Tesla's new Lithium Refinery to support 1 million electric cars.
Tesla has broken ground at its new Lithium Refinery outside Corpus Christie, Texas, with plans to produce enough battery-grade lithium to support the production of 1 million electric cars annually. The company plans to invest $365 million in the plant, which will employ about 165 people full-time and another 250 construction jobs for about two years. Tesla plans to pioneer a new production technology to push the industry to be more efficient, cutting several steps in the process and reducing waste.