$1,500,000,000,000 of a metal essential for every electric vehicle is hidden beneath an Oregon supervolcano
Published on Mar 04, 2026 at 6:26 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Mar 04, 2026 at 6:46 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
Every electric vehicle relies on an essential metal, and remarkably, there is $1.5 trillion worth of it hiding beneath an Oregon supervolcano.
The material, of course, is lithium, which is essentially now the new gold, given that every single EV around the world needs it for its batteries.
It isn’t the easiest material to extract, but scientists have found where plentiful supplies currently lie.
If extracted, it would be the equivalent of explorers discovering a gold mine, except this gold can get people moving around the globe.
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Where the supervolcano is located
According to the scientists, the lithium is located in Oregon.
That itself doesn’t make it inaccessible.
But the exact specifics of where it is certainly don’t make it easy to extract.
As it has transpired, the lithium is buried deep beneath the McDermitt Caldera.
This is an ancient supervolcano, located on the Oregon-Nevada border.
With a potential value of up to $1.5 trillion, it’s no wonder that EV manufacturers would love to get their hands on it.
Located in the crater of the volcano, it could be the largest lithium deposit anywhere in the world.
Thankfully, if anyone does want to go and extract it for an electric vehicle, the volcano is no longer active.
It erupted a very long time ago and then collapsed soon after it did so.
So if you do want to enter the volcano, you won’t get covered in lava.
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This is why this lithium supply is such a big deal
The volcano spans 28 miles north-south and 22 miles east-west
With EVs requiring lithium in the construction of the batteries, it is a much-needed component.
It is basically the fuel within the rechargeable batteries, and demand for it is currently sky high.
When we say it is the new gold, we really do mean it.
Estimates currently place around 1.5 billion passenger vehicles on our roads.
Out of them, at least 60 million are estimated to be electric.
As time goes on and manufacturers stop producing combustion-powered cars, that number will continue to rise further.
Demand for this particular supply of lithium will no doubt be through the roof.
No wonder scientists were excited to find it, just sitting out in the middle of nowhere.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
