When lady luck shines on someone, she shines brighter. It looks like Lady Luck is enthralled by Elon Musk. He is already the richest man in the world, with immense power, but now he has a treasure in his hands.
There has been a groundbreaking discovery within the ancient McDermitt Caldera. It could change the future of electric vehicle manufacturing. It could especially benefit Tesla and its CEO, Musk.
This super volcanic crater stretches 28 by 22 miles along the Nevada-Oregon border. It is now confirmed to contain what may be the world’s largest lithium deposit and has been valued at a staggering $1.5 trillion.
The McDermitt Caldera is expected to have been formed 16.4 million years ago by volcanic activity. It now houses very high concentrations of lithium-bearing clay minerals. In more traditional Lithium sources, the global average concentration is 0.4 %. However, this caldera features a 2.4% lithium concentration by weight.
A game-changing lithium deposit discovered in the McDermitt Caldera, along the Oregon–Nevada border, may hold up to 40 million metric tons of lithium—possibly the largest reserve on Earth. Estimated to be worth $1.5 trillion, this find could give the US a dominant edge in EV… pic.twitter.com/bIkXAAttA5
— Interesting Engineering (@IntEngineering) May 21, 2025
The last time a concentration higher than the global average was found was in Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni. Experts now believe this site could eclipse Salar de Uyuni in both size and economic potential.
This chemical element is the lifeline of modern technology. It is a key component in rechargeable batteries and thus makes it vital for electric vehicle production. Now that the world is slowly moving towards electric vehicles, the global demand for this element has reached an all-time high.
This new discovery could yield enough lithium to power roughly 600 million electric vehicles. This gives a strategic advantage to American manufacturers. Especially when there are uncertainties towards supply chain and trade restrictions could hinder business altogether.
As the largest producer and user of lithium ion batteries, China dominates the global battery supply chain, including the emerging industry of recycling.https://t.co/k9O6gCGbhw #EV pic.twitter.com/QSpxEHLRz8
— Earth Accounting (@EarthAccounting) May 20, 2025
Tesla is among the top EV makers in the world and In the US. It relies heavily on lithium-based batteries. The McDermitt Caldera could be a game-changer for the company. There has been a steady increase in its global demand, yet there is always the fear of price volatility based on raw items.
That’s why having a reliable domestic supply would definitely stabilize production and also keep the company safe from geopolitical disruptions.
Tesla and = Musk recently faced a quick drop in profit margins and increased competition. However, this discovery of lithium concentration can be a much-needed relief.
On the heels of @Tesla announcing the 1st run of Raw Materials (Spodumene Concentrate) through the Lithium Plant near Corpus Christi, I thought I’d re-post the official rendering & a short clip of the most recent drone footage I have from a similar perspective taken on my 16… pic.twitter.com/0lKl2G6JxX
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) December 15, 2024
Tesla already operates a lithium refinery in Texas and aims to produce 50 gigawatt-hours of battery-grade lithium annually. If Musk could get his hands on McDermitt Caldera, these efforts would be significantly boosted.
The new lithium reserve could also lower production costs. The company could get out of the market dominance of global lithium processing by China. Especially considering the current political environment, Donald Trump and China are not on very good terms and can decide to keep the rare earth mineral to themselves or have heavy demands.
If Tesla could tap into this resource and integrate it into its operations, Musk could secure a stronger foothold in the increasingly competitive EV sector.
Nevada-Oregon Border:
Lithium deposit found in US McDermitt Caldera may be world’s largest –
(Native Indians, locals and even NASA are opposed to the planned mining operations ⛏️ scheduled to begin in just two years.)https://t.co/1lcK9wKMuu #Tesla #EV electric vehicles pic.twitter.com/laOlSiJJkR
— Bjean (@SmilePointe) September 12, 2023
Tesla isn’t the only company that stands to gain from this discovery. Other American EV makers could also take advantage of reduced dependency on foreign lithium sources and potentially revitalize domestic EV production. The discovery may also attract further investment, as seen with Jeff Bezos’s backing of emerging EV startups.
However, the project is not without controversy. There are several Indigenous communities in the region. They have voiced strong opposition to lithium extraction in the McDermitt Caldera. Critics have described these efforts as “green colonialism.” They have warned that environmental degradation and cultural disruption could result from large-scale mining operations.
