem," Shukla said. Limited access to charge points drags down demand for electric cars, and a limited number of electric cars on the road drags down business for charge point developers. So London is trying to foster an EV-friendly environment with policies such as a mandate for all new residential developments above a certain density to have charge points in their parking lots. The city has also committed to investing in a public charge-point network with funds that it expects to be matched by the national government and again by private investors.
California utility San Diego Gas & Electric also envisions an open model. SDG&E Clean Transportation Manager Bill Zobel—who is working (among other things) on the utility's partnership with the Renault-Nissan Alliance to prepare its system for new demand from the automakers' plug-in vehicles—told us earlier this year that the utility is talking with several charging companies about how to integrate their hardware with the grid. But Zobel told us SDG&E plans to leave the selection of different charging hardware and services to its customers—whether public agencies, property owners, or businesses.
Through its talks with charge point developers, SDG&E is helping to set up an informal framework. On the other hand, Shukla's team in London, by establishing the guidelines for what technologies will qualify for government funds for the planned citywide charging network, is creating a more formal one. In both cases, we're in early days. SDG&E is months away from getting its first test fleet on the road, and London remains up to a year away from "fully baking" the details on how to bid for the charge point network buildout. But setting out with an open platform is a good way to start. Shukla said at the Think London panel that the idea is to "start building templates for the market to see that these things can be done," and then let it take over from there."

Lithium and REE: Race is on - Snatching the car battery biz from Asia. TNR.v, SQM, ROC, DAI, TTM, NSANY, BYD, GOOG, AAPL, RIMM, HUI, XAU, WLC.v, CLQ.v

Lithium batteries race is on and we are working with our juniors on Lithium and REE supply. Next industrial revolution not only means to address the US baby boomers demographic bust: mass exodus from working force and change of their investment and living criteria, but also geopolitical strength of ailing US Corp. Real race is between new rising power of China spiced by BRICS and US Empire - who will be able to get out of the Oil needle first and improve (China) or sustain (US Corp.) life style of its subjects? There are estimations that at oil price close to 70-80 USD/barrel around 1 Trillion dollars was paid annually for oil Import. US Corp can not afford it at prices above 100USD/barrel any more. For over the half of the century control over Oil meant control over economic development: how much China would pay for an effort to make all latest "liberation operations" by US Corp Null and Void just moving up the technological chain into Electric mobility space? We have mentioned time over time that decoupling is here already with China at Two Trillion reserve and US Corp. at Two Trillion deficit. Electric cars were killed a few times before, but this time everything is different: it is a matter of survival for USA and it is not at the mercy of its Masters an y more - China is dictating the shift and US is catching on - at the heart of the battle are macro and micro economics: employment, new manufacturing base, high tech utilisation and its military applications and 5 cents per mile against 15 cents in best case with convectional engine. We hope for the sake of "democracy survival" that this time is too much at stake to kill the idea in the "Free world" and all recent news are supporting this notion. Who will win technological race? We do not know and investing in commodities for the future and building our presence in this Bull market, where winners will the our buyers.

Snatching the car battery biz from Asia

Ener1 aims to fuel the car of the future and bring jobs to the Midwest. But the jury is still out on whether or not it can compete against its larger, more established rivals.

By Steve Hargreaves, CNNMoney.com staff writer
Last Updated: June 15, 2009: 9:19 AM ET
INDIANAPOLIS (CNNMoney.com) -- Thousands of jobs are riding on Ener1's efforts to build the best car battery in the world.
The start-up firm is the only U.S. company able to mass produce batteries on American soil for an automobile industry poised to make a monumental shift from gasoline to electric power.
Many say whoever controls the battery industry will control the auto industry and the thousands of jobs that go with it.
Ener1's newly opened production facility near Indianapolis could employ 3,000 workers. Like other renewable energy companies popping up in the Midwest, people are hoping Ener1 can replace some of the fast-disappearing auto and other manufacturing jobs.
Its lithium-ion battery technology is praised for being one of the best available. But Ener1 must compete for big contracts against larger, mostly Asian firms with much more experience in this field.
"Things will be difficult," said Brian Sponheimer, an analyst at Gabelli & Co., the research arm of GAMCO Investors. "There's a lot of optimism about their chemistry, but they haven't been tapped for a major program yet."
The race to develop a suitable electric car battery is exciting and Ener1 is certainly fighting hard to win.
Its employees have a desire to usher in a game-changing technology for not only the auto industry but the entire energy sector.
"This should be the dream of all battery engineers, to replace oil," said Naoki Ota, the firm's chief science officer.
The company's spotless Indianapolis production facility is buzzing with activity. Workers in white suits scurry about, trying to hide proprietary technology from our camera.
The company has applied for a $480 million government loan to expand its facility and hopefully allow it to land a big contract. If that happens, Ener1 says it will go on a hiring spree.
"We're talking about a serious growth in people," Ulrik Grape, head of the company's car battery division.
The company could then start making batteries on a large scale. Still, its lack of experience in manufacturing remains a problem.
Many of its competitors, including Japan's Panasonic and NEC, South Korea's LG, and a joint venture between U.S.-based Johnson Controls (JCI, Fortune 500) and the French company Saft, have been making batteries in high volumes for decades.
If Ford or General Motors are going to buy batteries for an electric car, they need confidence the company they're buying from can deliver.
"They need to illustrate their competitiveness," said Sponheimer. "They need to find someone that trusts them."
The company is working on it. They've been supplying the Norwegian firm Think Automotive with batteries for over a year, and recently announced a preliminary deal with upmarket California carmaker Fisker.
These are good starts, analysts say, but the company still needs to prove itself on a larger scale. The lack of experience may be one reason why GM decided to go with LG when choosing a battery supplier for its much-hyped Volt.
Manufacturing know-how aside, analysts are generally upbeat on the firm.
That Ener1 actually has a production facility in the United States gives it an immediate advantage, said Michael Lew, an analyst with Think Equity. Car batteries are heavy and expensive to ship, and it can take up to two years to build a new facility in the United States.
Lewis also noted that while Ener1 competitors may have experience making other types of batteries, the lithium ion field for cars is still a new game for everyone.
"They have as good a chance as anyone else," said Lew, but he also noted the company's ability to perfect large-scale manufacturing as its major challenge.
On the technology side, Ener1 is thought to have some of the best ideas going.
The chemicals it uses in coating the lithium strips that make up the battery are said to be top-notch. Unlike some of its competitors, the chemicals allow the company to produce different types of batteries for different types of vehicles. That's a competitive advantage, said Banc of America Securities-Merrill Lynch alternative energy analyst Steven Milunovich, who has a buy rating on the stock.
And the design of the battery itself, which allows several cells to be stacked on one another reducing the chance it will catch on fire, is also praised.
The company's technical prowess is how Charles Gassenheimer, the company's chief executive, responds to questions about whether it can compete in this global battery race.
"We are the first people to provide this breakthrough in terms of the flat, stacked design and work with revolutionary new chemistries," Gassenheimer recently told Fortune, CNNMoney's sister publication. "We may have as much as a two year advantage over our competition."
Another good sign for the firm: After doing much research into the company's business plan, the government is still considering giving it the $480 million loan.
"If they get the money, the government thinks it has a fighting chance," said Milunovich.
Ener1 may be the only U.S. company making batteries in America now, but they probably won't be for long. The privately held A123 Systems, which already makes batteries in Asia, may have a plant stateside in the next few years.
And smaller firms like Maxwell (MXWL), Valence (VLNC) or the scores of other entrepreneurs aspiring to make a cheap, light, fast-charging, long-lasting car batteries will likely enter the fray with Ener1.
It remains to be seen though, if any of them can stand up to the competition from Asian giants.
First Published: June 15, 2009: 3:45 AM ET"

Lithium and REE: Now all Hydrogen investors are welcome to our Next Big Thing. TNR.v, SQM, ROC, ESLR, FCEL, BLDP, PLUG, TTM, F, DAI, NSANY, FXI

We have another very important foundation for our new Bull: plus to positive economics of Electric Cars we have a huge advantage of Energy Transformation cycle over Hydrogen technology, where billions was spend during the previous technological Bubble.

We know what we are talking about: we had a nice roller coaster ride in BLDP, FCEL and PLUG. After Nasdaq crash in 2000 Bull market hey days never come again. Now we have explanation why. Our Next Big Thing - Green Mobility Revolution based on Electric Cars has all economics in favor of Lithium batteries as an industry standard. Mass market will bring prices of electric cars down and they will become everyday reality very soon. Now we have to be ready for Lithium and REE supply to meet growing demand.

"Why Hydrogen Was Killed In Favor Of Electrics (TM, HMC, F)

"James AndersonJun. 9, 2009, 8:37 AM30
In a perfect world, all energy would come from electricity and hydrogen. Wind, solar, tidal, geothermal, and other renewable energy sources would provide enough electricity to power everything except air transportation. The “conventional” answer to transportation in the future was the hydrogen fuel cell. It doesn’t get any better than that. The fuel cell burns hydrogen and powers cars, trucks, and any other transportation vehicle. The hydrogen combines with oxygen to form water vapor. No other gases or pollutants are released. The hydrogen fuel cell is an efficient generator of electricity, but it has one major problem: It needs hydrogen. So where does it get it? Therein lies the hydrogen myth. On Earth, there's no hydrogen to mine. You have to make it, and that requires wasting energy. You could conceivably mine hydrogen from the sun or Jupiter, but even Al Gore would probably agree that that would be tough to accomplish. Last month, the Department of Energy (DOE) finally conceded that hydrogen won't be a part of the near-term solution to global warming, the peak oil crisis, or anything else you can think of. They're cutting back funding dramatically on hydrogen research. This is a triumph of physics over policy. In the long run, physics will always win, but we have way too many policy wonks in Washington without a clue about how the physical world works. Even if hydrogen could be produced cheaply, it has another problem that makes it impractical as a fuel for transportation. Even when highly compressed, the energy density per liter or gallon is very low compared to gasoline or diesel fuel. Think about the size of the fuel tanks on the trucks that deliver gasoline to a station compared to the size of the tank on the truck. The ratio is about 90 to 1. That’s an efficient delivery system. If a hydrogen delivery truck had to burn hydrogen, the size of the fuel tank for the engine would be about one-quarter of the size of the delivery tank! Energy density or transportation problems didn’t kill hydrogen. What killed it is the deliverable amount of energy to the wheels of a vehicle compared to a battery solution. This is why we won't be seeing hydrogen-powered cars from Toyota (TM), Honda (HMC), or Ford (F).The table below needs a little explanation. It starts with 100 kilowatts of electricity from renewable sources -- solar or wind for example. It then compares the steps required to get the electrical energy stored on a vehicle as either hydrogen or batteries. During each step, energy is lost -- generally as heat -- until electric power is driving the electric motors on a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle or a battery-powered vehicle. Each step shows the percentage efficiency and the remaining energy left after each step.This table used data from an article published by Ulf Bossel entitled, "Does a Hydrogen Economy Make Sense?" in Proceedings of the IEEE, Vol. 94, No. 10, October 2006. You can argue all you want about the exact percentages used in each step, but the result won't be much different. A battery-powered vehicle will be close to 3 times as efficient as a hydrogen- powered fuel cell vehicle. The DOE got it right. If the one word back in the 1967 movie The Graduate was “plastics," the word for the future will be “batteries,” with the possible addition of “ultracaps." I’ll discuss batteries and a potential “ultracap play” in a follow-up article.
This post originally appeared on Minyanville. "

Lithium and REE: Hitachi develops stronger lithium ion batteries TNR.v, SQM, ROC, DAI, TTM, NSANY, BYD, F, FXI, CDNX, CNY.v, WLC.v, AVL.to, RES.v,

With every tic higher in oil price and latest news from China our Bull market is gaining more ground and followers. Inflation, collapse of US Dollar, Gold, Silver commodities and hottest of all: Lithium and REE - you already know our way of thinking. Next Industrial revolution needs its technological base: rolled out Electric Cars are still very expensive to become a mass market choice - with this kind of technological advances in batteries, range will be increased further and mass market batteries production will cut prices dramatically. Here our Lithium and REE economics will play on our side: their prices are non elastic being at 3-5% range of total cost of the batteries for example. Price of Lithium could rise significantly before it will affect buying side.

"Hitachi develops stronger lithium ion batteries

Hans Greimel Automotive News June 10, 2009 - 3:44 pm ET
TOKYO -- Japanese electronics giant Hitachi Ltd., which will supply lithium ion batteries to General Motors next year, says it has developed a fourth-generation battery that is 50 percent more powerful than the current version.

The new battery also uses lithium ion chemistry. But it gets 1.5 times the energy output because of reduced internal resistance, thinner electrodes and a new manganese cathode.
"We are going to start shipping samples to both domestic and foreign carmakers in the autumn," Hitachi spokeswoman Hajime Kito said last month. "We don't know which makers are going to use it yet, but we are hoping to start mass producing the batteries in 2013."
The new batteries have an energy density of 4,500 watts per kilogram, compared with 3,000 watts in the current third-generation power packs. The batteries are rectangular, not cylindrical.
The new technology allows Hitachi to pack more power into smaller, lighter bundles. Lithium ion batteries are seen as key to making more practical hybrid and electric vehicles because they are lighter and more powerful than the nickel-metal hydride batteries currently used.
Hitachi plans to start mass producing its third-generation lithium ion batteries for GM by next summer. Earlier this year, Hitachi received an order from GM for 100,000 battery packs for hybrid vehicles. A new factory slated to manufacture the batteries will be finished this fall.
In GM's viability plan given to the U.S. Treasury Department, company executives pledged to boost the number of gasoline-electric hybrids in the automaker's lineup to 26 models by 2014 from eight today.
Chieko Tsuneoka in Tokyo contributed to this report"

China, Copper, Los Azules: TNR Gold TNR.v - Minera Andes announces delivery of earn-in notice under option agreement at Los Azules Copper Project.

With all recent excitement about Lithium and REE TNR Gold's old solid Copper play is almost forgotten. CEO of TNR Gold Mr Gary Schellenberg reminded us in a recent interview that all impressive recent stock run is a mere reflection of a value of the few assets held by TNR. He considers Los Azules in production in a few years as a "mile stone" - we consider it as a very nice bonus to all the story and Mr Market so far is not considering it as a value at all.

We will put just a few bullet points for his consideration:

1. NPV of Los Azules is 500 mil USD at a Long term Copper price at 1.9 USD/lb, it rises to 1 bil USD with long term Copper price at 2.1 USD/lb.
2. TNR Gold has 25% back in right to Northern part of the deposit with high grade core and extension of mineralisation under legal dispute with Xstara now.
3. Recent move of Barrick Gold ABX into Pascua Lama with 3 bil USD investment in the same San Juan province in Argentina.

4. Escorpio IV from maps in Minera Andes's technical report looks like is in the place of mining facilities planed for project development.
5. Mr Gold Corp Rob McEwen effectevely has taken over Minera Andes MAI.v after corporate fight and 40 mil CAD investment at 1.0 CAD still above the market price as of today.
6. Last winter Xstrata or Minera Andes could still think about "easy solution" of the law suit by taking over TNR Gold at a fraction of its assets value, now with revealed group behind the TNR Gold these guys does not look like in need for a lunch money and has been accumulating stakes before recent Lithium drive. Are they in for a Los Azules play initially? Can we have a treat of M&A action here? You can hardly finance such an enterprise with claims about part of the deposit and adjacent property, where your engineers are planing for mining facilities. After recent corporate actions Sir Rob McEwen reconfirmed his reputation and played fair and square with open hands. Will he act as a mediator in this case and we can expect a mutual deal? In any case critical mass of all these interests involved and rising Copper price will keep this situation spinning to its conclusion.
7. Legal action was started by the Junior against Xstrata, now we have a hint that it was a strategic decision and financing is in place for a legal fight - according to filing TNR Gold is represented by George K. Macintosh, Q.C. from Farris in Vancouver:
"George Macintosh leads the litigation group in the law firm of Farris in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he has practised since his call to the Bar of British Columbia. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in British Columbia in 1987, elected as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 1991 and a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers in 2001. Canadian, U.S. and U.K. publications repeatedly rank him as one of Canada’s leading commercial litigators." Such a gentleman will not play peanuts in something without merit, but we will not speculate here. Is it all too much for one Junior or somebody has carefully calculated the value of the prise?

"Vancouver B.C.: TNR Gold Corp. ("TNR" or the "Company") advises that, on August 8, 2008, it amended its writ of summons in the action commenced on June 30, 2008 in the Supreme Court of British Columbia against MIM Argentina Exploraciones S.A. ("MIM") a subsidiary of Xstrata PLC. ("Xstrata"). In the amended action TNR is adding: "Further, the Exploration and Option Agreement, to the extent that it purports to terminate Solitario's (TNR's Argentina subsidiary) right to buy back equity in mining and exploration tenures acquired by MIM pursuant to the Exploration and Option Agreement if MIM fails to complete a feasibility study on any part of the properties within 36 months of exercising its option does not reflect the true agreement and common intention of the parties and was the result of a mutual mistake of the parties. The true agreement of the parties was reflected in the Letter of Understanding which provided that Solitario's back-in right subsists until 120 days after completion by MIM of a feasibility study on any part of the acquired properties. The plaintiffs therefore seek rectification of the Exploration and Option Agreement to accord with the true intentions of the parties.Further, or in the alternative, the 36 month provision in the Exploration and Option Agreement was inserted by MIM without consideration and is unenforceable.Further, or in the alternative, Solitario says that MIM is in breach of the Exploration and Option Agreement by entering into an agreement or agreement with a third party to undertake exploration work on the acquired properties without requiring the third party to complete a feasibility study on any of the properties within any time frame."

"Los Azules -- Defined 43-101 resource
On February 5th, 2009, Minera Andes (MAI) announced a preliminary assessment for the Los Azules deposit, of which highlights include a NPV of $496 million, capital payback in 6.4 years, production cost of $0.85 copper, and a 23.6 year mine life. On September 25, 2008, MAI announced high percentile metallurgical testing results at Los Azules, recovering up to 96% copper. On September 8, 2008, MAI announced an inferred mineral resource estimate of 922 million tonnes of 0.55% copper at Los Azules, resulting in approximately 11.2 billion pounds of copper. Please note mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.TNR retains a conditional 25% back-in option on Xstrata's portion of the Los Azules deposit that MAI optioned from Xstrata. TNR commenced action in the Supreme Court of British Columbia on June 30, 2008 and subsequently amended its action on August 8, 2008, against MIM Argentina Exploraciones S.A., a subsidiary of Xstrata PLC. TNR is seeking rectification of the Exploration and Option agreement to accord with the true intentions of the parties and to remove the 36 month time provision on TNRs back-in right. TNR is also seeking confirmation of ownership, without claim from Xstrata, of the strategically located Escorpio IV claim."

"Minera Andes announces delivery of earn-in notice under option agreement at Los Azules Copper Project


On Wednesday June 3, 2009, 1:00 pm EDT
<<>>SPOKANE, WA, June 3 /CNW/ - Minera Andes Inc. (the "Corporation" or "Minera Andes") (TSX: MAI and US OTC: MNEAF) is pleased to announce the earn-in notice has been delivered to exercise its option to acquire a 100 percent interest in the Los Azules Copper Project (the "Project") located in the San Juan Province of western central Argentina, subject to the right of Xstrata Copper to back-in to the Project for a 51% interest. The notice was delivered pursuant to the Los Azules Option Agreement between Minera Andes and certain of its subsidiaries and Xstrata Copper, one of the commodity business units within Xstrata plc (London Stock Exchange: XTA.L and Zurich Stock Exchange: XTRZn.S), and its subsidiary, on the Project.By Minera Andes exercising its earn-in option on May 29, 2009, Xstrata Copper has 90 days to notify Minera Andes whether it intends to exercise its right to back-in to the Project for a 51% interest (the "Back-in Right") under the Los Azules Option Agreement. After delivery of such back-in notice, in order to complete the Back-in Right, Xstrata Copper must pay to a subsidiary of Minera Andes within 90 days after delivery of such notice 300% of the direct expenditures incurred by Minera Andes and its affiliates on the Project area since November 25, 2005, and assume operational control and responsibility of the Project within 120 days of such notice. Xstrata Copper will also be required to produce a bankable feasibility study in conformity with the standards set out in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, adopted by the Canadian Securities Administrators ("NI 43-101") within 5 years of such notice.The Project area contains a copper deposit situated on adjoining properties that straddle a large copper porphyry system, which was the subject of a recent NI 43-101 technical report and scoping study containing an inferred mineral resource estimate of 922 million tonnes of 0.55 % copper. The deposit as currently defined is open in several directions, and further drilling will be required to fully define the limits of the mineralization, especially along the strike to the north and at depth where many of the drill holes have bottomed in copper mineralization.Los Azules Option Agreement DetailsThe Project is an exploration project comprised of properties owned by Andes Corporacion Minera S.A. ("Andes"), an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Minera Andes (the "Andes Properties") and adjoining properties held by MIM Argentina Exploraciones S.A. for Xstrata Copper ("MIM" and the "MIM Properties"). The Project is subject to the Los Azules Option Agreement dated November 2, 2007, as amended. Under the Los Azules Option Agreement, Los Azules Mining Inc. ("LAMI"), a indirect subsidiary of Minera Andes, has earned a 100% interest in the MIM Properties and MIM is now required under the terms of the Los Azules Option Agreement, to transfer the MIM Properties to Andes which Andes will hold together with the Andes Properties (the "Combined Property").

Certain of the MIM Properties are subject to an underlying option agreement, which is the subject of a dispute between Xstrata Copper, as option holder, and Solitario Argentina S.A. ("Solitario"), as the grantor of that option and the holder of a back-in right of up to 25%, exercisable upon the satisfaction of certain conditions, within 36 months after the exercise of the option by Xstrata Copper. The dispute surrounds the validity of a 36 month restriction on a back-in-right held by Solitario.

About Minera AndesMinera Andes is a gold, silver and copper exploration company working in Argentina. The Company holds about 304,000 acres of mineral exploration land in Argentina. The producing San José silver/gold mine is 49% owned by Minera Andes through a joint venture. Minera Andes is also exploring the Los Azules copper project in San Juan province, where an exploration program has defined a resource and a scoping study has been completed. Other exploration properties, primarily silver and gold, are being evaluated in southern Argentina. The Corporation presently has 230,538,851 shares issued and outstanding.This news is submitted by Allen V. Ambrose, President and Director of Minera Andes Inc."

Lithium and Rare Earth Elements: Next Big Thing - Battery Gold Rush. TNR.v, SQM, ROC, DAI, TTM, BYD, NSANY, RM.v, WLC.v, CLQ.v, CNY.v, AVL.to, FXI,

This is what we called catalyst for our Stage One Bull market. Oracles are pronouncing New Bull idea, memories from last Gold Fever - Uranium Spike are still vivid. Trend is getting recognition and viability, industry insiders are taking their positions, new Ventures are formed and the Bull Market is born. It is very important that our Next Big Thing: New Oil for Electric Cars - Lithium is Technologically locked by billions of dollars invested in technology.

This beauty needs safe storage of Energy - Lithium batteries provide the best solution at the moment and invested billions are making it an industry standard. Lithium ion battery below is actually for Crysler and here is our important point: we can hardly beat Mr John Doerr in recognising Next Google. Will it be A123 systems, who will win the Technological race? We do not know, but they all will need Lithium and Tantalum and other REE - now it is an easy part: which Junior will be a winner in Lithium race? Guys like John Doerr can still bet on everyone involved - market caps are so small, others have to do their homework and, please, do not pretend that you know everything after reading our Diary, it is our journey and you have to find yours. Everybody welcome to join: we will share the maps.




"MAY 27, 2009


Obama Administration Sparks Battery Gold Rush


Companies, States Vie for $2.4 Billion in Funding Aimed at Turning U.S. Into Top Maker

By WILLIAM M. BULKELEY
The Obama administration has set off a gold rush to power new environmentally friendly cars.
In one of the government's biggest efforts at shaping industrial policy, the Energy Department has been soliciting applications for $2.4 billion in funding aimed at turning the U.S. into a battery-manufacturing powerhouse. At the deadline last week, the department said it had received 165 applications.
Companies vying for the federal money include General Motors Corp., Dow Chemical Co., Johnson Controls Inc. and A123 Systems, a closely held battery maker backed by General Electric Co. and others. States including Michigan, Kentucky and Massachusetts are also weighing in with applications, usually in alliance with their favored battery makers.

GM approached a Korean firm about batteries for the Chevrolet Volt, above, but U.S. firms are keen to join the business.

When the winners are decided, as soon as the end of July, the Energy Department may anoint Livonia, Mich., or Indianapolis or Glendale, Ky., as the future U.S. hub of car batteries. A 2008 study by researchers at Alliance Bernstein forecast the current $9 billion-a-year auto-battery market, based on lead-acid batteries, could reach more than $150 billion by 2030.
The companies and state governments are proposing sites for plants that will make lithium-ion batteries, the technology that has emerged as the leading choice to power future electric cars.
The world-wide market for these types of power cells is now dominated by four big Japanese and Korean companies -- including Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. -- but their batteries are chiefly small ones used in laptops and cellphones.
Car makers currently use another technology -- nickel-metal-hydride batteries -- in hybrid vehicles such as Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius because they aren't as prone to fire as lithium-ion batteries are.
Lithium-ion batteries are lighter and more powerful than lead or nickel-metal hydride batteries. Several American companies have demonstrated technological improvements that make big versions safe and practical for use in cars and trucks.
While mass production of such batteries hasn't been demonstrated, U.S. companies "seem close to building a facility and getting a product out there," said Kent Furst, battery analyst for Freedonia Group, a market-research firm in Cleveland.
States are desperate to attract manufacturing plants that would boost employment while reducing greenhouse gases. Some officials argue a big battery factory will attract or preserve job-heavy auto assembly plants.
"If you're the place where the batteries are made, there's an opportunity to spin it into other things as well," said D. Gregory Main, president of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., a state agency that has committed up to $400 million in incentives for battery manufacturers.
Kentucky is promising $110 million in aid and a 1,550-acre site, in Glendale, that it assembled in an unsuccessful effort to land a Hyundai plant several years ago.
"We're not in that financial league," said Ian Bowles, the Massachusetts secretary of energy and environmental affairs. But Mr. Bowles said Massachusetts has a chance of landing federal funding because it has several in-state battery makers such as Boston Power Co.
Manufacturers are proposing to build four plants in Michigan that would require a total capital investment of $1.7 billion, though not all are likely to be funded.
Among them is A123, a Massachusetts company that makes batteries in China for Black & Decker power tools. It wants to build a $600 million lithium-ion plant in Livonia, outside Detroit. GM said it was working with A123 on batteries for the planned Volt electric vehicle, raising the small company's profile. But earlier this year GM said it was working exclusively with LG Chemicals, a Korean battery maker.
A123 now says it has an agreement to supply batteries for future Chrysler cars.
"We think they're qualified, if you get past the notion of bankruptcy" for Chrysler and focus on its plan to be acquired by Fiat, said Michigan's Mr. Main. A123, which recently raised $70 million from GE and other investors, declined comment.
Meanwhile, Johnson Controls, the Wisconsin auto supplier that is currently the industry's leading lead-acid battery supplier, has allied with Saft LLC, a French battery maker, with plans to build lithium batteries in an existing plant in Holland, Mich.
In Kentucky, part of the proposed 1,550-acre site, in Glendale site will be occupied by the National Alliance for Advanced Transportation Batteries, a 51-company consortium, which plans a research campus.
"It's been a strategic decision to move in the direction of creating Kentucky as what we hope will be the epicenter of battery development," said Larry Hayes, the state's economic development secretary.
The consortium was started by Chicago lawyer James J. Greenberger, the head of the energy and project-finance team at Reed Smith LLP. He calls the venture a "law-firm-marketing exercise that got out of control."
After he ran a conference last year, companies signed up to form a group that would develop tools and manufacturing expertise to be ready when the technology is. He said the federal funding is "almost too much money," considering the early stage of the market. But he said winning a DOE grant is crucial to the prospects of building the research center
In Indiana, battery maker Ener1 Inc. has applied for a grant to expand a lithium car-battery plant it already operates in Indianapolis. The company has an agreement to supply batteries to closely held Fisker Automotive, a California company with plans to build and sell $88,000 luxury-hybrid cars in 2010.
Ener1 Chairman Charles Gassenheimer said the Energy Department grants would help it expand, but "it's not life or death," for the company, which has raised some $250 million on its own. He said the grants can "accelerate the industry to develop two or three years faster" than it would on its own.
Write to William M. Bulkeley at bill.bulkeley@wsj.com "

Lithium: Where the Growth is - Electric cars in the limelight at Shanghai expo TNR.v, SQM, BYD, TTM, GOOG, RIMM, AAPL, GM, F, OIH, OIL, WLC.v, CQL.v,

Go for the NEXT Big Thing where the Growth is and China is moving fast here as well.

By Li Fangfang (China Daily)Updated: 2009-04-23 07:46

"With concern of a green future and in answer to the Chinese government's appeal for energy-efficiency, global and domestic automobile manufacturers are showcasing their electric car models at the ongoing Shanghai auto show.
Troubled carmaker General Motors is displaying the production version of its Chevrolet Volt - a vehicle that delivers up to 64 km of gasoline and emission-free electric driving.
The Volt, expected to be introduced in China by 2011, uses electricity stored in its 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery to move the wheels at all times and speeds.
"Bringing the Volt to China shortly after its debut in the United States in 2010 is part of GM's commitment to sharing our latest achievements in energy diversity with our second-largest market," said Kevin Wale, president and managing director of GM China. "It will take China one step closer to its goals of clean transportation and energy freedom."
Battery and car supplier BYD Auto, backed by US billionaire investor Warren Buffett, has three electric models - F3DM, F6DM and e6 on display at the show.
The company has sold more than 80 F3DM electric cars, the first mass-produced model in the world, priced at around $22,000 each, to the Shenzhen government for tests before public use.
"We have cooperated with local government to set up around twenty 220V-charger pillars in parking lots around offices and residential areas," said Yang.
"The next step is to establish a charging station with 380V input. This will provide quick charging in 10 minutes and make the battery 70 percent full, enabling driving the car up to 70 km."
Hebei-based Great Wall Motor unveiled its GWKulla all-electric car, with plans to enter the market next year, while Chery debuted its concept battery car - the Riichi M1.
China relies on imports for nearly half of its oil. "If China continues current growth rates it will almost double oil imports by 2030," said a McKinsey report released at the end of last year. "But greater use of electric cars would cut this growth by around a quarter."
Considering the huge green potential in China, German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz is showcasing its electric concept car BlueZERO, which can run on batteries or fuel cells.
"The flexible BlueZERO concept allows electro-mobility for every requirement, and highlights the fact that Mercedes-Benz is the world's only car manufacturer to already have in place all the key technologies for electric cars offering full everyday practicality," said Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler AG and head of Mercedes-Benz.
Another German carmaker BMW is exhibiting its near-zero emission electric car Mini Cooper E at the show, slated for mass-production in 2010.
Japanese automaker Nissan and Toyota are also displaying their electric concept cars at the Shanghai auto show."

Lithium: China aims to be world pacemaker of new-energy auto production. TNR.v, SQM, WLC.v, CLQ.v, BYD, FXI, TTM, GM, F, GOOG, QQQQ, OIL, OIH, RIMM,

BYD Electric E6 will Warren Buffet drive this one? Geely Electric Panda.

Cherry S18 Electric Car from Chinese Chery Automatic Company.

These are our Next Big Thing Bull fundamentals in action:

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- April's Auto Shanghai 2009 show highlights the use of energy-saving automobiles, with several well-known auto-makers, including GM and Ford, set to announce new products.
For many Chinese exhibitors this will also be a good platform to show new-energy products. Domestic carmakers including Geely and BYD announced earlier that they would unveil new-energy vehicles, while the country's first hybrid sport utility vehicle (SUV) CS7 is expected to make its debut.
New-energy autos mainly refer to electric vehicles (EV) -- driven by an onboard power generator; hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) -- which combine two or more propulsion system and can save as much as 40 percent of the fuel, and hydrogen or solar energy cars.
These automobiles, which features less reliance on gasoline and diesel, energy-saving and environment protection have attracted many countries worldwide to set foot in research and development in the hope of saving energy.
Industry insiders expect China to become the pacemaker of a new-energy automobile industry in the future thanks to strong policies from the government and a full industrial chain.
On March 20, China unveiled a revitalization plan for the domestic automobile industry, which outlines the details of enlarging new-energy auto production, and developing spare parts and components.
The plan said the country would channel "special funds" from the central budget to encourage use of new-energy autos. Government or companies that purchase the cars are expected to get a compensation of 4,000 yuan (585.6 U.S. dollars) to 25,000 yuan per car.
By 2011, annual production capacity of new-energy autos should stand at 500,000, and 5 percent of new vehicles, including lorries and buses, should be new-energy ones, according to the plan.
Li Chunbo, the CITIC Securities analyst, told Xinhua on Wednesday:" China doesn't occupy a leading position in developing traditional oil-fueled vehicles, but it has great potential in new-energy car production, if it takes advantage of policies."
Pei Pucheng, China's Society of Automobile Engineers praised the measures as a "positive signal" at the same time, saying favorable policies would guide more enterprises to engage in the industry, attract more talents and encourage consumption.
Worsening air conditions and energy shortages have been big risks to China's economic development and environmental protection.
China had 50 million automobiles in 2008, and it is estimated that the figure will hit 150 million by 2020, and fuel consumption is expected to top 250 million tonnes of oil.
China ranks the third largest auto producer worldwide in terms of production capacity, only behind the United States and Japan. Last year, the country produced 9.35 million automobiles, an increase of 5.21 percent year on year.
Wan Gang, minister of science and technology, underscored that it was a very good opportunity for China to develop self-made new energy autos.
The country is very likely to shift from the status of a "large producer" to "leading producer" of autos gradually, he said.
Expert Pei said, although China had been developing new-energy autos for a very short period of time, the country was playing an important role in battery production, one of the most important parts of a new-energy auto.
"The most widely-used auto batteries are lithium batteries. The performance of batteries directly decides the quality of new-energy automobiles," Pei noted.
CITIC Securities issued a report in March, which said, "It appears that more and more lithium battery producers are moving to China. This will help China to occupy more market share in the new-energy auto market."
China has about 200 lithium battery enterprises, accounting for40 percent of the world battery production. BYD company limited is not only an auto producer but also the leading enterprise in lithium battery production.
Last December, BYD unveiled F3DM hybrid automobile, which was driven by a lithium iron phosphate battery. This battery established its name for low-cost and high-efficiency.
Another domestic auto-maker, Chery Automatic Company, announced in February a new vehicle with a maximum speed of 120 km per hour.

Chen Quanshi, an expert with automobile engineering school of Tsinghua University, told the reporter on Wednesday that the country's auto industry was expected to enter a "golden era" with the support of government policies and a developed industry.
"The government should make more efforts to make new-energy automobiles popular, and further reduce production costs," Chen added.
The 13th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, also known as Auto Shanghai 2009, will be held between April 20 and 28 in Shanghai.