Panasonic to Start Producing New Batteries for Tesla Next Year, Increasing Range by over 15 Percent

[Tsing]

Image: Tesla



Panasonic will begin mass producing lithium-ion batteries in 2023 that can grant future Tesla vehicles increased range, per a new report from Nikkei Asia.



According to the publication, these batteries will enable an increased range of over 15 percent, which suggests that a future Model S, Tesla’a current flagship electric vehicle, might be able to travel around 460 miles on a single charge. The maximum range of the current Model S is listed as 396 miles.



“The new battery will be twice as big as older versions, with a fivefold increase in capacity,” Nikkei Asia noted in its coverage. “This will allow car manufacturers to cut down on the number of batteries used in each car, which will also reduce the time taken to fit them in the vehicles.”



“Given its high efficiency, it will cost 10% to 20% less to produce these new batteries, compared with older versions on...

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[Brian_B]

Better batteries = fewer of them for same range. Fewer cells = lower cost to Tesla. Same range = same cost to you.

Check my math.

 

[Riccochet]

I thought Tesla built their own battery cells.

 

[Zarathustra]

Whatever happened to the Gigafactory, and Tesla making all of their own batteries?

 

[LeRoy_Blanchard]

Better batteries = fewer of them for same range. Fewer cells = lower cost to Tesla. Same range = same cost to you.

Check my math.

Better batteries cost more than non-better batteries.

 

[Brian_B]

Whatever happened to the Gigafactory, and Tesla making all of their own batteries?

Tesla does make their own batteries. But you need ~a lot~ of batteries if that's all your going to use in every one of your cars, in the Powerwalls, in the utility scale storage projects, in their flame throwers, etc. So Panasonic gets contracted to make batteries as well.

Better batteries cost more than non-better batteries.

If they aren't cheaper on a energy density basis or on a weight density basis, they won't get used for anything. Why would you pay more for less? It has to pencil out in the financials in some way - if it packs more energy for the $, or if it weighs less which lets you get more range for the $, then you can make the case to shift. If not, you won't.

 

[Endgame]

Whatever happened to the Gigafactory, and Tesla making all of their own batteries?

The gigafactory factories aren’t enough as far as I can tell;

Tesla is preparing to start production of its first vehicle using its 4680 battery cell, a new tab-less battery cell in a bigger format with new chemistry unveiled in 2020.

For the first time, the automaker plans to produce its own cells to support its electric vehicle production.

However, Tesla is going to need so many cells that it is also partnering with current battery suppliers to deploy their own production of the new 4680 cell.

Panasonic, Tesla’s oldest battery partner, has tentatively announced that it would be deploying a prototype production line for the new battery cell.

Source:

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