[5.21 Lithium Battery News] Rio Tinto and Codelco to Collaborate on Development of Maricunga Salt Lake Lithium Project

[Cui Dongshu: National Passenger Vehicle Industry Inventory Reached 3.5 Million Units at the End of April 2025]Cui Dongshu, Secretary General of the China Passenger Car Association, stated in an article that the national passenger vehicle industry inventory reached 3.5 million units at the end of April 2025, an increase of 150,000 units MoM and 120,000 units compared to April 2024, indicating a continuous rise in industry inventory throughout 2025. The current policy initiatives have brought about overall optimism among producers, with high production levels after the Chinese New Year and relatively active wholesale activities by manufacturers, leading to the re-establishment of industry inventory. April reached a historical high for the end of April. As sales gradually transition into the off-season from May to July, sales are expected to decline over the next three months. Therefore, based on the inventory at the end of April 2025 and future sales projections, the existing inventory is estimated to support future sales for 57 days, slightly increasing the overall inventory pressure compared to 55 days at the end of April 2023 and 52 days at the end of April 2024.

[Rio Tinto and Codelco to Collaborate on Developing the Maricunga Salt Lake Lithium Project, Planning to Invest Up to $900 Million in the Joint Venture]Rio Tinto and Codelco announced on May 19 the signing of a binding agreement to form a joint venture to develop and operate the Maricunga salt lake lithium project in Chile. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of Q1 next year. According to the agreement, Rio Tinto will acquire a 49.99% stake in Maricunga Salt Lake Ltd. Codelco holds the licenses and mining concessions for the Maricunga salt lake through this company. Rio Tinto stated that it will invest an initial $350 million in Maricunga Salt Lake Ltd. for subsequent research and resource analysis to advance the project until the final investment decision. Once the decision to proceed with the project is made, Rio Tinto will invest $500 million in the company to cover construction costs. If the joint venture achieves the goal of delivering the first batch of lithium by 2030, Rio Tinto will also inject an additional $50 million into the company. (Financial Associated Press)

[Wuhan Landian: Currently, the Company's Low-Power Equipment Boasts Stability and High Precision]Wuhan Landian released a record of investor relations activities. Low-power battery testing equipment is mainly used for testing 3C consumer electronics battery cells and battery materials. Common consumer electronics batteries currently include laptop batteries, mobile phone batteries, drone batteries, and other consumer batteries. The main customers for the company's low-power battery testing equipment are 3C battery producers, universities, and research institutes. The demand for low-power battery testing equipment is correlated with the production of consumer electronics batteries. With the continuous growth of the national economy and residents' consumption levels, the market demand for consumer electronics products continues to expand, leading to more diversified demands for various consumer electronics batteries. The overall consumer battery market is showing a steady upward trend. Currently, the company's low-power equipment boasts advantages such as good stability and high precision, but its market share among enterprises remains relatively low. In terms of competition, it faces rivalry from companies like Shenzhen Neware and Rui Neng Co., Ltd.

[Sanfu New Tech: Plans to Invest 620 Million Yuan in the Industrialisation Project of Key Materials for High-Safety Dry Electrode Batteries and High-Frequency Electronic Information Composite Materials]Sanfu New Tech (688359.SH) announced that it plans to invest 620 million yuan in the industrialisation project of key materials for high-safety dry electrode batteries and high-frequency electronic information composite materials. Construction is expected to commence in June 2025, with the project scheduled for completion by the end of 2027. The project implementation entities are the company's subsidiaries, Jiangxi Bangyue and Jiangxi Bangxiang. The main products include current collectors, tabs, and high-frequency electronic information composite materials for lithium battery materials. The project may face challenges such as prolonged production cycles, slow yield ramp-up, as well as external environmental factors like macroeconomic fluctuations and adjustments in industry policies. (Science and Technology Innovation Board Daily)

[Musk: Tesla Expects to Have Hundreds of Thousands, or Even a Million, Fully Autonomous Vehicles by the End of 2026]Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated that Tesla is currently testing "thousands" of autonomous vehicles in preparation for their launch next month. This summer, Tesla will deploy autonomous vehicles on the roads of Austin, Texas. It is expected that by the end of 2026, there will be hundreds of thousands, or even a million, fully autonomous vehicles.

[Beijing Proposes to Revise the Operational Service Standards for Parking Lots, with Charging Facilities in Public Parking Lots Expected to Account for No Less Than 10%]The local standard of Beijing, "Operational Service Standards for Parking Lots (Garages)", is open for public comment. According to the draft for comment, existing public parking lots and P+R parking lots with power supply conditions should be equipped with public charging facilities at a ratio of no less than 10%. For the EV charging infrastructure in parking lots that serve the public, it is advisable to set up different proportions of super-fast and fast charging facilities tailored to different service targets. In response to the increasing proportion of motorcycles year by year, the city will guide qualified parking lots to fully utilize the corner spaces within the lots to set up motorcycle parking spaces. (Finance Link)