The McDermitt Caldera is an extinct supervolcano on the Oregon-Nevada border that, depending on who you believe, is loaded with enough lithium to power 600 million electric cars. It begs the question: who will control the $1.5 trillion dollar mineral deposit?

Located at the southern end of the McDermitt Caldera, in Humboldt County, Nevada, the lithium (Li) deposit at Thacker Pass is believed to have estimated reserves of approximately 1.3 million tons of Li carbonate equivalent. That’s enough of the treasured material, on its own, to redraw world’s energy map.

Global lithium deposits

Recent calculations by Castor and Henry estimate an in situ tonnage of ~20 to 40 MT of Li (maximum 120 MT of Li) to be contained within sediments of the whole McDermitt caldera … even if this estimation is high due to variations in sediment thickness and/or Li grade, the Li inventory contained in McDermitt caldera sediments would still be on par with, if not considerably larger than, the 10.2 MT of Li inventory estimated to be contained in brines beneath the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, previously considered the largest Li deposit on Earth.

SCIENCE

Spanish-language site Motorpasión reports that the McDermitt Caldera deposit packs enough lithium to produce a staggering 600 million electric cars, and could make the US (with the right policies in place) a global leader in the li-ion battery supply chain. So, of course, America’s biggest EV oligarchs are going to fight over it.

High stakes

Pickup trucks are big business in the US and, frankly, everywhere else — and both Musk and Bezos are hoping to get into that business in a big way, through the Tesla CEO’s Cybertruck, its (supposedly) less polarizing successor, and the upcoming low-cost Slate backed by the Amazon founder. And that doesn’t include GM (who have been arguing over the rights to the caldera for years already), Ford, Rivian (where Bezos, through Amazon, holds more than 13% of the shareholders’ vote), and others.

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For both of them, controlling the caldera means more than money. It means securing control of one of the most strategic mineral sectors of this century. And, in late 2024 with the Trump-Musk bromance in full bloom, Musk publicly pushed mining operations to produce more nickel for EVs, invested in a massive lithium refinery in Texas, and promised even more EV production, making it look like Musk, through his political influence, might soon be granted control of the world’s largest lithium deposit.

“Elon’s always been there, now the megaphone is bigger,” one lithium producer, who was granted anonymity to speak freely, told Politico. “This is a pretty small space, so he’s always had a lot of truck.”

Then in June, the Trump-Musk bromance collapsed in dramatic fashion, with Musk launching a now-deleted tweet on X accusing the President of being “in the Epstein files,” launching a political controversy that is still gnawing at Trump.

The really big bomb

With Musk’s political influence largely spent as he starts his own America Party to “primary” sitting republicans who voted against his interests, that opens the door for others to start looking into American mineral rights — and Bezos, through his AI‑driven exploration startup KoBold Metals (which recently spent $1 billion to expand its footprint into the Democratic Republic of the Congo after inking a framework deal to buy AVZ Mineral’s stake in the Manono hard rock lithium deposit there), is perfectly placed to capitalize on that opportunity.

And, if there’s one thing guys like Jeff Bezos do well, it’s capitalize on an opportunity … and I wouldn’t expect him to happily send all that lithium he’s mining to Elon’s refinery, either.

What do you guys think? Are we headed for an epic showdown on the Oregon-Nevada border? If we are, who do you think would win? Let us know, in the comments.

Original content from Electrek.

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Mercedes-Benz is quietly suspending orders on some of its most popular EV models in the US. The German luxury automaker has already halted the order bank for the electric EQS and EQE, both the sedan and SUV models.

Why is Mercedes pausing EV orders in the US?

Like most of the automotive industry, Mercedes is preparing for significant changes under the Trump Administration.

According to a new report from Automotive News, Mercedes has already paused orders for several EV models in the US, at least for the time being.

The order book for the electric EQS sedan, EQS SUV, EQE Sedan, and EQE SUV is now closed for dealers. Mercedes blamed the “current market conditions” for the decision.

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Starting September 1, Mercedes will halt production of the EQS and EQE SUV models at its Vance, Alabama, plant for the US. However, it plans to continue building the electric vehicles at the facility to export to overseas markets.

Although dealers can’t order any more EQS or EQE models in the US, you can still find some for sale. Mercedes slashed prices by up to $15,000 on its remaining EV models earlier this month.

A Mercedes spokesperson told Kelley Blue Book last week that the EQB “has reached the end of its lifecycle as planned and therefore will not be offered in the US or Canada after model year 2025.”

Although it cited current market conditions, the changes come as the federal EV tax credit in the US is set to expire at the end of September.

Meanwhile, Mercedes is gearing up for “the largest product offensive” in company history. The new 2026 CLA EV is launching this fall, followed by two electric SUVs based on the same MMA platform. Mercedes will also unveil the electric version of its best-selling SUV, the GLC EV, in a little over a month at the Munich Motor Show.

Looking to score the savings while they are still available? You can use our links below to find offers on Mercedes EV models in your area.

Infinite Machine’s debut product looks like it was carved out of a steel block in a dystopian future. The design is bold, brutalist, and unapologetically industrial. As a first product offering, it does a great job of catching people’s attention. Whether you like the look or not is up to you, but there is no denying that it is a head-turner. So when I had the opportunity to get some hands-on time with it, I knew I had to jump at that chance.

And after just an hour of riding the P1 around NYC, I can confidently say this thing turns heads for good reason. It’s fast, futuristic, and fun. This is just a first impression, but I’ll have it for an extended period soon — so stay tuned for a deeper dive and complete review. For now, let’s talk about my experience.

The specs

Let’s start with all the specs on paper, so you can see what we are dealing with. There is a lot to like with the P1 because you get:

Power, battery & tech

• 6kW rear hub motor
• Top speed: 65 mph (with Turbo Boost)
• Up to 60 miles of range
• 3.2 kWh removable battery (72V 45Ah)
• Charges with a standard wall outlet
• 7” touchscreen with a clean, CarPlay-style interface
• Infinite Machine app: unlock/start, service, rider management, camera access, OTA updates
• GPS tracking and dual cameras

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Safety & design

• ABS braking system
• Fire-resistant battery (UL 2271)
• Kickstand/Park throttle lock, automatic lock system, real-time alerts
• Front electronic wheel lock + motor lock
• Records with both front and rear cameras
• Room for two passengers
• No motorcycle license needed up to 30 mph
• Underseat storage, glovebox, and a bag hook
• Integrated helmet lock

When you see all this, it could almost be overwhelming — the power, the tech, the modular features. But once you’re on it, the P1 is highly approachable. Everything is integrated and easy to use, even for someone with little to no experience riding this type of vehicle. It’s designed to make city commuting feel seamless from day one.

Ride experience

As I mentioned in the beginning, I only had about an hour with the vehicle, so these are my first impressions. I was able to test two of the three drive modes: Eco and Normal. There is also a Sport mode and a speed boost feature that I will be testing in my full review. I got to about 35 to 40mph for this test drive while navigating the NYC streets. I thought this environment was fantastic to see what the feel would be because this is what the P1’s target customer is. Someone who lives in a densely populated city but still needs to travel a few miles daily and doesn’t want to be stuck in traffic or use public transit like subways and buses. We drove through streets filled with potholes, unpaved sections, cobblestone streets, and cars double-parked everywhere and the P1 handled all of it with ease. The front and rear suspension smoothed everything out, and I never once felt like I was losing control, even over all this urban terrain.

One thing that I noticed after a bit is that because it’s fully electric, the ride is dead silent. No motor noise, no hum, just wind and city sounds. It felt like I was gliding through the streets, which made the ride even more immersive and surreal in the best way.

Tech experience

For me, the tech is half the selling point of a product like this. Of course, ride quality is extremely important, but being used to driving a Tesla, I want my tech experience to be straightforward and work. The P1 does this and does it exceptionally well. Everything is controlled from the Infinite Machine App. I have not gotten to use it on my own phone, but they showed me how it all works, and if you are familiar with the Tesla app, then you will feel right at home. The app allows you to:

• Use your phone as your key
• Add additional riders
• Set up service
• Access the built-in front and rear cameras
• Get theft alerts and alarm triggers
• Receive over-the-air updates

The app allows for everything and syncs beautifully with the 7-inch touchscreen on the P1 itself. The display feels like a mini CarPlay hub, responsive, clean, and easy to navigate.

One thing I did notice, though, is that the speaker under the display is pretty quiet. With how silent the ride is, a more robust built-in speaker system would be awesome. Infinite Machine is already working on a Bluetooth speaker add-on, which could scratch that itch.

Safety & security measures

They thought of everything security-wise. It has auto-lock features that engage when unattended. If someone messes with it, you get an alert, a siren goes off, and the vehicle locks itself down via motor and front wheel locks. It even records video using its dual cameras, a big win for safety and peace of mind. The kickstand and Park mode disable the throttle, so you can’t accidentally start engaging the P1. I would feel confident leaving this parked outside and not worry about someone stealing it. If they somehow can load it on top of it, it has an LTE connection, so I will always know where it is. It even has a backup power source if the battery is removed to power all the P1 controls and features.

Final take

The Infinite Machine P1 is a very cool and unique-looking e-scooter that checks off most boxes people would want out of a high-end and premium electric scooter. It’s a bold, tech-driven, design-first approach to urban mobility that seems to deliver.

Yes, it’s early days. Yes, it’s a startup. Yes, it’s expensive at a $10,000 starting price. But if this is their first swing? I’m excited to see what comes next. As I stated, I will have a full review coming soon when I get the chance to actually live with the P1 and see what its like to use it daily.

Let me know what questions you would want answered from a full review.