One challenge with electric vehicles (EVs) is that many of their components and materials are difficult—or even impossible—to source from within the United States. This shortage partly explains why recent EV tax credits have included requirements mandating a certain percentage of US-made materials and manufacturing. These rules were designed to encourage more domestic production and sourcing. Although the future of these credits remains uncertain, some automakers are pressing ahead with investments in American parts. For example, Lucid Motors recently announced it will continue its partnership with Graphite One to secure graphite components that are entirely produced in the US, from raw material to finished product.
A Project Years in the Making
Lucid and Graphite One have been working together for some time. The companies initially revealed a non-binding partnership in 2024 to source graphite battery anodes domestically. As part of this plan, Graphite One is developing two facilities, including a factory in Ohio. This Ohio plant will handle the complete manufacturing of anodes using both natural and synthetic graphite. Additionally, the facility will be equipped with recycling technology to recover graphite and other valuable materials from used batteries.
The second facility will be located in Alaska and will serve as a mining operation where natural graphite is extracted. This raw material will then be shipped to the Ohio factory for anode production before being delivered to Lucid for use in their batteries. This process will create fully American-made components—a rarity in the industry, as most graphite materials and parts are currently imported, with many coming from China. However, these parts won’t appear in Lucid vehicles for a few years; the current agreement sets the supply to begin in 2028, with Graphite One committed to providing components for at least five years thereafter.
Lucid Has Other American-Made Components Arriving Sooner
Lucid’s partnership efforts go beyond Graphite One. The company also announced a collaboration with Syrah Resources for similar graphite components. While Syrah doesn’t operate a mining facility in the US—it sources graphite from its mine in Mozambique—it processes the material at an anode plant located in Louisiana. This plant is already up and running, and Lucid is set to receive parts from it in the near future. According to the current agreement, Syrah will begin supplying anodes next year, with the contract lasting for three years.
