The first tonnage of lithium carbonate has been extracted from the Uyuni salt flats of Bolivia, which is aspiring to become a major exporter of lithium, a commodity dubbed ‘white petrol’ because of the role it plays in powering electric cars. Bolivia aims to ship 10 000 t of lithium carbonate by 2021. However, that could be a big ask, given the absence of adequate transport infrastructure needed to provide large ongoing supplies of brine-processing chemicals, and the preference of the government of Bolivia to go it alone – without the help of foreign investment.