Major milestone in EV supply chain infrastructure: A leading automaker has just brought its new lithium refinery into full operation in Texas—a massive $1 billion-plus investment spanning roughly 1,200 acres near Corpus Christi. What makes this noteworthy? It's being positioned as North America's first facility to convert spodumene ore directly into battery-grade lithium hydroxide, utilizing a proprietary sulfur-free processing method. The move underscores growing demand for domestic lithium production capacity as the energy storage and EV ecosystem continue scaling. This kind of vertically-integrated refining capability could reshape regional supply dynamics for the broader energy transition.