Electric Vehicles Enter a New Frontier With UPS Delivery Trucks - Seite 2

The new trucks have a range of about 100 miles on a full charge, which makes them for service in dense city areas. A number of cities including Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta have been selected as test zones for the trucks.

UPS currently has around 35,000 combustion-engine trucks in its fleet. While replacing that volume with fully electric trucks will be a tall order, advancements in battery technology will continue to make it progressively easier to move in that direction.

Longer range trucks will enable unrolling in rural areas and for long distance parcel delivery, making the electric fleet more suitable for the company.

JUNIORS SEE THE WRITING ON THE WALL 

This unique climate has created a significant opportunity for all lithium companies.

A likely scenario that will become increasingly popular over the next few years is direct investment into junior lithium exploration companies. One of the early movers in that category is NRG Metals - A Canadian company committed to creating lithium resources.

NRG Metals, a start-up focused on the development of lithium brine assets in Argentina, has already attracted a Chinese battery material producer through closing on a $1.4 million private placement to fund ongoing exploration activities in Argentina and the potential, as an Off-Take producer, for future lithium products extracted.

The company has two projects, with the most significant project being the "Hombre Muerto North Project" or HMNP. HMNP is located in the Salta and Catamarca provinces and comprises a total property package of over 3,000 hectares encompassing six concessions.

The company has reported good surface sample collections, magnesium to lithium ratios, and is located across from Galaxy Resources' Sal de Vida lithium development project.

Most importantly, the project is within 20km of FMC Corporation's well established Fenix lithium brine project.

With an offtake agreement of this kind, it's possible that NRG Metals will sell lithium before it's even mined or at least provide a great asset value to the company.

ADOPTION OF EV FLEETS ANOTHER DRIVER 

As electric vehicle technology reaches into new frontiers, the demand for batteries will most certainly grow exponentially and with it, the demand for lithium, the most vital battery metal at present.

Demand for the metal has been on a continual upward trend in the last few years and its price has equally soared. Current installed lithium production capacity is unlikely to sustain demand growth for many more years to come and it will be up to mining companies, especially juniors to explore and bring new reserves into production.