Core Points - The U.S. Department of Energy will acquire a 5% stake in Lithium Americas and a separate 5% stake in the Thacker Pass lithium mine joint venture with General Motors [1][2] - Shares of Lithium Americas rose 34% in after-hours trading following the finalization of stake negotiations [1] - The investment is part of the Trump administration's strategy to boost industries critical to U.S. national security, following similar investments in Intel and MP Materials [2] Investment Details - The government will acquire the stakes through no-cost warrants, which were part of discussions regarding a $2.26 billion government loan for the Thacker Pass mine [4] - Lithium Americas offered the government no-cost warrants equating to 5% to 10% of its common shares to secure the first tranche of loan funding [4] - GM holds a 38% stake in the Thacker Pass project after investing $625 million last year and has rights to purchase lithium from the project for 20 years [5] Project Significance - The Thacker Pass project is seen as a crucial initiative to enhance U.S. production of critical minerals and reduce reliance on China, the largest lithium processor [6] - The first phase of the Thacker Pass project is expected to produce 40,000 metric tons of battery-quality lithium carbonate annually, sufficient for up to 800,000 electric vehicles [7] - Currently, U.S. lithium production is limited to less than 5,000 metric tons at a facility owned by Albemarle in Nevada [7]