Lithium Americas Corp (TSE: LAC) (NYSE: LAC) (FRA: WUC) just revealed that the United States Department of Energy has taken a 5 per cent equity stake in the company. Additionally, the agency has acquired a separate 5 per cent interest in Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass joint venture with General Motors Co (NYSE: GM) (ETR: 8GM).
The news sent Lithium Americas shares up by 34 per cent during after-hours trading on Tuesday. The investments come as part of an amendment to a previously agreed upon US$2.26-billion-dollar federal loan. New terms of the deal will help allocate capital toward lithium carbonate facilities at the site, as specified by the DOE.
They mark the first time that the White House has taken direct ownership in a Canadian critical minerals company.
“This is just economic common sense,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright in an interview with Bloomberg. “Lithium Americas needs to raise some more capital so the mine is financially sound.”
Thacker Pass is set to become North America’s top lithium production asset. Full scale operations are expected to commence in late 2027. It is projected to be able to cater to the lithium carbonate demands of 800,000 electric vehicles per annum in its first production phase. It will produce about 40,000 tonnes of the compound annually.
Last month, Lithium Americas installed the first vertical steel beams at what will soon become the site’s lithium processing facilities.
General Motors invested US$625 million into the project last year to help secure an essential commodity for its vehicles, thereby taking a 38 per cent stake in the JV.
Lithium Americas shares have ascended by over 92 per cent on the New York Stock Exchange since Jan. 1. The ongoing rally is being propelled by a bullish investor outlook about the strategic importance of Thacker Pass. This latest funding development is part of a broader critical minerals push in the United States.
The news comes as the U.S. government just agreed to invest US$43.4 million into an antimony mining project in Alaska under development by Nova Minerals Ltd (OTCMKTS: NVAAF) (FRA: QM3) (ASX: NVA). It also proceeds the Department of Defense taking a US$400-million-dollar stake in the Mountain Pass rare earths mine held by MP Materials (NYSE: MP) (FRA: 55H0) in July.
$LAC "U.S. to acquire equity stake in Lithium Americas"
Stock was being bought in the afternoon before the news… nice rally pic.twitter.com/cjdeWTeW7L
— Valckrie (@Valckrie) September 30, 2025
Read more: Lithium Americas doubles on Trump equity stake talks
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