New cheap Tesla batteries thanks to cooperation with CATL for the first time in China. Below $ 80 per kWh at the package level?
A cryptic message from Reuters. Tesla is partnering with CATL to introduce a new low-cost modified lithium-ion battery in China. This is called a "million miles [1,6 million kilometers] battery," but the information is not quite what it is.
New Tesla Cells = LiFePO4? NMC 532?
According to Reuters, the new "million mile battery" will be cheaper and should last longer. Initially, the cells were supposed to be made by China's CATL, but Tesla wants to develop the technology so that it can gradually - as a result of other leaks - begin its own production.
Reuters does not provide any details about the cells, so we can only speculate about their composition. These can be lithium iron phosphate elements (LFP, LiFePO4), which mostly match both adjectives ("cheap", "long lived"). It can also be an alternative version of lithium-ion cells with NMC 532 (nickel-manganese-cobalt) cathodes from a single crystal:
> Tesla is applying for a patent for new NMC cells. Millions of kilometers driven and minimal degradation
The latter may not be “cheap” due to the cobalt content in the cathode (20 percent), but who knows if Tesla fully covered everything in the patent application? Perhaps the NMC 721 or 811 variant has already been tested? ... The manufacturer certainly boasts the ability to achieve up to 4 charge cycles.
Last but not least, it is possible that these CATL cells are an improved version of those present with NCA (Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum) cathodes, which contain less than 2018 percent cobalt since at least 3.
The “source” quoted by the agency claims that current value of LiFePO cells4 produced by CATL - less than 60 dollars per 1 kWh... With the entire battery, that's less than $ 80 per kilowatt-hour. For low cobalt NMC cells, the battery cost is close to $ 100 / kWh.
According to Reuters, the cost of manufacturing the mysterious cells is so low that the cars powered by them can be comparable in price to those of internal combustion vehicles (source). But again, a mystery: are we talking about falling prices for the Tesla currently being sold? Or maybe a model from some unknown manufacturer? It is only known that the cells will first go to China, and gradually they may be introduced to other markets in "additional Tesla vehicles.".
We can hear more about this during Battery Day, which is due to take place in the second half of May.
> Tesla Battery Day "could be in mid-May." May be…
Opening photo: Tesla Model S (c) battery pack from Ted Dillard. The new links do not have to be cylindrical; they can also be organized in different ways.
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