Thursday, April 30, 2009

TNR Gold Corp. TNR.v Acquires Lithium & Rare Metals Property in Northwest Territories. TNR.v, SQM, GOOG, AAPL, RIMM, FXI, OIL, OIH, HUI, XAU, TTM,

This Junior is charging fast into our Next Big Thing and announced today another acquisition of Lithium property in NWT, Canada. This time it is a past minor producer and some samples are reported to assay 7.44% and 8.6% Li2O. All these information historical and needs to be confirmed to 43-101 by exploration as usual. Now TNR Gold has already 5 Lithium and REE properties and it looks like all of them are with good historical indication of mineralisation. This place is still not very crowded and Company managed to cherry pick the best available properties so far. Once Lithium play is on the radar screens to follow, others will have to come to Juniors like TNR Gold or International Lithium by that time and buy into the properties. First J/V deal is to watch later this year:what kind of interest will be attracted from the fast growing industry.


"TNR Gold Corp. Acquires Lithium & Rare Metals Property in Northwest Territories

On Thursday April 30, 2009, 2:51 pm EDT
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - April 30, 2009) - TNR Gold Corp. ("TNR" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:TNR - News) is pleased to announce the acquisition by staking of the Moose 2 project, located 115 km east-southeast of Yellowknife, near the shore of Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories. The Moose 2 project lies in an area known for lithium, tantalum, niobium with minor tin and beryllium mineralization associated with zoned pegmatite dykes, and was a minor producer between 1947 and 1954.
The Moose 2 pegmatite is one of the better-known rock units of the Hearne Channel - Buckham Lake area, which are noted for their high lithium content and well-developed internal structure. Within 8 kilometres of the Moose 2 there are four other significant occurrences of spodumene and columbite-tantalite bearing pegmatites: Best Bet, the Moose 1, Big Hill #2, and Blatchford Lake.
The Moose 2 pegmatite is a zoned pegmatite, and occurs as a series of exposures up to 24.4 metres wide over a 426.7 metre strike length. These dykes consist of two distinct zones: 1) lithium-bearing zones, and 2) tantalum-niobium bearing zones. Within the lithium-bearing zones, the lithium mineralization is associated with both spodumene and amblygonite-quartz bearing zones. Spodumene from spodumene and amblygonite-quartz bearing zones is reported to assay 7.44% and 8.6% Li2O, respectively (Groves 1978).
The tantalum - niobium mineralization also occurs in two distinct zones: feldspar rich zones with platy columbite - tantalite and fine-grained muscovite-quartz-feldspar border zones. Sampling of an ore pile of this material has returned grades averaging 0.104% Ta2O5 (Mosher 1969).
The zonation of the pegmatite could allow for the mining and processing of 3 separate concentrates: a spodumene concentrate, an amblygonite concentrate, and a columbite-tantalite-cassiterite concentrate (Groves 1978). The Moose 2 location, only 115 km east southeast of Yellowknife on the shore of Great Slave Lake, allows relatively easy access to the property by barge in summer and on ice roads in winter.
Significant potential exists for expansion of tonnage. The property has seen a very limited amount of drilling and the deposit remains open at depth and along strike. In addition to confirming and expanding historic resources TNR aims to further explore the property for other lithium and tantalum enriched pegmatite dykes yet to be discovered.
Ike Osmani, P.Geo, is the company's qualified person on the project as required under NI 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information contained in this press release.
To help understand the technical aspects of Lithium and Rare Metals please visit TNR's website at www.tnrgoldcorp.com.
ABOUT TNR
TNR is a diversified metals exploration company focused on identifying new prospective projects globally with 22 properties currently in its portfolio, of which 5 properties will be subject to the proposed spin-off of International Lithium Corp. (www.internationallithium.com) as announced in TNR's news release dated April 27th, 2009.
In anticipation of the surging international lithium demand in various high tech and efficient energy applications, TNR has actively pursued an aggressive global acquisition strategy for Lithium and Rare Metals projects of merit. This further confirms the company's commitment to project generation, market diversity, and building shareholder value.
On behalf of the board,
Gary Schellenberg, President"

Lithium: Demand is coming - Charging Up U.S. Battery Production TNR.v, SQM, GOOG, RIMM, AAPL, BYD, TTM, GM, F, WLC.v, CLQ.v, CNY.v, HUI, XAU, OIL, OIH


Our Dragon is Hungry and Demand for Lithium is coming together with Energy Security and playing ketchup with batteries producers from Asia. Our Next Big Thing needs base in stable mining friendly locations.




Kerry A. Dolan, 04.30.09, 06:00 AM EDT

The batteries for next-generation plug-in cars are made outside the U.S.--so far.
BURLINGAME, Calif. -- As the Big Three car companies gear up to roll out plug-in hybrid and battery electric cars over the next several years, one of the many looming questions (besides safety and cost) is where the batteries will come from.
The consensus is that lithium ion batteries are the way to go. These batteries, nearly universally used in cellphones and laptop computers, have a high energy density. That should enable vehicles to go farther on an electric charge than do, say, the nickel-metal-hydride batteries currently used in hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius and Ford Fusion.
The center of excellence for lithium ion batteries, however, lies in Asia. Work started in Japan in the late 1990s and is migrating to China. Sanyo, Panasonic and Sony ( SNE - news - people ) are among the largest, most experienced producers of these batteries, thanks to years of effort put into developing longer-lasting batteries for the Walkman (remember that device?) and its ilk.
But Ford Motor ( F - news - people ) wants the lithium ion batteries it plans to use to be made in America. If not, says John Viera, Ford's director of sustainable business strategies, "We're going to be turning from a reliance on foreign fuel to a reliance on foreign battery technology."
Ford announced in February that a joint venture between automotive supplier Johnson Controls ( JCI - news - people ) and French battery producer Saft would supply the lithium ion batteries for some of its plug-in hybrid cars. Viera said the venture initially wanted to build the batteries in France, but Ford nixed that plan. Johnson Controls-Saft announced it will make the batteries in Michigan instead.
Meeting the "made-in-the-USA" mandate means U.S. companies have to play catch-up, says Paul Beach, vice president of business development at Quallion, a lithium-ion battery maker in Sylmar, Calif.
"Sanyo produces 60 million [lithium ion] cells a month in a factory where the lights are off and there are just eight guys running it," says Beach. He figures Sanyo's cost is $2 per cell (a cell being the lithium ion equivalent of an AA battery--a building block for a battery). Quallion currently buys its cells from Japan and assembles them in Southern California into batteries for use in medical devices. If it built the cells from scratch in the U.S., Quallion's cost would be several orders of magnitude greater than Sanyo's, Beach estimates.
Both Quallion and A123 Systems have submitted requests to the U.S. government for grants measured in the hundreds of millions of dollars to build domestic factories to make lithium ion batteries. Such funding could indeed jump-start a domestic industry--even if it worries those who wonder whether some future battery technology might prove more compelling than lithium ion."

Kootenay Gold Inc. KTN.v: Promontorio Surface Sampling Confirms Mineralization for 1000 Meters; Grading Up to 45.6 gpt Gold & 298 gpt Silver. KTN.v,

"Drilling encounted wide to moderate intervals of high-grade silver-gold polymetallic breccias in a porphyry breccia setting. Results received to date report 36 holes, 20 of which intersected significant precious and base metal mineralization starting from surface and extending to depth. Highlights included 18.4 meters grading 950 g/t and 151 meters grading 162 g/t silver-equivalent. Dimensions of the Discovery Zone tested to date are approximately 200 meters by 300 meters in plan by 440 meters vertically. Mineralization remains open to the West, North, East and to depth."
Kootenay Gold KTN.v is another forgotten story by Mr Market: Junior with cash (16mil as of end 2008) and expanding mineralisation at Promontorio Silver/Gold project in Mexico is still on Xmas sale. Company has a number of other J/V projects and reporting "that drilling confirms widespread high grade mineralisation". Last Autumn Kootenay was talking about Promontorio as a 100+ MOZ Silver target.

Corporate profile.



On Wednesday April 29, 2009, 11:20 am EDT

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - April 29, 2009) - Kootenay Gold Inc. ("Kootenay") (TSX VENTURE:KTN - News) is pleased to announce surface sampling confirms mineralization discovered in the Dorotea Structure in drill holes DDH 55 to 57 continues for more than 1000 meters. The Dorotea Structure projects into the Pit Discovery area some 1600 meters to the southeast of the drill holes.
Mineralization is found in three different exposed areas along the trend of the structure grading up to 45.6 grams per tonne gold and 298 grams per tonne silver in a grab sample 800 meters to the northwest of the drill discovery and 90 meters southeast of the drill discovery values to 12.1 grams per tonne gold and 587 grams per tonne silver were encountered (see attached map). Results contained herein are from select grab samples taken from outcrops while exploring for the surface extensions of the drill intercepts.
Jim McDonald, CEO of Kootenay commented, "Results at Promontorio continue to be very encouraging and indicate the newly discovered Dorotea Structure is mineralized along at least 1000 meters of its length. Drill results in the Dorotea structure further underscore its potential. Drilling encountered 34.5 meters grading 1.73 grams per tonne gold, 74.83 grams per tonne silver and 2.4% Pb+Zn in KP 56 and 6.0 meters grading 5.92 grams per tonne gold, 167.20 grams per tonne silver and 1.625 Pb+Zn in KP 55" (see news release dated February 5, 2009 for full results).
TRENCHING UNDERWAY TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL DRILL TARGETS
A 2000 meter trenching program is currently underway. This program is intended to expose the Dorotea structure in numerous places along its strike extension with the objective of determining continuity and width of mineralization between outcrops. Several other mineralized zones identified in the Promontorio discovery area will also be trenched (See news release dated July 17, 2008 describing zones A to N). Results of this program will be incorporated into the drill, geochemical and geophysical data and used to set specific drill targets for the next drill program.



Table. Map



The foregoing geological disclosure has been reviewed and verified by Kootenay's CEO, James McDonald, P.Geo (a qualified person for the purpose of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). Mr. McDonald is a director of the Company.
QA/QC
All samples were placed and sealed with tape into a plastic rock sample bag. Each sample was labeled and catalogued and delivered to ALS Chemex's preparation laboratory in Hermosillo, Sonora Mexico where pulps are made of each sample which were then sent to the ALS Chemex laboratory in North Vancouver, B.C. Canada. Each sample was analyzed with a multi acid digestion ICP AES (Plasma Emission Spectroscopy). Samples with precious metals exceeding the upper detection limit of the ICP AES are analyzed again using fire assay methods with either atomic absorption, emission spectroscopy or gravimetric finishes for gold and silver. Base metals exceeding upper limits are reanalyzed using a four acid ore grade analysis. All samples referred to herein are grab samples. ALS Chemex is an internationally recognized independent laboratory operating to ISO 17025 quality assurance standards.
ABOUT KOOTENAY
Kootenay is an emerging exploration Company actively developing mineral projects in British Columbia, Canada and the Sierra Madre Region of Mexico. The Company's top priority remains the ongoing development of its 100% owned Promontorio Silver project, which encompasses the former producing Promontorio Silver Mine in Northwest Mexico.






Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Lithium: How to invest in the Next Bull. TNR.v, SQM, GOOG, AAPL, RIMM, FCX, RTP, WLC.v, CLQ.v, CNY.v, BYD, TTM, GM, F, HUI, XAU, FCX

The question is simple: who will drive this baby and who will change the Plug.


CS. Things are happening fast in this still very small electrified market, which is coming out of its infancy. We are more confident by the day that our analyses about Next Big Thing and Bull market are going to be confirmed by market valuations.



We are always insisting that you should confirm your thesis in the market place. If Mr Market will not get your story within reasonable time, you are not going to make any money. Do not expect him to take on things immediately, only when sufficient mass of herd mentality will provide a false feeling of safety and excitement, he will come to you. And it is your lucky chance to be ahead of the heard, make your research and decision before the others and get in at Low and be able to sell at High in years to come.


We have a few developments within our Lithium plays and even new player is coming in within last few weeks. In order to keep your head above the water in understanding, what is really going on, do your own research and call the companies - even the manner of speaking to you or not speaking at all should help you in your decisions. There are a few web based sources of information which are available as well, but always check all facts with the relevant company.






One of the Blogs we are following has published recently a very good coverage of Juniors - Leveraged Plays in our Next Big Thing. Almost all major players are mentioned and there you can get initial good taste of things happening in that hot kitchen at the moment. Who will succeed in the race? Maybe all of them, maybe not - you will have to make your DD and place bets accordingly. The place is not very crowded at the moment and you can make still a good selection for your Lithium portfolio exposure according to your taste.


Roxmark Mines RMK.v: Premier Gold PG.to drills 32.1 m of 15.97 g/t Au at Hardrock. RMK.v, PG.to, CDNX, HUI, XAU, GDX, TSX, TNR.v, SQM

This is becoming a Premier M&A play: Gold in Canada - with such rapid developments.
Technical picture is positioned very nicely to advance on incoming buying volume.

This is what we are talking about, when mentioning strong J/V partners. We only wish to see this speed of development for our other Juniors busy building their portfolios. Premier Gold PG.to came into the picture last year and Roxmark Mines RMK.v, feeding before shareholders with slow motion pictures from 30s last century, has moved into high speed of Gold Exploration developments within months. Investors were able to get in this story as low as 5 Canadian cents just a couple of months ago. This prices of 0.1CAD will be a distant memories within days with this kind of spectacular results: Hardrock Tenacity drilling continues to return high-grade gold; 15.97g/t Au across 32.1m. This is getting serious and we are eagerly awaiting initial resource estimation by the end of this year. Now it is becoming not a question of If, but When and at What price Premier Gold will bid for 30% of this coming Gold Deposit in Canada, which now belongs to Roxmark Mines RMK.v.




We can only Dream that Mitsuis, SQMs and JOGMECs of this world will become one day J/V partners in our NEXT Big Thing with such approach like Premier Gold.

Premier Gold drills 32.1 m of 15.97 g/t Au at Hardrock




"2009-04-29 09:13 ET - News Release
Mr. Ewan Downie reports
HARDROCK TENACITY DRILLING CONTINUES TO RETURN HIGH-GRADE GOLD; 15.97G/T AU ACROSS 32.1M
Premier Gold Mines Ltd.'s continued drilling at the Hardrock project in Geraldton, Northwestern Ontario, continues to return high-grade gold mineralization in the Tenacity zone. Initial drilling at the Tenacity zone has been focused on defining potentially open-pit-style mineralization which is being confirmed by intersections of up to (uncut) 15.97 grams per tonne gold across 32.1 metres and 2.38 g/t gold across 23 m. Drilling is now directed on extending the Tenacity zone down-plunge to follow up on recent intersections of up to 16.86 g/t gold across 5.5 m. Highlights of recent tenacity drilling include:
The potential to develop both open pit and underground resources;
Extremely high-grade gold with individual samples returning assays of up to 688 g/t gold (20.1 ounces per ton gold) across 0.7 m;
The intersection of a second near-surface mineralized horizon located along a similar geological contact." MORE



The Hardrock Project is operated under a joint venture with Roxmark Mines Limited (TSX-V:RMK - News; Premier earning a 70% interest). The Hardrock Project is host to several past-producing mines which collectively produced more than 2.0 Million ounces of gold from the same shallow deposits within 2000 feet (600 metres) of surface from 1938-1968. The mined zones remained open at depth at the time mining ceased and developed historical resources were left in place within the existing mine workings (a qualified person has not done sufficient work to verify the historical resource, the company is not treating the historical resource as a current resource and the historical resource should not be relied upon).



Tuesday, April 28, 2009

TNR Gold Corp. Acquires Mavis Lake, Ontario Lithium Property. TNR.v, SQM, GOOG, RIMM, AAPL, GM, F, BYD, TTM, FCX, NUI, XAU, WLC.v, CLQ.v, CNY.v, FCX,


TNR Gold and Dr Breaks are in action and delivered another Lithium property in stable Canada. Ontario recently was voted as one of the top destinations to conduct mining. With couple of Lithium discoveries under his belt Dr. Breaks must be excited to be back in the Next Big Thing after 20 years. After all, invitation from Gary Schellenberg to get into Lithium story early could be very promising. Junior now has 3 Lithium properties in Canada and 1 in Nevada, USA.
All details can be found in this presentation.


On Tuesday April 28, 2009, 3:20 pm EDT



VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - April 28, 2009) - TNR Gold Corp. ("TNR" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:TNR - News; PINK SHEETS:TRRXF - News) is pleased to announce the acquisition by staking of the Mavis Lake Lithium & Rare Metals Project. Located 15 km northeast of the town of Dryden, Ontario and accessible by an all weather road, Mavis Lake encompasses nine identified lithium and tantalum-bearing pegmatites within a 512 hectare claim block. An Ontario Hydro major transmission line passes approximately 1 km south of the property. Lithium continues to be the rare metal of the 21st century, with increasing worldwide demand for lithium as a raw material for high tech devices and energy-efficient batteries and vehicles. To help understand the technical aspects of Lithium and Rare Metals please visit TNR's website at http://www.tnrgoldcorp.com/s/Home.asp.
The Mavis Lake Project covers the eastern extent of the Mavis Lake pegmatite group, an east-trending concentration of rare-element-bearing pegmatites and related metasomatic zones. The nine known pegmatites on the property, named from Pegmatite 11 to Pegmatite 19 (inclusive), represent a mix of albite-spodumene-type pegmatites and albite-type pegmatites.
A variety of channel and grab samples collected by Dr.Breaks (1989) from albite-type pegmatites on the property have returned highly anomalous lithium oxide and tantalum values. Results of selected samples from this pegmatite type from the Mavis Lake property are as follows:
Pegmatite No Sample Number Li2O Ta (ppm) Sample type
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pegmatite 13 244 2320 ppm over 1.3 m 170 Channel cut
Pegmatite 14 245 250 ppm over 0.63 m 70 Channel cut
Pegmatite 15 246 1980 ppm over 1.7 m 150 Channel cut
Pegmatite 19 247 225 ppm 280 Grab sample
(Breaks, Ph.D. thesis 1989, p.306)
The albite-spodumene-type pegmatites (#11, 12, 17 and 18) typically contain the highest spodumene (LiAl(Si2O6)) content of any pegmatite type, particularly a grab sample of the pegmatite 18 which contains 53% volume spodumene (Breaks Ph.D. thesis 1989, p. 104) is approximately equivalent to 4.3% Li2O.
Tantalum-bearing minerals, both in albite and albite-spodumene pegmatites, on the Mavis Lake property have been identified by microprobe analyses as manganese-tantalite, manganese-columbite and wodginite group ((Mn(Sn,Ta)Ta2O8) (2003 Ontario Geological Survey MRD 127). Additional mineralization to note is the presence of the tungsten, scheelite (Ca (WO4)) in vein systems proximal to Pegmatites 13, 14 and 16, as well as beryl in Pegmatites 13, 14 and 15 (Breaks, 1989).
Tantalum is used commonly in high tech applications as portable capacitors and industrial grade glass found in high-end camera lenses and precision medical equipment. Furthermore tantalum carbide is one of the hardest material known and is frequently manufactured into high-speed machine tools.
TNR's special advisor on Lithium and Rare Metals, Dr. Frederick W. Breaks comments, "The Mavis Lake property has lithium and tantalum mineralization that has not witnessed exploration since the early 1980's with high spodumene contents occurring in Pegmatite 18, the largest on the property with an apparent width up to 18 m and a minimum strike length of 215 m." Breaks continues, "Tantalum minerals are also widespread and, in particular, the presence of wodginite, which is the chief ore mineral for tantalum at the world-famous Tanco pegmatite in SE Manitoba, magnifies the exploration potential for this metal."
Ike Osmani, P.Geo. is the Company's qualified person on the project as required under NI 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information contained in this press release.
TNR proposes to spin-out its lithium and rare metals projects into its wholly owned British Columbia subsidiary International Lithium Corp. ("Int. Lithium Corp."). Upon completion of the transfer of the lithium and rare metals projects to Int. Lithium Corp., TNR intends to distribute up to 75% of the securities of Int. Lithium Corp. to TNR shareholders (the "Spin-Out Transaction"). Application will also be made to list the shares of Int. Lithium Corp. on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange"). Please see TNR's news release dated April 27, 2009 for complete details of the proposed spin-out.
ABOUT TNR
TNR is a diversified metals exploration company focused on identifying new prospective projects globally with 21 properties currently in its portfolio.
In anticipation of the surging international lithium demand in various high tech and efficient energy applications, TNR has actively pursued an aggressive global acquisition strategy for Lithium and Rare Metals projects of merit. This further confirms the company's commitment to project generation, market diversity, and building shareholder value.
On behalf of the board,
Gary Schellenberg, President

Lithium: Another Range solution is ready for the market. TNR.v, SQM, GOOG, AAPL, RIMM, GM, F, BYD, TTM, FCX, RTP, HUI, XAU, WLC.v, CLQ.v, CNY.v, FCX

As we have mentioned before, for our Next Big Thing to take off we need the range of Electric Cars to be above 150 miles or even better 200 miles. This approach claimed to be Range Enxiety Free, which is interesting.
Good interactive animations could be found here as well as latest market information.
" The revolutionary Opel Ampera celebrated its world premiere at the 79th Geneva Motor Show. General Motors Europe president, Carl-Peter Forster, unveiled the extended-range electric vehicle and announced plans to put the car into production in late 2011.
The Opel Ampera will also be offered with right-hand drive in the United Kingdom by Opel's sister-brand, Vauxhall.
"The Opel Ampera further demonstrates GM's leadership in the electrification of the automobile," said Carl-Peter Forster. "Its ground-breaking Voltec electric propulsion system is the kind of game-changing technology the automotive industry needs to respond to energy and environmental challenges."
The five-door, four-seat Opel Ampera is influenced by Opel's award-winning design language of sculptural artistry meets German precision, incorporating several styling cues from the innovative Flextreme and GTC Concept show cars
"There could not be a more fitting way to celebrate Opel's 110 years of innovation in the car industry than by revealing the Opel Ampera," said Alain Visser, GME Vice President Opel.
The Opel Ampera's wheels are turned electrically at all times and speeds. For journeys up to 60 km (MVEG), it runs on electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery, and emits zero CO2. When the battery's energy is depleted, electricity from an engine-generator extends the Ampera's range to more than 500 km.
The Opel Ampera can be plugged into any household 230v outlet for charging. GM Europe is analyzing the requirements of a recharging infrastructure for plug-in electric cars with energy companies, including Iberdrola of Spain.
Opel Ampera Gets Power and Refinement from Voltec Propulsion System
The revolutionary Opel Ampera will be the first emission-free, electrically driven automobile in Europe suitable for everyday driving. With its Voltec electric propulsion system providing lively acceleration and high levels of refinement, the five-door Opel Ampera seats four passengers in comfort, offers a useful trunk for their luggage, and features an extended range of more than 500 kilometers.
"Driving electrically is not only about ecology," said global vehicle line executive and chief engineer, Frank Weber. "Driving electrically is also great fun. Instantaneous, silent torque of 370 Newton meters under your right foot feels like flying!"
Electricity drives the Opel Ampera's wheels at all times and speeds. For trips up to 60 km (MVEG), power is supplied by the electricity stored in the cutting-edge, 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery.
While driving on electricity delivered by the battery, the Opel Ampera emits zero CO2. When the battery's energy is depleted, a gasoline/E85-fueled engine-generator seamlessly provides electricity to power the electric drive unit while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery. This mode of operation extends the range to 500 kilometers, until the battery can be charged by plugging the vehicle's on-board charge system into a standard household 230v outlet.
Opel Ampera gives driver confidence and peace of mind
Unlike a conventional battery-electric vehicle, the Opel Ampera eliminates "range anxiety," giving the confidence and peace of mind that the driver will not be stranded by a depleted battery.
"An advanced lithium-ion battery system is the key to getting the Opel Ampera into the hands of consumers", said Hans Demant, GME's vice president of engineering. "The engineers at our research and development center in Mainz-Kastel, Germany are testing the battery around the clock, 365 days a year to ensure that it meets the expectations of our customers."
The Opel Ampera's battery pack will be manufactured by GM at the first lithium-ion production facility to be operated by a major automaker in the United States. More than 220 lithium-ion cells in the T-shaped pack provide ample power. The nearly silent electric drive unit delivers 370 Nm of instant torque, the equivalent of 150 horsepower, zero to 100 km/h acceleration in around nine seconds, and a top speed of 161 km/h.
The Opel Ampera will be well-suited to the daily driving schedule of most European customers. For example, approximately 80 percent of German drivers travel less than 50 km daily.
Opel estimates that an electrically driven kilometer in the Opel Ampera will cost about one-fifth compared to a conventional gasoline vehicle, at current fuel prices.
Technical Specifications
* Vehicle type: 5-door, front-wheel-drive hatchback* Category: Extended-Range Electric Vehicle (E-REV)* Chassis: independent McPherson struts front, compound crank twist axle rear, four-wheel disc brakes, full regenerative brakes to maximize energy capture, electric power-assist steering* Seating capacity: four* Performanceo Top speed: 161 km/ho EV range: 60 km (MVEG cycle)o Total range: >500 km* Dimensionso Wheelbase: 2685 mmo Length: 4404 mmo Width: 1798 mmo Height: 1430 mmo Cargo volume: 301 l* Battery systemo Type: lithium-iono Energy: 16 kWh* Electric drive unito Power: 150 hp (111 kW)o Torque: 370 Nm* Exterioro Tire and wheel size: specially developed low rolling-resistance tires on 17-inch forged aluminum wheels"

Sabina Silver SBB.v is slowly rebuilding its value and adds Gold. SBB.v, SLW, SIL,

It is another candidate for accumulation this Summer: Silver Wheaton SLW is holding a stake as strategic investment in this Junior. With silver prices under pressure Junior has made a decision to grow resources using the recent market conditions: translation - we will buy what we can at this distressed valuations and will develop further when the prices will be up and all potential targets will be too expensive. We like this approach. We still remember how Silver Standard SSRI was accumulating Silver properties when the silver price was below 7 USD/oz and company stock below 5 USD. With Silver breaking 15 USD/oz excitement will be back into these kind of Juniors.
"Sabina Silver Enters Into Agreement to Purchase Back River Assets From Dundee Precious Metals to Create Premier Northern Canada Advanced Exploration Company
Claims cover over 3,000 sq km on a Greenstone Belt that hosts Hackett River Project in Nunavut.
M & I Resource of 3.4 million tonnes at 10.9 g/t for 1.19 million ounces gold Inferred Resource of 3.6 million tonnes at 10.2 g/t for 1.16 million ounces gold"
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(MARKET WIRE)--Mar 30, 2009 -- Sabina Silver Corporation (CDNX:SBB.V - News) announced today that it has entered into a Definitive Asset Purchase Agreement (the "Agreement") to purchase the Back River and Wishbone properties in Nunavut, Canada (collectively known as the Back River Assets) from Dundee Precious Metals Inc. ("DPM").
As previously disclosed Sabina's strategy is to seek accretive acquisitions within established criteria while continuing to advance its Hackett River Project. The Company has been actively assessing large or district scale Canadian precious metals targets which have substantial already defined 43-101 mineral resource.
The Back River Assets consist of two main components, the original Back River property hosting the George and Goose Lake iron formation hosted gold deposits and a recent new project area, the Wishbone Project. This property covers a large portion of the Hackett River Greenstone Belt ("HRGB") and hosts Sabina's Hackett River Project as well as other smaller base and precious metal deposits. The combined properties total approximately 3,000 square km and cover a largely unexplored highly prospective greenstone belt.
"We are very excited about this transaction," said Tony Walsh, President & CEO. "All of the projects are in the same area and share logistical opportunities and potential development synergies. For example, the George Lake deposit is approximately 40 km from Hackett River. The Sabina management team has proven experience in successfully managing and permitting large arctic projects, including the development of Miramar Mining's Hope Bay Greenstone Belt. We have previously operated the George and Goose Lake projects and believe they have excellent potential to add to their resources. Also, Nunavut is a pro-mining jurisdiction, supportive of exploration and mining development. These Canadian properties will also provide the option for the Company to access, if required, funding through the sale of flow through qualified shares. We believe that this transaction adds immediate value to the Company and will continue to do so for years to come."
"We have always recognized the value of the Back River assets however, with our focus clearly on advancing our Bulgarian assets, this transaction provides us with an opportunity to continue to participate in Back River's growth and development without diverting resources from our core business," said Jonathan Goodman, President & CEO. "Back River is an excellent exploration property that will complement the adjacent Sabina properties allowing DPM to become a significant shareholder in a much larger exploration venture run by one of the best exploration groups in Canada."

Monday, April 27, 2009

Lithium: Ford Unveils New Battery Technology for Hybrids and Electric Vehicles. TNR.v, SQM, GOOG, AAPL, RIMM, BYD, TTM, GM, F, WLC.v, CLQ.v, CNY.v,

This is the next important step for Lithium to become Next Big Thing: it must be widely accepted as an industry standard for Energy Storage in Mobile applications.

Written by Jonathan R. Pitman

"Monday, 27 April 2009 03:58
Car TalkBy Jonathan Pitman
Ford Motor Company, in an attempt to offer more fuel efficient vehicles and technology, unveils its latest plans by introducing new Lithium (Li-ion) batteries in its hybrid and electric vehicles between 2010 and 2012. According to Ford, the plan has called for extensive research that will better the technology over time. Right now research is in the early stages and is being conducted by battery suppliers and university researchers to help advance the cause. The participants include Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the University of Michigan, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Susan Cischke, Group Vice President, Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering, stated, “Ford is strongly positioned to accelerate its electric vehicle strategy this year thanks to the significant research that we’ve already completed. Our collaboration work with suppliers and partners will help us be one of the first automakers to bring the next generation of personal transportation to market.”
Ann Marie Sastry, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan Energy Systems Engineering Program had this to say about Ford’s effort to promote the new technology: “The Efforts of the Ford team to reduce the cost and mass of Li-ion systems have been important to the research community at large. Their efforts are yielding improved Li-ion systems, and more knowledgeable workers."Along with Ford, these partner organizations will be conducting digital simulations tests, collecting degradation data, that Ford and its battery suppliers have used to improve Li-ion performance. According to Ted Miller, Manager, Ford Energy Storage Strategy and Research, “Our plug in electric hybrid vehicles fleet is a direct result of our Li-ion research, and the data mined from these field tests will provide crucial information as we make advances in battery technology.”
The new technology will replace the existing nickel based batteries that are currently being used. Researchers say the Li-ion battery systems will be 5 percent more energy efficient than the nickel metal hydride battery used in today’s hybrid electric vehicles. Also, from a cost prospective, it is 30 percent less expensive at the annual volume of 3 million hybrids. The test vehicle featuring the new Li-ion battery is the Ford Escape Hybrid model.The battery itself is said to be 25 to 30 percent smaller and 50 percent lighter than the existing nickel batteries, which makes them, easier to pack into a vehicle."

Lithium: TNR Gold Plugs In "International Lithium Corp." TNR.v, SQM, GOOG, GM, F, APPL, RIMM, OIH, OIL, WLC.v, CLQ.v, CNY.v, FXI, FCX, RPT, HUI, XAU

CS. " Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the Information Circular to be prepared in connection with the Spin-Out Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the spin-off may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of exploration and development stage resource companies should be considered highly speculative." We will add: do not try to Discharge any High Voltage things at home!
With our Common Sense (TM) approach we will clear out all this Lithium-Shlitium right to the core of the basic values and we will see the how much these guys will have left from their 12 Canadian cents.
Is it a free lunch or we need to test these guys on doping with all this recent Energy Boost? They must be taken things too literally: like shareholder's rights for "...building shareholder value" and are sitting on Lithium themselves. But do not be worried that you are missing something, we are here to test and challenge as usual.
After today's announcement about debt settlement at recent high level compare to just two weeks ago, Gary Schellenberg invites everybody to participate in International Lithium Corp - "...a focused and dominant player in the growing Lithium and Rare Metals explorer realm". This guy is getting more confident by the day - does he pretend to be with his Lithium Dream like when Larry and Sergey have started Google GOOG and you can join them before the first round of financing? But of cause, do not hit Buy: we are different from Jim Cramer show - International Lithium Corp. is not a Google - it lives in its own Dreams about Next Big Thing. They have just a few connections and both happen to get on our radar screen many years ago.
By the way, for our devoted readers, we are not against Technology, Progress and Google GOOG particularly. We love the company and are using it all the time in this Educational project. We had some trouble with Google valuation before and warned others about it, but once it fell down last Autumn to 250USD intraday and we covered all our Puts, we are fine. Those money are well spent and supporting our Juniors, who one day, who knows when the world is so close sometimes, will maybe provide Lithium, Gold and Copper to drive Apteras and Next Industrial Revolution.
But before we will sign up TNR Gold and International Lithium Corp. into our Next Big Thing lets check value proposition:
1. If you are a shareholder now or will become by the record day to be announced later, you will get one share and one full tradable warrant of ILC on following conditions:
"TNR shareholders of record will be entitled to receive one share and one full tradable warrant of Int. Lithium Corp. for every 4 shares of TNR held as of the as yet determined record date. The warrant will be exercisable at a price equal to a 50% premium to the Company's listing price for a 2 year period."
So by holding now, buying today at around 0.12CAD at the moment of writing or in the future before the record day you will get shares of TNR Gold and ILC plus ILC warrant according to the ratio. It is important not to forget to hold until the record day if you like the idea of ILC.
For the reference and our investigation angle, we must add that this time last year TNR Gold made a financing at 0.35CAD with all properties without any Lithium flavour. After that all those properties were advanced, they have found some Copper and Gold and Los Azules has developed nicely, but we will remind you that we had The Market Crash, Quantitative Easing and Barrack Obama with his claims for Energy Security and Green Revolution. Now we have a Mexican Flu, we can not spin it in any way that Lithium will save you, so check your temperature before any financial decisions.
2. So far TNR Gold has acquired three Lithium properties. All without Resources according to 43-101, but with historical Lithium and REE content. Thing to monitor here: will they be able to acquire more lithium properties?
3. TNR Gold will have at least 25% in the ILC after it will become public. Having already 100% subsidary in Argentina Solitario Argentina S. A. ("Solitario") with all Argentinian properties and prepared for spin out Bristol Exploration in Alaska, company becomes an Incubator of Exploration Plays and every subsidiary could be positioned to particular Investors and Joint Venture Partners, who would like to have a particular commodity or geopolitical exposure without unnecessary Dilution of shareholder capital.
4. Management - all the same guys, who managed to survive, rise financing from Insiders and settle debts today again. IR advised us today that management settled debts at 0.1CAD today as well. They even managed to get Dr Frederick W. Breaks on board:
"Dr. Breaks is a Ph.D. and Professional Geoscientist who is well known as a Lithium and Rare Earth Elements (REE) expert in Canada. A proven explorer, he discovered two significant lithium-rich deposits: Avalon Venture Ltd's Big Whopper pegmatite near Kenora, Ontario and Houston Lake Mining Inc's Pakeagama Lake pegmatite in the North Spirit Lake area of Northwestern Ontario. His ability to create genetic and exploration models of lithium-rich, pegmatite deposits was developed during his career at Ontario Geological Survey where he authored and coauthored over 120 peer-reviewed scientific papers"
5. These guys have already made a few tricks to get into this market without spending a lot of money and diluting the company at sub par value. But how long Mr Schellenberg will perform his magic without money or should we paraphrase what will he be able to achieve if he has more of it? Will his shareholder friendly very suspicious charm gain any fruits among potential investors? This will be next thing to watch in our research: coming financing, its level and who will come on board this time.
TNR Gold Announces Proposed Spin-Out of Lithium and Rare Metals Assets
"On Monday April 27, 2009, 9:49 am EDT
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - April 27, 2009) - TNR Gold Corp. (TSX VENTURE:TNR - News; "TNR" or the "Company") is pleased to announce its intention to spin-out its lithium and rare metals projects into a newly incorporated, wholly owned British Columbia subsidiary of TNR Gold, International Lithium Corp. ("Int. Lithium Corp"). Upon completion of the transfer of the lithium and rare metals projects to Int. Lithium Corp., TNR intends to distribute up to 75% of the securities of Int. Lithium Corp. to TNR shareholders (the "Spin-Out Transaction"). Application will also be made to list the shares of Int. Lithium Corp. on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange").
It is anticipated that the Spin-Out Transaction will be completed pursuant to a plan of arrangement and will be subject to Exchange, regulatory, court and shareholder approval, by not less than two-thirds of the votes cast at a special meeting of TNR shareholders which will be called to approve the Spin-Out Transaction. Full details of the proposed Spin-Out Transaction will be included in the information circulate to be sent to TNR shareholders in connection with the special meeting to be held in summer 2009, but it is anticipated that TNR shareholders of record will be entitled to receive one share and one full tradable warrant of Int. Lithium Corp. for every 4 shares of TNR held as of the as yet determined record date. The warrant will be exercisable at a price equal to a 50% premium to the Company's listing price for a 2 year period.
In conjunction with the listing of the shares of Int. Lithium Corp., TNR intends to complete an equity financing on terms to be determined, subject to regulatory approval.
Further details regarding the Spin-Out Transaction, the proposed timing thereof and any proposed financing, will be released in the upcoming months.
TNR believes this corporate holding structure will deliver further shareholder value as Int. Lithium Corp. will be focused on increasing critical mass through acquisitions of high potential Lithium and Rare Metal projects globally. Current shareholders will continue to benefit from the group's ability to identify and add value to early stage projects for joint venture model, while enjoying the growth of the new subsidiary and the market's newfound appreciation for efficient lithium energy innovations.
"With a subsidiary that is marketed as a focused and dominant player in the growing Lithium and Rare Metals explorer realm, we believe it will provide the necessary visibility and efficiency that potential joint venture partners are looking for," states President and CEO Gary Schellenberg.
TNR has reserved the domain name http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AuYacAvUULi6uGGP6TmAcD6yf88A/SIG=11907bp0b/**http%3A//www.internationallithium.com/. The site will be linked to the current TNR websitehttp://www.tnrgoldcorp.com and feature property information, lithium industry articles, and relevant technical information. The site is currently in the process of being designed and constructed.
Completion of the Spin-Out Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including regulatory approval, shareholder approvals, and approval of the British Columbia Supreme Court. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the Information Circular to be prepared in connection with the Spin-Out Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the spin-off may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of exploration and development stage resource companies should be considered highly speculative.
ABOUT TNR
TNR is a diversified metals exploration company focused on identifying new prospective projects globally with 20 properties currently in its portfolio.
In anticipation of the surging international lithium demand in various high tech and efficient energy applications, TNR has actively pursued an aggressive global acquisition strategy for Lithium and Rare Metals projects of merit. This further confirms the company's commitment to project generation, market diversity, and building shareholder value.
On behalf of the board,
Gary Schellenberg, President"

Lithium: What is it like to drive an electric car in UK? TNR.v, SQM, GOOG, ESLR, RIMM, AAPL, BYD, TTM, GM, F, HUI, XAU, WLC.v, CLQ.v, CNY.v, OIL, OIH,


This expensive car experience is very important for our Next Big Thing. Celebrities are putting money already down. Technological progress now-a-days is so fast that a lot of these qualities of a very expensive car will be available to consumers of a much more modest Electric Cars which will make the Green Mobility Revolution.
What is it like to drive an electric car?
With government due to subsidise 'green' motorists, we put the Tesla Roadster and the Smart Electric Drive to the test
"Would you buy an electric car? Do you know what it’s like to live with one? The government is pretty confident that a cash incentive will be enough to persuade people to abandon the conveniences of the internal combustion engine. From 2011 motorists will be able to apply for a grant of up to £5,000 towards the cost of buying an electric car. No sooner had the government announced its latest “green” brainwave, however, than the flaws began to emerge.
Almost none of the electric vehicles on sale in the UK today would qualify for one of the grants. Models such as the Reva G-Wiz and the Aixam Mega City are officially quadricycles, not cars, and would not comply with the government’s requirement “to meet modern safety standards and have a range and top speed sufficient to give mass market appeal”.
In fact, if you wanted a car now that would satisfy the government’s requirements there is almost no choice. The Tesla sports car is one; and from next year Smart is putting its ED (electric drive) into limited production. We arranged for two readers of The Sunday Times to put the only two officially sanctioned cars through their paces and report back.
TESLA ROADSTER
Driven by Harry Metcalfe, magazine editor
The Tesla might look like a top-notch sports car — and at £87,100 it is priced like one — but it’s not. There’s no petrol engine for a start. Instead there’s a clever electric motor driving the rear wheels through a single-speed gearbox. Sitting behind the driver is a ruddy great lithium-ion battery that’s powerful enough to allow the Tesla to cover up to 200 miles on a single charge. Now like most blokes, I’m addicted to trying the latest gadget as soon as possible so it didn’t take long before the first UK Tesla appeared in my garage.
Having now lived with one for a while I’m starting to discover everything you take for granted with a conventional car goes out of the window with a Tesla. The most obvious one is there’s no need to stop at petrol stations. I can’t say I miss the standing around on draughty forecourts, with only the fast-rising digits on the petrol pump for entertainment, climaxing with that empty wallet feeling at the checkout. About the only thing I miss is the chance to raid the confectionery counter, but then I’m probably better off without the extra calories.
I also take care when parking the Tesla to ensure there’s a plug socket handy because, rather than just charging the battery at home overnight, I’ve discovered it’s a good idea to get into the habit of “grazing”, by which I mean topping up the battery whenever you have a lengthy stop.
You gain about 10 miles in range for every hour you leave a Tesla plugged into a normal 13-amp socket, so by charging the car up while, say, visiting friends or during a business meeting you end up maximising the car’s potential range.
Get it right and it’s like having a petrol tank that never empties. Ten miles every hour is a bit slow, to be honest, but you can get a 32-amp socket fitted at home for about £200 and then the charging rate rises to 25 miles for every hour charged. All this helps reduce what’s termed “range anxiety”, which is an electric car’s biggest bugbear at the moment, leaving you free to use the Tesla to its maximum at all times.
And it’s hard not to, because from the moment the Tesla glides out of the garage, there’s a smile on my face. This is a hilarious car to drive every day; it accelerates at a ridiculous pace, capable of an eerily silent 0-60mph dash in less than 5sec.
But it’s the sheer accessibility to all this crazy performance that’s so addictive. There’s no gear changing, no screaming engine, just prod the accelerator and you’re whisked to another place very, very quickly.
I don’t miss all the commotion that goes with your typical performance car either. I really thought I would, but the utter silence of a coasting Tesla is enthralling in itself because there are so many other noises you can hear instead. In town it’s at its weirdest because you can listen to things such as the conversations of pedestrians, the creaking of lorry trailer tyres as they move away from traffic lights, or cyclists panting as they weave their way through a traffic jam, even birds chirping in trees come through loud and clear; it’s bizarre.
Get the chance to drive on rural roads and the wind noise gets in the way of what’s happening outside the Tesla but every now and then you can get startled by a cow mooing or a sheep bleating so loudly you think it’s just climbed on board.
Perhaps the best bit about driving a Tesla, though — once you’ve got over the hefty purchase price (which is somewhat lumpy, I admit) — is that the cost of driving is then unbelievably low. There’s no road tax or congestion charge and charging the battery fully from flat costs only about £6.60 (at 11p/unit). This should give you a 200-mile range (a petrol car would have to average about 130mpg to match this cost). I’m not getting close to this ideal range, as Tesla describes it, but then I don’t drive the car like a Toyota Prius — more like a Lotus, if I’m being totally honest. The result is I’m achieving only 60% of the range that Tesla thinks I should.
However, I’m not too bothered as the electricity I’m charging the Tesla with comes from a wind turbine, in effect making it free motoring. I erected a wind turbine in my garden. Did I go too far? Not when you consider that the 6kw turbine cost about £12,000 (after grants) to install.
Naturally, it only produces the full 6kw when there’s a decent blow but I still managed to produce 8,500kw/h over the past 12 months and that’s enough electricity to keep a Tesla going for an unbelievable 28,325 miles. It’s like discovering I’ve got my own private oil well at the bottom of the garden. Suddenly, the idea of being forced to drive electric-powered cars one day doesn’t seem so bad.
Harry Metcalfe edits Evo magazine
Top speed: 125mph
Range: Up to 244 miles
Charge time: 3½ hours from a specially designed high-power connector unit (or as much as 14 hours for a full recharge from a conventional mains socket)
Cost: £87,100
SMART ELECTRIC DRIVE
Driven by Dianne Nelmes, TV executive
The government thinks the future of motoring is electric. Well, for once, I’m ahead of the curve. For the past four months, I have been test-driving an all-electric Smart car.
This is just the sort of car the government is planning to encourage more motorists to buy. Mercedes-Benz, owner of the Smart brand, remains vague about when the Smart ED will hit the showrooms, however. “Small-scale production” will begin from next year, it says, but it should be in sufficient numbers to meet the government’s criteria for grant aid.
Plenty of motoring hacks have taken an electric car for a quick spin, but what are the vehicles like to live with? I’m a television executive with a busy schedule. I commute daily from Battersea, southwest London, to Ladbroke Grove, west London, with regular trips to BSkyB in Isleworth, west London.
I need a car, but don’t travel long distances, don’t drive fast and hate dealing with messy internal combustion engines, all of which make me an ideal candidate to make the switch. How would I fare with a car that needed recharging every 50-70 miles and takes several hours to “fill up”?
From the outside the Smart ED looks identical to any other Smart Fortwo — only the lack of engine noise and the cable and three-pin plug where a petrol cap should be give it away.
I’ve not pushed the car flat out but it will happily bowl along a dual carriageway at 60mph. Most of the time I drive at 30-40mph and I have no problem keeping up with London traffic. The biggest advantage is being exempt from the £8 daily congestion charge. There are even a few places in central London where electric vehicles can park for free.
There have been teething problems. The car’s heater failed almost as soon as I took delivery in January, so I froze for the first two months. The technology clearly baffled the Mercedes-Benz mechanics. When one cold Saturday a friend insisted on filling a hot water bottle for my journey home, I was definitely on the brink of ending my electric love affair.
I finally got the thing fixed, but with the heater pumping out hot air, I found myself having to keep a watchful eye on the battery gauge. I rarely do more than 40 miles a day, but anyone travelling further might find themselves anxiously looking out for somewhere to plug in. If Boris Johnson is serious about making London the electric car capital of the world, he needs to give converts like me a comprehensive network of charge points across the city.
The other big deterrent is cost. I have certainly paid a significant premium to go green. Mercedes-Benz values my electric Smart at about £24,000 and that’s reflected in the hefty lease charges of £451.85 a month. At more than £600 a year, insurance is as costly as it was on my previous car — a 3.2-litre Mercedes coupé.
Finally, because like many Londoners I live in a block of flats with underground parking, I had to persuade my landlords to install a 13-amp power point so I could charge my car overnight. The bill was more than £1,000.
Dianne Nelmes is managing director of Liberty Bell Productions
Top speed: 60mph
Range: 50-70 miles, depending on usage
Charge time: Three hours for a 70% charge, or 8-10 hours for a full recharge
Cost: Lease charge for trial vehicles is about £450 a month"

TNR Gold Corp. Arranges Debt Settlement. TNR.v, CDNX, HUI, XAU,

Interesting news from this recently recharged Junior actively moving into Lithium space of our Next Big Thing. These "related parties" must be taking its recent spike above 0.1CAD from oblivion for real and are taking shares at 0.1CAD. Will the company have enough range to run further on its old and new properties? The first step is made and it is very encouraging to see that insiders are taking shares for debt at this new higher valuation after the market crash. It is strange to find that there are still some Honest people left in this business of selling dreams, so we continue to be suspicious and to monitor the situation: will they be able to make any money with this unorthodox approach thinking about shareholders on the Next Big Thing?


VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - April 27, 2009) - TNR Gold Corp. ("TNR" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:TNR - News) announces that, subject to regulatory approval and the execution of final documentation, the Company has arranged to settle $438,942 of debt with Units at $0.10 per Unit. Each Unit for non-related party debt will consist of 1 share and one-half common share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.15 for a period of one year. Each Unit for related-party debt will consist of 1 share only.
Completion of the Settlement is subject to the receipt of all required regulatory approvals and the execution of final documentation.
ABOUT TNR
TNR is a diversified metals exploration company focused on identifying new prospective projects globally with 20 properties currently in its portfolio.
In anticipation of the surging international lithium demand in various high tech and efficient energy applications, TNR has actively pursued an aggressive global acquisition strategy for Lithium and Rare Metals projects of merit. This further confirms the company's commitment to project generation, market diversity, and building shareholder value.
On behalf of the board,
Gary Schellenberg, President

Lithium: Next Bull market. Waitin’ for That Billion-Dollar Click TNR.v, SQM, BYD, TTM, GOOG, RIMM, ESLR, AAPL, OIL, OIH, FCX, RTP, WLC.v, CLQ.v, CNY.v

Rush into batteries is on High Voltage now and Lithium becomes a matter of Energy Security.


Our Next Big Thing is taking off. Lithium supply will be crucial for Green Mobility Revolution, money are coming into battery production now. Next step will be investment in producers of Lithium and then Exploration companies will fly with solid management, properties of merit and fast effective development of these properties.
Great article explaining why our Next Big Thing is for real.


"The U.S. is getting ready to inject the first round of $27 billion in incentives into America's ailing automotive sector. Lithium-ion batteries are a key part of that initiative, with companies like Indiana-based EnerDel hoping for the funding to add thousands of jobs.


"Failure to develop the lithium-ion automotive battery industry would be tantamount to exchanging dependence on foreign oil for dependence on foreign-made batteries," says Ener1 Chairman and CEO Charles Gassenheimer.


"Lithium-ion battery technology was invented here in the U.S., and America still maintains a lead in the automotive systems space," Ener1 Director of Investor Relations Rachel Carroll tells The SiteNet Dispatch. "But that lead is closing fast. The governments of Japan, China and South Korea have all been actively funding advanced battery research and development for the past decade. "And on the manufacturing side, the U.S. is in danger of falling behind," Carroll continues from New York. "If we lose that race, we’re out of it for good."


"The cars of tomorrow require the batteries of tomorrow," President Barack Obama said on March 19 in announcing the $2-billion Advanced Battery Manufacturing Initiative (ABMI). "So the problem isn’t a lack of technology,"

"The cars of tomorrow require the batteries of tomorrow," contends President Barack Obama. Obama continued at the Southern California Edison’s Electric Vehicle Technical Center in Pomona, Calif. "You’re producing the technology right here. The problem is that, for decades, we have avoided doing what must be done as a nation to turn challenge into opportunity."


"But there could be some very solid reality fueling such elevated aspirations. Lithium-ion batteries, after all, are looking like a long-delayed idea whose time has finally come. "Automotive batteries and battery-management systems may be the product category that benefits most from the changes that we expect," the investment management firm of Alliance Bernstein concluded in last year’s influential "Abating Climate Change" report. "Currently, the annual automotive battery market is about $9 billion. . . . As new, more powerful lithium-based batteries are introduced, we expect the market to grow to over $150 billion."

And the U.S. automotive industry, Gassenheimer contends, will be swept up in that escalating demand curve. "I have often said that the demand is not the issue," Gassenheimer noted in a March 11 conference call reviewing year-end results. "The ability to supply the battery is going to be the issue to stand up this industry in the United States."
The ability to secure Lithium supply for all those batteries production plans will be crucial in years to come. (S.)

Friday, April 24, 2009

Lithium: Electric Car Reality Check. TNR.v, SQM, GM, F, GOOG, RIMM, AAPL, OIH, OIL, ESLR, TTM, BYD, WLC.v, CNY.v, CLQ.v

Reality check is always important - our Next Big Thing should be Real, happening Now and Fast in order to justify our risk of investing in new technology. Our Dragon approach is reducing Technological aspects of a new hot technology risk, when you do not know who will be the clear winner, just remember Etoys, Ariba, Commerce One, Yahoo, Sun and Google for starters. We are propheting investing in a new oil - Lithium as an industry accepted solution as Energy Storage medium for Green Mobility Revolution, which could become Next Industrial Revolution and Growth Infrastructure play. We are looking for the signs on the streets that the Tide which will lift our Lithium plays is coming.



BY BRADLEY BERMAN HYBRIDCARS.COM
Every day, it seems another auto company is promising an all-electric car in the next couple of years.
I'm thrilled at the opportunity to zip around my hometown of Berkeley, Calif., using electrons instead of hydrocarbons. I'm completely sold on the benefits of EVs from the environmental, efficiency and energy security perspectives. I own not one, but two hybrid cars, and EV is my next step. But I'm baffled that auto industry executives so quickly went from fervently blocking gains in efficiency to even more fervently advocating emissions-free cars.
Many of the execs pushing electric vehicles the hardest are the same ones who scoffed at hybrids until now. They ran the numbers and declared there was no business case for hybrids. Wouldn't the economics be even worse for more expensive all-electric cars during this period of low gas prices?
But instead, these leaders are calling electric cars a "game changer." For decades, we've had the capability of producing electric cars perfectly suitable for daily commuting. What really has changed, and why the sudden EV zealousness?
Fear: As Obama's Auto Task Force pointed out, GM (and others) are a full generation behind Toyota in "green powertrain development." Nobody wants to be left behind on the next wave of green cars.
Market share: It took 10 years, but today's gas-electric hybrids have built a solid market base of almost 3% of new car sales, with the prospect of jumping to double digits when car buyers return to dealerships and gas prices head north again. Are they thinking that EVs can experience similar growth?
Political pandering: To survive, GM and Chrysler must show the feds they can break new ground on fuel efficiency. GM is hanging its hopes on the Chevy Volt, and Chrysler has announced no fewer than five different all-electric cars in the works.
Marketing spin: Car companies are eager to steal the green halo from hybrids. Hybrid-laggard Nissan denounces plug-in hybrids as an unnecessary use of two powertrains. GM's Chevy Volt -- a textbook plug-in series hybrid -- is spun as an "extended-range electric vehicle" to create distance from hybrids.
Compliance: New fuel economy standards, rising to 35 m.p.g. by 2020, are in place. Last week, the EPA declared global warming gases as pollutants subject to the Clean Air Act. Zero-emission vehicles will be an important part of any compliance strategy.
A few months ago, Jim Lentz, Toyota's North American president, told me, "You're going to see three distinct markets emerge: traditional hybrid, plug-in hybrid and EV. Each is going to be applicable to different types of vehicles for different kinds of consumers." Three cheers for EVs, but let's not lose touch with reality. Most forecasters see electric cars as the smallest market of those next-generation vehicles.
As much as I wished it were different, consumers will be slow to adopt electric cars that are compacts or smaller -- especially if they are expensive, have limited range and require recharging infrastructure that's not yet in place. At the risk of sounding like a Detroit lobbyist, we need to build cars that masses of people -- not just greenies like me -- want to drive. And that's doubly true for the next wave of cars necessary to turn the corner on energy and the environment.
Bradley Berman is the editor of hybridcars.com

Lithium: Mercedes-Benz with its new Citaro G BlueTec hybrid bus with the world's largest lithium ion battery. TNR.v, SQM, BYD, TTM, ESLR, OIH, OIL,

It is not all Electric Bus, but it is Mercedes, it is on the road already and the company claims that they build the largest lithium ion battery. This is another Macro Trend of our Next Big Thing in its Growth and Demographic parts - Congestion is another serious road bump along with Pollution on Mobility road in China and India. Public Transportation build on Electric Mobility solutions will be a market driver on its own. These babies will need a lot of Lithium and are putting our Next Big Thing into a new level of industrial applications: technological solutions will allow to build more effective safe high density charge batteries for Electric Cars.
The new Citaro G is an 18-meter articulated bus with a series hybrid drive system. A smaller 4.8-liter diesel engine replaces the typical 12-liter engine used in such applications and drives a generator which provides electricity to hub motors mounted at the center and rear axles. The 771 lb lithium battery pack provides 180 kW and is charged both from the generator and from the regenerative braking. The bus can operate for short distances on battery power alone and reduces diesel fuel use and CO2 emissions by a estimated 30 percent compared to a standard bus of this size. [Source: Daimler]
PRESS RELEASE:New Mercedes-Benz hybrid bus in operation* 250 customers test the Mercedes-Benz Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid city bus* World's largest lithium-ion battery in vehicle operation* Diesel consumption and CO2 emissions reduced by up to 30 percent* Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid – future-oriented technology for the city* 40 years of Daimler hybrid busesMore than 250 customers from 15 countries recently had the opportunity to experience at first hand the Mercedes-Benz Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid articulated bus in operation for the first time. Experts from European transport operations praised a number of features of the 18-metre long hybrid city bus, including its completely emission-free operation on some stretches of the route, its quiet, practically jerk-free drive system, its unique vehicle concept incorporating four electric wheel hub motors, and also its use of the world's largest lithium-ion vehicle battery. This battery stores the energy from the diesel generator and the electrical energy recuperated during braking.As a result the Mercedes-Benz Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid reduces diesel consumption by up to 30 percent, with a commensurate reduction in highly topical CO2 emissions. The new hybrid bus has successfully completed extensive practical trials over recent months, including several weeks of winter trials under extremely tough operating conditions near the Arctic Circle. The first vehicles will be delivered to the transport operators before the end of this year. Given appropriate public sector support for hybrid technology, market insiders expect a potential annual demand for at least 300 hybrid buses in western Europe, which would enable diesel fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and pollutant emissions in the cities to be drastically reduced. In North America the Daimler bus brand Orion already has 1700 hybrid buses in day-to-day operation, which makes it the world market leader for hybrid technology in commercial vehicles.Mercedes-Benz Citaro G BlueTec HybridThe Mercedes-Benz Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid has a technologically very sophisticated, serial hybrid drive system which allows emission-free driving under battery power alone over short distances. The drive system is installed in an articulated Citaro G bus, and drives the centre and rear axles by means of four wheel hub motors – a combination that makes this articulated hybrid bus unique.The diesel engine in the serial hybrid bus does not act as a primary drive unit, but rather drives the generator to produce electric power as required. This energy is stored by maintenance-free lithium-ion batteries mounted on the roof. The batteries are not only fed by the diesel ­generator, but also with energy recuperated during braking.The energy generated by recuperation when braking on the approach to bus-stops or traffic lights is used both to supply the vehicle at standstill and when moving off. This means that the hybrid bus is able to operate purely under electric power, and therefore practically without emissions, when stationary and under acceleration – with a significant reduction in noise as well.Power is transferred to the wheels of the Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid by four electric wheel hub motors on the centre and rear axles. Even under heavy operating conditions, the 320 kW total output of the wheel hub motors is ample for an articulated bus.Downsizing is among the greatest advantages of the serial hybrid system in the Citaro: instead of the large, 12-litre six-cylinder in-line engine normally employed in an articulated bus, a more compact unit with a displacement of 4.8 litres is used. As a result the engine weight is reduced from around 1000 kg to just 450 kg or so.World's first lithium-ion battery in this output categoryThe lithium-ion battery used in the articulated Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid is in an output category of its own. The battery system generates 180 kW and is com­para­tively light in weight at under 350 kg. Major advantages over con­vention­nal battery systems include a higher energy density combined with a high storage capacity and a low battery weight.Changes in the automobile industry are increasing the demand for clean, efficient and economical vehicles. According to forecasts, the market volume for powerful lithium-ion batteries is set to exceed the 10 bill. euro mark over the next decade, with the market for battery materials exceeding 4 bill. euros. In Germany alone, the government envisages at least one million electric cars populating the roads in the cities by 2020.40 years of Daimler hybrid busesWith diesel-electric hybrid vehicles from Orion in North America, Mercedes-Benz in Europe and Mitsubishi Fuso in Asia, Daimler not only has the longest, but also the most extensive experience with alternative drive systems for commercial vehicles. The new Citaro with hybrid drive is a major step towards great economy and emission-free driving. Despite fuel savings of up to 30 percent, this complex hybrid technology nonetheless requires incentive financing. The support of politicians and the public sector in the form of subsidies is required to make the one-third higher costs for this technology in large-scale production worthwhile for both customers and manufacturers."