General Motors (GM) will acquire a 38% stake in Thacker Pass for a total of $625m, with $430m in cash to aid Phase 1 construction.

Canada’s Lithium Americas said General Motors will boost investment in the miner’s Thacker Pass project, which produces the critical ingredient for electric-vehicle batteries.

General Motors Inc will commit $625 million toward what’s likely to be one of the biggest US lithium mines, reinforcing the automaker’s efforts to secure domestic supply of the battery metal critical for electric vehicles.