A Michigan lawmaker is probing whether a Chinese-owned clean energy firm that Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to support with state tax dollars is seeking a deal with the Taliban government in Afghanistan for rights to mine the nation’s vast deposits of lithium.
The mineral is a key input in lithium-ion batteries, a component central to the manufacture of defining products of the 21st century high-tech economy, including cell phones, laptops and electric and hybrid vehicles.
Gotion Inc. is a subsidiary of Gotion High-Tech, “one of the earliest enterprises engaged in the independent research and development, production and sales of new energy vehicle power lithium-ion batteries in China,” according to the China-based parent company’s website. In 2014, Gotion expanded to the U.S. for battery research and development .
In October, Whitmer announced “Project Elephant,” a plan for Gotion to build a $2.3 billion battery plant in Big Rapids, Mich., calling it […]
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