The Qu\u00e9bec government has revealed that it is in talks with Tesla about the automaker investing in battery production in the province. <\/p>\n
\n\t\t<\/p>\n Qu\u00e9bec is rich in metals used to produce batteries. With the rise of electric vehicles, the province is trying to capitalize on that and is investing heavily in the extraction of key minerals, like lithium, nickel, and graphite.<\/p>\n The local government recently announced plans to invest between $2 and $3 billion ($1.6 to $2.4 billion USD) in production, ranging from the extraction of those metals all the way to the production of battery cells.<\/p>\n It is looking for private partners to develop the sector, and now Tesla is emerging as one of them.<\/p>\n Today, a representative for Pierre Fitzgibbon, Qu\u00e9bec\u2019s economy minister, confirmed that the official met with Tesla executives in California last month.<\/p>\n Mathieu St-Amand, Fitzgibbon\u2019s press manager, said (translated from French):<\/p>\n \u201cThe minister met with Tesla executives during a mission in California last month. They discussed Quebec\u2019s place in Tesla\u2019s supply chain.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n