Four months after signing its second graphite sourcing deal, EV maker Lucid Motors said on Wednesday it has signed a third agreement to “further strengthen” its supply of U.S.-sourced raw materials in upcoming models.
Synthetic and natural graphite make up a large portion of lithium-ion battery materials and are critical for enabling fast-charging performance of electric vehicles.
The multi-year deal is Lucid’s second agreement with Graphite One, following a 2024 deal for synthetic graphite, and comes after a separate supply agreement with Syrah Resources.
The latest agreement comes less than two weeks after the Trump administration announced new tariffs on imports of graphite active anode material from China.
The move follows a preliminary ruling by the Commerce Department in favor of a group of North American graphite producers, who argued that Chinese exports were benefiting from unfair government subsidies.
According to the International Energy Agency, China produces over 90% of the world’s battery-grade refined graphite.
Under the three deals, upcoming Lucid models will incorporate natural and synthetic graphite materials produced in the United States.
In the latest deal, Graphite One will supply Lucid and its battery cell suppliers with natural graphite, with production expected to begin in 2028 in Alaska, according to the EV maker.
Lucid’s interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said the partnerships “are another example of our commitment to powering American innovation and manufacturing with localized supply chains.”
The Syrah Resources agreement announced in February lasts three years and will bring Lucid — and its battery suppliers — natural graphite AAM to its upcoming mid-size platform, starting from next year.
Under the deal, Syrah will supply approximately 7,000 metric tons (7kt) of anode active material (AAM) in aggregate from its plant in Louisiana.
AAM are critical components in EV battery anodes, enabling energy storage and discharge during charging cycles.
