Elon Musk dreams of dominating the electric car world but can’t do it, has to ‘ask’ the Chinese and Korean giants

According to Reuters’ own sources, Tesla is in talks with material suppliers from China and South Korea to lower the cost and increase the capacity of the new 4680 battery model. This is notable in that Tesla is currently having problems in performance and battery production, causing the Cybertruck bizarre pickup again and again to delay the launch schedule.

Tesla has connected with Ningbo Ronbay New Energy and Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing from China to lower battery production costs and increase production of 4680 batteries in the US.

Tesla delayed the introduction of the Cybertruck because of a problem with the 4680 battery. Photo: Tesla

If Tesla can solve the performance problems, production problems and ambitious production goals, the 4680 battery will be the bright spot in the dream of producing 20 million electric vehicles a year by 2030. , Toyota is the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer; In 2022, a total of 10.5 million vehicles were sold.

Also to find a solution to the problem, Tesla also signed an agreement with L&F Co. from Korea to purchase nickel-rich cathode electrode. This electrode will help increase the energy density of the 4680 battery, which will help Tesla’s car travel longer without using more battery.

According to Reuters’ own sources, Tesla is trying to increase production of 4680 batteries from LG and Panasonic, laying the foundation for future electric vehicle production. LG and Panasonic are likely to also be battery suppliers for the Tesla Cybertruck strange pickup.

Inside the Tesla factory. Photo: MASON TRINCA/THE WASHINGTON POST/GETTY IMAGES

During a meeting with investors earlier this month, Elon Musk said that a lack of batteries means “factories stop working”.

Tesla’s new 4680 battery is considered to be of special importance when the company launches Cybertruck – Tesla’s new model after 3 years.

To ensure that there is no longer to delay the launch, Tesla has considered 3 options: Battery 2170 has been used a lot on other Tesla models, battery 4680, and battery LFP; but Tesla chose to wait for the battery 4680 – a greatly improved battery with a much higher energy density than common batteries.

Last year, Elon Musk himself said that the 4680 battery that the company designed would be an obstacle to Cybertruck or anything else.

The 4680 pin is named after the pin size: 46x80mm. This battery line is considered paramount to Tesla’s future production plans. This American electric car company intends to produce itself at factories in Texas, California, Nevada, the US and Berlin, Germany for use on Model Y and Cybertruck. However, Tesla is still struggling to ramp up production.

Battery 4680 compared to other batteries. Photo: Panasonic

Billionaire Elon Musk first introduced the 4680 battery at Battery Day in September 2020. At the event, he said he would cut production costs by 50% with a series of improvements, such as using larger sized battery cells, dry plating of electrodes; thereby helping to reduce production processes and costs, and increase battery performance.

However, the transition from trial production to mass production was continuously difficult and delayed, causing Cybertruck to also delay the schedule. This pickup is designed to take advantage of the 4680 battery. However, it is said that it will take a long time to increase production.

Currently, Panasonic is piloting the 4680 battery production line at its Wakyama factory, Japan, and plans to mass produce it in the fiscal year ending March 2024.

Battery 4680 integrated in the chassis of the vehicle.

Chief Technology Officer at Panasonic Energy, Shoichiro Watanabe, said last month that the company’s battery plant in Kansas, USA will initially focus on producing 2170 batteries, but will eventually move to 4680 batteries. With LG , the technology company plans to produce 4680 batteries at its Ochang, South Korea factory in the second half of this year.

Tesla produced the first generation of 4680 batteries at its factory in Fremont, California, USA, but failed to meet its own energy level targets.

Currently, Tesla has only succeeded in dry plating the cathode, but has not been able to do the same with the anode – a position that is believed to be very important to improve battery efficiency.

4680 battery production line. Photo: Tesla

Tesla’s production test in the new electrode dry plating is sufficient for only 50,000 vehicles per year. In 2020, Elon Musk once said that Tesla will have enough 4680 batteries produced in place to meet about 1.3 million Model Y vehicles.

However, Elon Musk thinks that by the end of the year, the company will have an excess of 4680 batteries in demand, and that will be a problem again. However, this problem can be easily solved with the power storage service branch that the company is providing to many units and customers.

Tesla has used the first generation 4680 battery but ‘wet plated’ the anode, used on Tesla Model Y cars manufactured at the factory in Texas, USA; but most Model Y still use only 2170 battery.

Tesla plans to use batteries with a nickel-rich anode, containing 90% nickel, in the next generation of 4680 batteries. South Korea’s L&F is likely to be one of the suppliers of these nickel-rich electrodes.