"Tesla is a remarkable company that's very innovative and clearly Elon Musk is an incredible salesman. That just helps our story," says Robin Goad, Fortune Minerals' president and chief executive officer.According to Goad, Fortune decided long ago to focus on producing cobalt for lithium-ion batteries. Like Lamoureux, he thinks Tesla and its rivals will prefer a North American supplier — adding that the Democratic Republic of Congo, where most cobalt is currently mined, represents a "policy risk" companies might want to avoid.
As for cobalt, Tesla currently acquires it from Sumitomo Metal Mining, who has a cobalt mine based in the Philippines.While the US still has reserves of cobalt, none has been mined for more than 40 years. Bloomberg points to companies like Formation Metals in Idaho who are looking to supply “ethically sourced” cobalt to Tesla upon completion of a $120 million dollar project.
http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/electric-cars-running-on-child-labour
