Posted on 01/14/2026 11:47:45 PM PST by SmokingJoe
This is more advanced than you think
Tesla’s Texas lithium refinery is the first in North America to convert raw spodumene ore directly into battery-grade lithium hydroxide, skipping the intermediate steps the rest of the industry relies on
It went from groundbreaking to first production in just 19 months, an unheard-of timeline at this scale
The process is cleaner too: no hazardous sodium sulfate waste, and a useful byproduct that can be turned into concrete
This single refinery can supply lithium for over 500,000 EVs per year and directly challenges China’s ~60% grip on global lithium refining
One of the biggest bottlenecks in the EV supply chain just got an upgrade
(Excerpt) Read more at x.com ...
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Tesla built the most advanced lithium refinery in the world and it is very clean
I thought spodumene was an ice cream.
I got some on my girlfriend one time... She liked it.
All 3 colors?
Lithium is an abundant resource found all over the world. China’s secret sauce is its refining. Which means it takes oar and distills it such that it has some product and a huge amount of waste. China does not seem to mind waste. They live with massive amounts of waste at every step of their stupid processing plants. Its their ability to live with toxic waste that allows them to processes so much. If Musk is preprocessing the lithium (and America has lots of the stuff) then its that sentence about concrete that is important. But make sure that the waste concrete can be managed and reused. And make sure that the concrete is the only waste. Often they tell us about some small portion of the waste. And have to deal with the more toxic sludge that has no use.
oar or ore ?
Elon Musk's ability to pull off ambitious projects stems from a combination of mindset, strategies, and execution tactics that he's refined across companies like Tesla, SpaceX, and Neuralink. He's not just innovating products; he's re-engineering how big things get built, often compressing timelines that others see as impossible. Using the Texas lithium refinery as an illustration (without diving into the chemistry), here's a breakdown of his approach:
- First-Principles Thinking: Break It Down to Fundamentals
Elon starts by questioning every assumption and rebuilding from the ground up. Instead of accepting "this is how it's always done," he asks, "What are the physics or core requirements?" This leads to skipping unnecessary steps that bog down traditional industries.
- In practice: For massive industrial projects, this means redesigning processes to eliminate intermediaries, which shaves time and cost. The refinery's direct-conversion method exemplifies this—it's not tweaking an existing setup but inventing a simpler, more efficient path that the industry hadn't pursued at scale.
- Why it works: It fosters breakthroughs rather than incremental improvements, allowing teams to leapfrog competitors.
- Insane Deadlines and "Hardcore" Culture
Elon sets aggressive, often "impossible" timelines to force innovation and cut waste. He calls this "time is the ultimate currency," pushing teams to work at warp speed without the luxury of delays. This creates a high-pressure environment where bureaucracy is minimized, and decisions happen fast.
- In practice: Going from groundbreaking to production in under two years at that scale required round-the-clock efforts, rapid prototyping, and overlapping phases (design, permitting, construction happening in parallel). Elon often relocates key personnel on-site and leads by example, sleeping at factories during crunches.
- Why it works: It attracts A-players who thrive on challenge and weeds out complacency. Failures are iterated on quickly, turning setbacks into acceleration.
- Vertical Integration: Control the Whole Stack
Rather than relying on suppliers or partners who might slow things down, Elon brings critical elements in-house. This gives full control over quality, speed, and innovation, reducing dependencies that create bottlenecks.
- In practice: Tesla didn't just build a refinery; they integrated it into their EV ecosystem, ensuring it aligns perfectly with battery needs. This mirrors how SpaceX builds its own rockets end-to-end, avoiding supply chain vulnerabilities.
- Why it works: It turns potential weaknesses (like global market dominance by others) into strengths, allowing for custom optimizations that outsiders can't match.
- Focus on Sustainability and Multi-Purpose Outcomes
Elon embeds efficiency and positive externalities into the core design, making projects not just viable but superior on multiple fronts. This isn't altruism—it's smart business that reduces regulatory hurdles, attracts talent, and opens new revenue streams.
- In practice: The refinery's waste-free process and useful byproducts (like for concrete) make it environmentally cleaner, which speeds up approvals and aligns with global trends. It's designed to scale massively while solving broader problems, like supply chain chokepoints.
- Why it works: It creates win-wins that build momentum, from investor buy-in to public support, and positions the project as a game-changer rather than a commodity.
- Relentless Iteration and Risk-Taking
Elon treats big projects like software: build, test, iterate fast. He's willing to bet big and fail publicly if it means learning quicker. This agile mindset, borrowed from tech, applies to hardware and infrastructure.
- In practice: The refinery likely involved rapid pilots and simulations before full-scale build, with real-time adjustments. Elon draws lessons from cross-company experiences—SpaceX's reusable rockets informed Tesla's manufacturing speed.
- Why it works: It compresses learning curves. Most industries move slowly to avoid risks; Elon embraces them, knowing the upside of being first outweighs the downsides.
Overall, Elon's edge comes from treating impossibility as a starting point, assembling obsessive teams, and optimizing every variable for speed and impact. It's exhausting and not for everyone—critics call it unsustainable—but it consistently delivers results that reshape industries. If you're looking to apply this personally, start small: pick a problem, strip it to basics, set a crazy deadline, and iterate without fear. For more on his methods, his biography by Walter Isaacson dives deep into the chaos and genius behind it.
Great post. I especially like the “bottom line”, i.e., “Elon’s edge comes from treating impossibility as a starting point, assembling obsessive teams, and optimizing every variable for speed and impact.”
That said, Millei might create that kind of culture in Argentina.
Elon Musk may be a reincarnation of Benjamin Franklin. Investing in his companies would beasmart move.
Word has it that Ocrazio-Cortex wanted to apply First Principles to the bartending experience, but she hasn’t figured out how to work the blender yet.
I used to own Tesla but got out of it (at a very nice gain) because I couldn't figure out how the market was valuing it. It seemed to be valued more as a cult of personality instead of a business.
Not saying it's overvalued—just that I couldn't derive an algorithm for its valuation.
That by-product is only a substance that can be made into concrete. There is no waste of concrete if concrete itself is not a by-product. I’ll bet that Musk has some feasible ideas for how to deal with such a u$eful by-product. For instance, the military might have a use for it, or use it for construction projects here and on the moon somehow. Research and development could discover potential for even more products and applications.
“Millei might create that kind of culture in Argentina.”
Possible. He’s got a good head on his shoulders.
I always remember him entering a dinner at the White House (IIRC), be-bopping in to the YMCA song.
Awesome!
I’d prefer to see EVs just go away or mandate them for cities and they must stay within a 20 mile radius of all city boundaries.
>> Elon Musk may be a reincarnation of Benjamin Franklin.
There’s no such thing as reincarnation. GOD raises ‘em up anew for the current “times such as these”. But to compare these two men that GOD raised up is 100% good!
Demand has been dropping like a rock. Which is why manufactureer's are starting to turn away from producing them. They are unreliable in cold weather also. When the batteriesd need replacing they are extremely expensive which is a real show stopper.
Bring on the claret sauce.
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