1. Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA)

Market cap: US$1.62 trillion

First on the list is EV maker Tesla, which has brought significant attention to the EV narrative.

The company’s story starts in 2003, when it was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk invested in the company in 2004, becoming the largest shareholder, and eventually became its CEO in 2008. A well-known story for battery metals investors, the company made headlines in 2014 when it broke ground at its first gigafactory in Nevada, US, an unthinkable proposition at the time.

Outside of the US, Tesla also has gigafactories in China and Germany. Tesla’s massive Shanghai Gigafactory was the company’s first auto plant outside of the United States. The company produces Model 3s and Model Ys for China and global export.

Tesla uses a range of different lithium-ion batteries in its models. In partnership with Panasonic (TSE:6752), at its Nevada gigafactory Tesla produces batteries with nickel-cobalt-aluminum (NCA) cathodes — different from most of Tesla’s competitors, which use a nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) mix.

Tesla announced in 2021 that it was changing the battery chemistry for its standard-range vehicles to lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cathodes, which are cobalt- and nickel-free. China’s largest battery maker, CATL (SZSE:300750), is a key supplier of LFP batteries for Tesla, particularly for the Shanghai and Berlin gigafactories.

Changes in US tariffs on EVs made or sourced in China have impacted Tesla’s business, leading the company to try diversifying its supply chain. Last year, South Korea’s LG Energy Solution (KRX:373220) signed a US$4.3 billion deal to supply Tesla with LFP batteries from its factory in Michigan, US, starting in 2027.

On the other hand, Tesla’s prime EV position got a boost in the first quarter of 2026 Canada announced it would allow imports of up to 49,000 Chinese-made EVs per year, and lowered tariffs on them from 100 to 6.1 percent. Half of that quota could apply to Tesla’s EVs made in Shanghai, while the other half is dedicated to EVs priced under C$35,000.

Image via Tesla.

2. BYD Company (OTCPK:BYDDY,HKEX:1211)

Market cap: US$116 billion

Leading Chinese EV maker BYD Company was founded in 1995 and is a top producer of several kinds of rechargeable batteries, including nickel-metal hydride batteries and NCM batteries. BYD has a vertically integrated supply chain, from mineral battery cells to battery packs.

Backed by Warren Buffett, in 2020 BYD officially launched its Blade battery, a less bulky LFP battery. The following year, the company announced that it would use the Blade LFP batteries for all of its pure electric models.

In April 2025, BYD released two new EV models, the Han L sedan and Tang L SUV, based on its new Super e-platform, which allows users to add 400 kilometers (248 miles) of range in five minutes of charging, and charge to 100 percent in 20 minutes.

BYD’s range of models include low-cost options such as the Seagull and Dolphin. Because of this, the company stands to benefit from Canada’s decision to allow imports and slash tariffs for up to 49,000 Chinese EVs per year, half of which must be under C$35,000.

For the first time, in 2025, BYD overtook Tesla as the world’s biggest EV seller in terms of annual sales. BYD sold 2.25 million units for the year, up 28 percent over 2024, compared to the 1.64 million units sold by Tesla in 2025, down 9 percent from the previous year.

Image via BYD.

3. Rivian Automotive (NASDAQ:RIVN)

Market cap: US$18.08 billion

Founded in 2009 in Florida, US, Rivian designs, develops and manufactures EVs and accessories and sells them directly to customers in the consumer and commercial markets.

The US company is based in Irvine, California, and manufactures its vehicles in Illinois.

The carmaker announced plans to use cells made with LFP chemistries for its standard-level vehicles in 2022, and in 2023 announced plans to switch its entire lineup to this type of battery. South Korea’s Samsung SDI (KRX:006400) and LG Energy Solutions are Rivian’s current battery suppliers.

Last year, the company revealed e-scooters to market through its spinoff electric micromobility company named Also. The scooters are expected to hit the market in mid-2026. It has plans to launch a three-wheel EV line as well.

In early January 2026, Rivian reached a major milestone toward full-scale production of its new R2 with the manufacturing of validation builds at its plant in Illinois. This latest reiteration will be priced starting at US$45,000, with first deliveries slated for the first half of this year. Rivian sold 42,247 EVs in 2025.

Image via Rivian.

4. XPeng (NYSE:XPEV)

Market cap: US$17.49 billion

Xpeng is a Chinese EV maker focused on smart EVs. The company’s main manufacturing plant is located in Guangdong province.

Xpeng now uses LFP batteries for 99 percent of its EV lineup. CALB (HKEX:3931) is Xpeng’s largest battery supplier, and its other suppliers include CATL, BYD, Sunwoda Electronic (SZSE:300207) and EVE Energy (SZSE:300014).

Last year, the company showcased its 2025 XPENG X9 flagship vehicle, with self-driving capabilities powered by Xpeng’s self-developed Turing AI chip. At the same time, Xpeng unveiled its AEROHT Land Aircraft Carrier, slated for mass production in 2026. The company bills it as ‘the world’s first modular flying car.’

XPeng’s 2025 EV sales reached 429,445 units. The company has ambitious goals for 2026, aiming to sell between 550,000 and 600,000 EVs during the year. XPeng is launching four new SUV models this year: the XPeng G01 and XPeng G02, as well as two models from the Mona series, the D02 and D03.

Image via Xpeng.

5. Li Auto (NASDAQ:LI)

Market cap: US$17.03 billion

Li Auto bills itself as a pioneer in successfully commercializing extended-range EVs in China, and is a leader in China’s full-size and large SUV markets. The company started volume production of its first model, Li ONE, in November 2019, and launched its initial public offering in July 2020, raising US$1.1 billion.

Li Auto has battery supply agreements with CATL, Sunwoda Electronic and SVOLT Energy Technology.

One of the main differences between Li Auto and the other companies on this list is that Li Auto’s models allow battery pack charging with electricity or gas. The company calls this design extended-range EV technology.

Li Auto launched its first all-electric car, Li MEGA MPV, in 2024. In 2025, the company followed that with its second all-electric vehicle, the i8 SUV, which uses an NMC battery and maxes out at 536 horsepower. Li Auto also broadened its markets last year, launching three core models (Li L9, Li L7 and Li L6) in Egypt, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.

Li Auto achieved a significant milestone in 2025, with annual sales surpassing 1.5 million units. This made it “the first among China’s new EV startups to reach that mark,” according to the company’s Chairman and CEO Li Xiang.

Image via Li Auto.

6. NIO (NYSE:NIO)

Market cap: US$10.36 billion

Founded in 2014, Chinese EV maker NIO designs, jointly manufactures and sells smart and connected premium EVs.

NIO’s strategy includes its battery-as-a-service endeavor, a subscription purchasing model where buyers lease vehicle batteries. The company says the idea behind this move is to reduce vehicle costs. The service is run by a battery asset company, with NIO and leading battery maker CATL owning a stake. CATL is already NIO’s sole battery supplier.

The company has built battery swap stations that allow drivers with low batteries to pull up and have it swapped for a full battery within minutes. Its fifth generation swap stations are expected to roll out starting in 2026.

In September 2021, the company introduced a standard-range hybrid-cell battery that combines NCM and LFP cells. NIO is also offering the world’s longest-range semi-solid-state battery on a rental basis through its partnership with Beijing WeLion New Energy Technology.

In 2024, NIO launched its newest EV brand, Firefly, in China. The first model in this brand is a small car for city dwellers who struggle with finding convenient parking, as it can locate available spots and use parking assist to maneuver into them. Drivers are also be able to access the above-mentioned battery swap program.

NIO reported 2025 vehicle sales of 326,028 units, an increase of 46.9 percent year-over-year. Launched in September 2025, its flagship ES8 SUV became the fastest-selling EV in China in its price category by the end of the year. The company plans to bring three new large SUV models to the market in 2026, and expand into Australia and New Zealand in the second half of the year.

Image via Nio Newsroom.

7. VinFast Auto (NASDAQ:VFS)

Market cap: US$7.72 billion

VinFast Auto, Vietnam’s first global automotive manufacturer, is a multinational EV manufacturer producing both affordable and luxury EVs. The company’s lineup also includes an electric pickup truck known as the VF Wild.

VinFast has showrooms and service centers in North America, including in 14 US states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario, British Columbia and Québec.

Vietnam is the EV maker’s largest market, and it significantly expanded its footprint in Asia in 2025, adding numerous showrooms in the Philippines, Indonesia and India. Last year, the company brought a new manufacturing facility online in India and opened its first Indonesian assembly plant in December. It is scheduled to scale up production and launch new models, including electric two-wheelers, in 2026.

Image via VinFast.

8. Zhejiang Leapmotor Technology (OTC Pink:ZJLMF,HKEX:9863)

Market cap: US$7.58 billion

The Leapmotor brand first launched in China in 2017. The EV manufacturer designs and supplies its own battery packs for its vehicles.

Major auto maker Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) became a 20 percent shareholder in late 2023. The following year, the two entities formed the 51/49 joint venture company Leapmotor International, in which Stellantis holds the controlling interest. The joint venture is focused on selling and manufacturing Leapmotor vehicles outside of China.

The company’s current models in the market include seven seater SUV C16, mid-size crossover SUV C10, smart electric SUV C11, smart-tech C11 SUV, compact SUV B10, the new B01 sedan and T03 city EV.

Leapmotor unveiled its B01 electric sedan in April 2025. The vehicle is powered by LFP batteries from Gotion High-tech, CALB and Zenergy.

At the 2026 Brussels Motor Show, Leapmotor showcased the three EVs it has launched in Europe since expanding into the market: the B03X compact electric SUV, the B05 hatchback and the B10 range-extended electric vehicle.

Image via Wikimedia Commons.

9. Lucid Group (NASDAQ:LCID)

Market cap: US$3.59 billion

Headquartered in California, Lucid Group was founded in 2007 and produces luxury electric cars. The company’s first car, Lucid Air, is a state-of-the-art luxury sedan that is being produced at its US factory in Casa Grande, Arizona.

In April 2025, Lucid announced the acquisition of select Arizona-based facilities and assets of battery and fuel-cell EV company Nikola Corporation.

Lucid Motors uses high-performance Panasonic battery cells for its long-range electric vehicles. These cells are currently manufactured in Japan, but the company is transitioning to using batteries from Panasonic’s new facility in Kansas by mid-2026 to avoid Trump’s import tariffs.

Lucid plans to launch a full-scale manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia in 2026, with an annual capacity of 150,000 vehicles by 2029.

The company’s Gravity SUV was named Esquire’s 2026 Car of the Year.

Image via Lucid.

10. Polestar Automotive (NASDAQ:PSNY)

Market cap: US$1.41 billion

Sweden-based electric performance car brand Polestar is owned by Geely Automobile Holdings (OTC Pink:GELYF,HKEX:80175). Up until early 2024, Volvo Cars was also a part owner, but it decided to hand Polestar entirely over to Geely to operate as an independent brand, attributing the move to slowing global demand for EVs.

Polestar’s current lineup includes the five door liftback Polestar 2, the luxury performance Polestar 3 SUV, the Polestar 4 compact coupe SUV and the Polestar 5 performance sedan, the last of which was released in 2025. The company is also planning the Polestar 7 compact SUV and the Polestar 6 roadster.

Polestar has experienced some difficulties in the last couple years, including software challenges in 2023 that caused delays in the rollout of the Polestar 3. In 2024, the company recorded a 15 percent drop in deliveries.

The EV maker’s bad luck seems to be turning around in 2025. Polestar sold a record 60,119 vehicles during the year, a 34 percent improvement over 2024.

This is in part thanks to Polestar’s efforts to capitalize on Tesla’s struggles with Musk and its brand image. In February 2025, Polestar began offering Tesla owners in the US and Canada discounts of up to $20,000 on new leases of its models. Its Q1 2025 sales jumped 76 percent year over year.

Image via SlashGear.

Trump’s Fed chair nomination calms risk-off sentiment

Precious metals are a complex market, and prices are driven by a myriad of factors.

For this latest price movement, the biggest trigger was US President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh, a former Federal Reserve governor, to replace Jerome Powell as the next Fed chair.

Powell, whose term expires this coming May, has faced heavy criticism and targeted legal attacks from the Trump administration, which wants the Fed to cut interest rates in a hurry.

For months now, market participants have been piling into gold on the belief that Trump would try to use his position to nominate a puppet dove as Fed chair and push for greater influence over monetary decisions.

If that were to occur, it would not only undermine Fed independence, but looser policy decisions could in turn further weaken the US dollar on the global stage and lead to higher inflation.

Such an environment is price positive for safe-haven assets such as gold and silver. But with the more hawkish Kevin Warsh as the nominee, the belief is that swift rate cuts aren’t necessarily on the table.

“His focus on real-time data and fundamentals could bring much-needed modernization to the Fed’s framework, at a time when investors are seeking transparency and credibility in monetary policy.”

That shared sentiment among investors led the US dollar to strengthen sharply. The precious metals and US dollar share an inverse relationship — as gold and silver are typically priced in US dollars, a stronger dollar makes purchasing them much more expensive for foreign buyers. This leads to lower demand and downward pressure on prices.

Will gold and silver prices recover?

Does the largest correction in decades mean the party’s over for gold and silver prices?

It’s more likely to be a healthy correction in an otherwise strong bull market for precious metals. Don’t forget that one policy event does not foretell the complete collapse of the strong fundamentals underlying the gold and silver markets. There is still a very strong case for the precious metals bull market given the high demand for gold from central banks and institutional investors. And industrial demand for silver is still expected to eclipse available mine supply.

Not to mention, there’s still optimism that the Fed will need to lower rates to deal with the nation’s ever-growing mountain of debt — which could become impossible to service at higher rates.

“Our view remains that structural forces continue to support a lower-rate environment, which should be constructive for risk assets. We remain focused on fundamentals and are positioning client portfolios accordingly,” stated Hulick.

For those investors still optimistic that gold and silver are in the early stages of a bull market cycle, this rundown in gold and silver prices may represent a buying opportunity.

1. Purpose Bitcoin ETF (TSX:BTCC)

Assets under management: C$2.7 billion

The Purpose Bitcoin ETF, launched in February 2021, is billed as the world’s first physically settled Bitcoin ETF. It is backed by Bitcoin in cold storage, meaning the fund allows investors to add and sell Bitcoin with no digital wallet required.

Hosted by Canadian investment company Purpose Investments, the Purpose Bitcoin ETF has a management expense ratio of 1.5 percent.

2. Fidelity Advantage Bitcoin ETF (TSX:FBTC)

Assets under management: C$1.48 billion

The Fidelity Advantage Bitcoin ETF launched in November 2021. It offers the security of Fidelity’s in-house cold storage services for its holdings.

While it previously had a management fee of 0.39 percent, the Fidelity Advantage Bitcoin ETF lowered it in January 2025 to an ultra-low management fee of 0.32 percent.

3. CI Galaxy Bitcoin ETF (TSX:BTCX.B)

Assets under management: C$1.13 billion

Launched in March 2021, the CI Galaxy Bitcoin ETF was born out of a partnership between cryptocurrency leaders Galaxy Fund Management and CI Global Asset Management. Galaxy Fund Management is part of Galaxy Digital, a diversified financial services firm with a focus on digital assets and the blockchain technology sector.

The ETF’s objective is to give investors exposure to Bitcoin via an institutional-quality fund platform, as its holdings are wholly Bitcoin and are kept in cold storage. At 0.4 percent, this fund is one of the lowest management fees of the crypto funds on the market.

4. CI Galaxy Ethereum ETF (TSX:ETHX.U)

Assets under management: C$574.97 million

The CI Galaxy Ethereum ETF, another collaboration between CI and Galaxy, offers investors exposure to the spot Ethereum price through Ether holdings in cold storage. The fund launched on April 20, 2021, the same day as two of the other Ether ETFs on this list.

The CI Galaxy Ethereum ETF has a low management fee of just 0.4 percent.

5. Purpose Ether ETF (TSX:ETHH)

Assets under management: C$390.8 million

The Purpose Ether ETF is a direct-custody Ether ETF that launched on April 20, 2021. This fund currently holds over 83,000 Ether, which it stores in cold storage.

The Purpose Ether ETF offers investors exposure to the daily price movements of physically settled Ether tokens with a management fee of 1 percent.

6. Evolve Bitcoin ETF (TSX:EBIT)

Assets under management: C$270.39 million

Evolve ETFs partnered with cryptocurrency experts, including Gemini Trust Company, CF Benchmarks, Cidel Bank & Trust and CIBC Mellon Global Services, to launch the Evolve Bitcoin ETF.

Launched a week after the Purpose Bitcoin ETF, its holdings of Bitcoin are priced based on the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate, a once-a-day benchmark index price for Bitcoin denominated in US dollars. The fund, which holds its own Bitcoin, has a management fee of 0.75 percent.

7. 3iQ Solana Staking ETF (TSX:SOLQ)

Assets under management: C$263.2 million

The 3iQ Solana Staking ETF is designed to provide investors with a user-friendly and secure way to gain exposure to SOL and earn passive rewards through staking. Its launch quickly garnered significant assets under management and attracted investments from SkyBridge Capital and two of ARK Invest’s ETFs.

For the first 12 months after its April 16, 2025, launch, the ETF features a 0 percent management fee. After this initial period, the management fee will be 0.15 percent, the lowest on this crypto ETF list by far.

8. 3iQ XRP ETF (TSX:XRPQ)

Assets under management: C$162.67 million

The 3iQ XRP ETF provides investors with exposure to XRP, the digital asset native to the XRP Ledger. The ETF, which launched on June 17, 2025, is passively managed and aims to track the performance of the CME CF XRP-Dollar Reference Rate. The underlying XRP is held in secure cold storage.

The fund’s primary objectives are to give unitholders an opportunity for long-term capital appreciation through exposure to XRP and its daily price movements against the US dollar.

This XRP ETF had a 0 percent management fee for its first six months after its June 17 launch, after which time the company stated it would change to to 0.59 percent.

9. Purpose Bitcoin Yield ETF (TSX:BTCY)

Assets under management: C$145.5 million

The Purpose Bitcoin Yield ETF uses a covered call strategy to generate yield for investors. Its distributions are paid monthly and it has a management fee of 1.1 percent.

A covered call strategy involves writing call options on Bitcoin, which give the buyer an option to purchase an asset at a specific price on or before a specific date. Its structure allows the fund to earn income from option premiums while providing investors with exposure to Bitcoin’s price movements.

10. Purpose XRP ETF (TSX:XRPP)

Assets under management: C$122.5 million

The Purpose XRP ETF started trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange on June 18, 2025, as part of the launch of Canada’s first XRP ETFs. The fund invests directly in XRP, offering investors access to the XRP spot price.

The new asset is offering a 0 percent management fee through February 2026, after which time it will have a management fee of 0.69 percent.

11. Evolve Cryptocurrencies ETF (TSX:ETC)

Assets under management: C$93.9 million

The Evolve Cryptocurrencies ETF launched in September 2021 as the first multi-cryptocurrency ETF, providing combined exposure to both Bitcoin and Ether. Its holdings have since expanded to include XRP and Solana.

This product from Evolve ETFs allows investors to diversify their crypto portfolios and provides indirect exposure to the four coins by holding the individual Evolve ETFs dedicated to each coin.

Its holdings are weighed market capitalization and rebalanced on a monthly basis. Bitcoin makes up the vast majority of its portfolio at over 75 percent.

While this ETF has no management fee, the underlying funds that hold Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP funds have management fees of 0.75 percent, while the Solana ETF has a management fee of 1 percent.

12. Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF (TSX:FETH)

Assets under management: C$90.5 million

Following the successful launch of its Bitcoin fund, Fidelity brought its Advantage Ether ETF to market in September 2022, making this the newest Ether ETF in Canada. Its holdings are stored in Fidelity’s in-house cold storage.

The Fidelity Advantage Ether ETF has a low management fee of 0.4 percent.

13. Evolve Ether ETF (TSX:ETHR)

Assets under management: C$87.74 million

The Evolve Ether ETF offers investors an easier route to investing in Ether. The fund’s holdings of Ether are priced based on the CME CF Ether-Dollar Reference Rate, a once-a-day benchmark index price for Ether denominated in US dollars.

It entered the market in April 2021. As with the Evolve Bitcoin ETF, the Evolve Ether ETF has a management fee of 0.75 percent.

14. Purpose Ether Yield ETF (TSX:ETHY)

Assets under management: C$81.2 million

Like the Purpose Bitcoin Yield ETF, the Purpose Ether Yield ETF offers investors an opportunity to invest in Ether while also generating yield. Purpose Investments lends a portion of its Ether holdings to institutional borrowers and earns interest on those loans.

Investors who purchase shares of this ETF receive a portion of the interest earned in monthly distributions. This Ether ETF launched in November 2021 and has a management fee of 1.1 percent.

15. Purpose Solana ETF (TSX:SOLL)

Assets under management: C$70.3 million

The Purpose Solana ETF gives investors exposure to the price of the Solana cryptocurrency. Its purpose is to provide a regulated and convenient way for investors to participate in the Solana market without the complexities of directly buying and storing the digital asset.

A key feature of this specific ETF is that it was one of the world’s first with staking built right in. It has a low management fee of 0.39 percent.

Nine Mile Metals (CSE:NINE,OTCQB:VMSXF,FSE:KQ9) is a Canadian critical minerals explorer focused on discovering and advancing copper-dominant sulphide systems in New Brunswick’s Bathurst Mining Camp. Copper is a cornerstone metal for electrification, renewable energy systems, and global industrial supply chains, and the Bathurst camp ranks among the world’s most productive districts for copper-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits.

The Bathurst Mining Camp is widely regarded as the third-largest mining camp in the world and has supported several world-class base-metal mines, most notably the Brunswick No. 12 operation, which stands as a benchmark for scale, grade, and mine life within VMS-hosted critical mineral systems.

Nine Mile Metals is developing a diversified asset portfolio that includes the historic copper-producing Wedge Mine, a high-grade copper discovery at Nine Mile Brook with bulk sampling approval secured, and two district-scale exploration properties—California Lake and Canoe Landing Lake—located along highly prospective geological corridors. Although the mineralization is VMS-hosted, the company’s strategy is firmly centered on advancing high-grade copper and associated critical minerals within a stable and proven Canadian mining jurisdiction.

Company Highlights

• Focused on advancing critical minerals projects, with a primary emphasis on copper, across four high-priority assets in New Brunswick’s world-renowned Bathurst Mining Camp: the Wedge, Nine Mile Brook, California Lake, and Canoe Landing Lake. The company’s projects are hosted within copper-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) systems, a globally proven source of critical metals.
• Controls a large, contiguous 136.34 square kilometre land package across 624 claims in one of the world’s most prolific base- and critical-minerals districts, offering district-scale exploration and development optionality within a stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction.
• Nine Mile Brook represents a standout high-grade copper discovery, hosting the highest-grade certified copper drill results reported in the Bathurst Mining Camp to date, supported by multiple polymetallic lenses containing copper, zinc, lead, silver and gold—metals increasingly relevant to modern industrial and energy-transition supply chains.
• The Wedge Project is a historic copper-producing mine, previously operated by Cominco, with documented production and a historical resource estimate. Modern exploration has confirmed the presence of copper-dominant massive sulphide mineralization and demonstrated that the system remains open for expansion along strike and at depth.
• Employs modern exploration technologies—including advanced geophysics, three-dimensional geological modelling, UAV-based magnetic surveys, and AI-assisted targeting—to efficiently identify and prioritize concealed critical-mineral-bearing sulphide systems across the portfolio.
• Received regulatory approval for a 1,000-tonne bulk sample program at Nine Mile Brook, advancing the project beyond early-stage exploration and providing a pathway to evaluate concentrate quality, metallurgical performance, and potential development scenarios for copper and associated critical minerals.

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