May 16, 2023--Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--As automakers increase their production of electric vehicles (EVs), demand for lithium, a main component of EV batteries, is increasing, and lithium producers and automakers are stepping up their game to make more of the metal available for use while negotiating the world of international trade and politics. Among the events that have occurred in the lithium sector so far this month are Albemarle Corporation's (NYSE:ALB) (Charlotte, North Carolina) announcement that it would double the capacity of its lithium-processing operations in Western Australia, Lithium Americas Corporation's (NYSE:LAC) (Vancouver, British Columbia) pending split of its North America and South America operations, and EV maker Tesla Incorporated's (NASDAQ:TSLA) (Austin, Texas) breaking ground on a lithium-processing center in Texas.