Tesla supercapacitors? Unlikely. But there will be a breakthrough in rechargeable batteries
Elon Musk slowly begins to disclose information about the news that he will tell during the upcoming "Day of the battery and powertrain." For example, in the third-row Tesla podcast, he admitted that he was not particularly interested in the supercapacitor technology Maxwell is developing. Something more important.
Maxwell Needs Tesla for 'Tech Package'
Less than a year ago, Tesla completed its purchase of Maxwell, a US supercapacitor manufacturer. At the time, it was expected that Musk might be interested in using supercapacitors in Tesla, which can quickly absorb and release large amounts of energy.
> Tesla acquires Maxwell, a manufacturer of supercapacitors and electrical components
The head of Tesla has only now officially denied these rumors. He showed that he was much more interested in the technologies that Maxwell developed in his laboratories. This includes, for example, dry production of a passivation layer (SEI), which can reduce the loss of lithium during battery operation. This allows the production of cells with a higher capacity for the same mass (= higher energy density).
As Musk said, “This is a big deal. Maxwell has a set of technologies they may have great impact [on the battery world] when used correctly».
> Hacker: Tesla Update Coming, Two New Battery Types In Model S And X, New Charging Port, New Suspension Version
The head of Tesla also commented on the approach of other car manufacturers. They all source cells from external suppliers, and some go even further and also purchase modules (= cell kits) and complete batteries from third party suppliers. They don't think about changes in cell chemistry - which, as you might guess, means that they have no competitive advantage here.
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