According to foreign media reports, there are rumors that if Tesla cannot economically and efficiently produce larger batteries, the company will give up producing 4680 batteries and rely on third-party suppliers.
Reports from South Korea show that local battery makers are ready to mass-produce cylindrical batteries with a diameter of 46mm, which seems to confirm the rumor.
In 2021, Tesla introduced a new form of battery– dry electrode battery (DBE)– which can greatly reduce production costs and improve battery performance.
Not only that, the new silicone anode is also expected to greatly improve the battery performance.
However, it turns out that the production process of the 4680 battery is relatively complex and difficult to manufacture, compared with the 2170 battery used by Tesla, which is more mature in production.
At present, the 4680 battery produced by Tesla still uses a chemical method similar to the previous 2170 NMC battery.
The technology of silicone anode has not been applied in Tesla’s 4680 battery.
DBE technology may also face some technical challenges and process problems in the production process of 4680 batteries.
At the same time, because the 4680 battery is larger than the 2170 battery, it poses a greater challenge to the cooling of the battery pack, which may also explain the poor charging performance of models such as the Cybertruck.
Tesla’s 4680 battery is not only inferior to the previous 2170 battery in terms of energy density and charging performance, but also more expensive.
Tesla’s financial performance at the end of the first quarter of 2024 was disappointing due to the performance and cost of the 4680 battery.
Tesla is rumored to be considering stopping production of 4680 batteries at a Texas superfactory and turning to external suppliers.
If Tesla’s restructuring before the end of the year does not save the expected cost, Tesla may stop producing 4680 batteries, according to a report from China.
In order to solve the problem of internal production of 4680 batteries, Tesla appointed Bonne Eggleston as the new head of the 4680 battery project.
Tesla hopes to reduce supplier costs by the end of the year, although Elon Musk admits that it is currently more cost-effective to buy batteries from external suppliers than to produce them internally.
South Korean battery makers are preparing to start mass production of 4680 batteries as early as August, according to a new report.
If so, Tesla’s plan to produce 4680 batteries internally seems to come to naught.
LG New Energy is the first battery manufacturer besides Tesla to produce 4680 batteries.
However, the initial production of 4680 batteries at its Ochang plant in South Korea is relatively small, at 9 gigawatt hours a year, but it is enough to produce more than 100000 electric vehicles.
LG New Energy is building a new plant with a capacity of 36 gigawatts in Arizona and plans to start production in 2026.
Tesla’s low return on 4680 battery production (20 per cent estimated by industry insiders) provides an opportunity for LG new energy and may become the preferred battery supplier for Tesla electric vehicles.
Photo: LG New Energy, although LG New Energy has made progress in the production of 4680 batteries, the battery market is still highly competitive.
Other battery manufacturers are also making continuous efforts to improve production efficiency and reduce costs in order to gain more market share.
LG New Energy mainly regards Tesla as the customer of its 4680 battery, but Samsung SDI is considering a broader scope.
Samsung plans to produce 46mm cylindrical batteries of different sizes by the end of this year.
According to reports, the company is in talks with BMW and Rivian on plans to provide 4695 batteries, and BMW expects the company to provide larger 46120 batteries.
SK On, another major battery maker known mainly for bagged batteries, is also interested in producing cylindrical batteries.
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