Inside Albemarle's quest to reinvent the lithium market

(Reuters) - As global demand for lithium hits overdrive, Albemarle Corp is investing millions of dollars to engineer specialised types of the light metal for electric car batteries, part of a strategy to remain the niche market's top producer.The pivot comes as battery makers such as Panasonic Corp , the sole battery supplier to Tesla Inc , increasingly demand more purified versions of lithium that can help boost electricity storage and increase a battery's charge, shaping Albemarle's strategy,..