![\"\"](\"https:\/\/electrek.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/09\/Image4.jpeg?quality=82&strip=all&w=1000\" "\\"Tesla")
<\/figure>\nOn top of mining their own graphite, Nouveau Monde is also working on a large anode material facility called the B\u00e9cancour Battery Material Plant.<\/p>\n
It is located in B\u00e9cancour, Qu\u00e9bec, which has been called \u201cQu\u00e9bec\u2019s Battery Valley,\u201d as many companies working on battery materials have made significant investments<\/a> there lately, including GM and Livent.<\/p>\n Interestingly, we reported in 2020 when Nouveau Monde created a funny video addressed to Tesla CEO Elon Musk<\/a>. It aimed at making Musk reach out to them about their graphite project; it took a few years, but it looks like Nouveau Monde finally got the attention of Tesla.<\/p>\n Electrek<\/em> learned from sources familiar with the matter that Tesla recently paid a visit to Nouveau Monde\u2019s mine and phase 1 of its processing plant.<\/p>\n We reached out to Nouveau Monde for comment on the Tesla visit, but the company said it couldn\u2019t comment.<\/p>\n It comes as we just learned of a visit from Tesla in Canada to meet Vale\u2019s nickel operations in the country, and a local media report stated that Tesla took the opportunity to scout factory sites in Quebec and Ontario<\/a> at the same time.<\/p>\n Tesla, like many other automakers lately, has turned to Canada\u2019s mineral resources to secure supply to build batteries and support their plan to rapidly increase electric vehicle production. When it comes to graphite, Tesla needs a significant amount to produce every vehicle.<\/p>\n As we previously reported, Tesla\u00a0asked the US government to waive tariffs on graphite from China<\/a> last year, claiming that it can\u2019t get the mineral elsewhere; the request covered both artificial and natural graphite.<\/p>\n Furthermore, Tesla has indicated that it is working on\u00a0new chemistry that it obtained through a startup acquisition that utilizes a new silicon<\/a>\u00a0in the anode to replace the graphite.<\/p>\n However, the automaker also said that it plans to use a variety of chemistries and cell supply in order to satisfy its rapidly growing need for battery cells as it ramps up battery-electric vehicle production.<\/p>\n Nouveau Monde Graphite claims that it can produce a 99.95% pure spheric\u00a0graphite product that will be cheaper and cleaner than synthetic graphite from Asia, which often requires fossil fuels in the transformation process. The company is issuing clean hydroelectricity to produce its anode material in Quebec, and it plans to use electric vehicles to operate its mining operations.<\/p>\n Obviously, again, I\u2019m biased because I live in the area, but it would make a ton of sense for Tesla to establish a presence in Quebec \u2013 more specifically, in Mauricie or Centre-du-Quebec, where B\u00e9cancour is located.<\/p>\n Soon enough, there will be everything you need to build battery cells all at the same location and all from resources that are located within North America.<\/p>\n Especially with the new requirements about sourcing battery materials to get the new tax credit in the US, it makes trying to secure supply from Canada and \u201cQuebec\u2019s Battery Valley\u201d the perfect location.<\/p>\n If Tesla doesn\u2019t do it, somebody else will.<\/p>\nElectrek\u2019s Take<\/h2>\n