---
title: "Appalachian lithium cache enough to power 130 million EVs, USGS says - MINING.COM"
source: "https://www.mining.com/web/appalachian-lithium-cache-enough-to-power-130-million-evs-usgs-says/"
domain: "www.mining.com"
type: "article"
summarized_at: "2026-05-04"
canonical: "https://tl-dr.cc/s/appalachian-lithium-cache-enough-to-power-130-million-e-1r_X"
---

# Appalachian lithium cache enough to power 130 million EVs, USGS says - MINING.COM

**Source:** [www.mining.com](https://www.mining.com/web/appalachian-lithium-cache-enough-to-power-130-million-evs-usgs-says/)  
**Summarized:** 2026-05-04  

- Appalachia holds 2.3 million metric tons of undiscovered lithium—enough to power 130 million EVs, according to new USGS research.
- This reserve could replace 328 years of US lithium imports at current consumption levels, significantly reducing American dependence on foreign supply.
- The US currently imports over half its lithium; only Albemarle operates domestically while China dominates global processing capacity.
- Global lithium production capacity is expected to double by 2029 as EV and battery demand accelerates worldwide.

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