Cheyunjun learned on August 26 that Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on social media that the U.S. electric car manufacturer may mass-produce new batteries with a 50% increase in energy density and a high cycle life in the next three to four years. This new battery can even be used in electric aircraft.
Researchers said that the Panasonic "2170" battery used in Tesla Model 3 has an energy density of about 260Wh/kg, while the new battery will jump 50% from the current energy density to 400Wh/kg. Tesla said that increasing battery energy density is crucial to Tesla's achieve longer range at this stage.
Musk made a remark last year that in order to make the electric aircraft operate normally, the energy density of the battery needs to be increased to more than 400Wh/kg. At that time, he estimated that it would take at least five years.
In addition, the final date of Tesla's "Battery Day" is September 22, which is held on the same day as the 2020 annual shareholders' meeting. It is reported that this "Battery Day" will focus on increasing energy density and reducing costs. Tesla is likely to disclose more details on improving battery performance in this event and announce the company's latest battery technology and related information.
Tesla said that due to the impact of the new crown epidemic, only "very limited" shareholders can participate in this event. Tesla will select participants in this event through a "drawing lots". It is reported that the event will be launched online. In addition, the background image displayed on the official registration page has aroused discussion and speculation among the media and fans about the highlights of this event.
There are foreign media isolated the pictures of the active page from the text, processed and retrieved the complete background image, and found that the structure in the image may be a material called silicon nanowires. Park Chul-wan, former director of the Advanced Battery Center at the Korea Institute of Electronic Technology, also said the image is likely to hint at the "silicon nanowire anode" technology, a breakthrough technology that can potentially and significantly increase battery energy density and service life. Although the material has not been used for commercial production, it has been proven to have its efficacy in manufacturing high-energy density, high-life battery.
Cheyunjun learned that the current patented technology for anode materials of silicon nanowire batteries is mastered by an American company named Amprius. Ampres said that the capacity of silicon is usually 10 times that of graphite, but it is very likely to cause rupture due to expansion when charging. If silicon nanowires are used, it can effectively prevent silicon from rupturing during expansion.
According to foreign media reports, Ampres recently moved its headquarters to a few hundred feet away from a battery factory in Tesla, and the company's engineering and manufacturing head also joined Tesla not long ago. Musk also mentioned that it would use silicon nanowire battery technology in the next generation of batteries. This seems to be nothing more than a coincidence.
As the absolute leader in the electric era, Tesla continues to pay attention to real innovation. The "million-mile battery" has focused on the eyes of most people, and its related technologies are likely to be interpreted on "Battery Day". In April 2019, Musk planned to start production of a million-mile battery in 2020; in September of the same year, Jeff's team published a paper to disclose the test results of a million-mile battery; in May 2020, Tesla cooperated with CATL and is expected to launch a million-mile battery in the Chinese market first.
Tesla's new generation of lithium-ion batteries based on Maxwell (Maxwell Technology) dry electrode technology will also become the highlight of the event day. Maxwell's dry electrode technology can increase the energy density of batteries by 20% to 30%. The company said that through dry electrode technology, the energy density of the battery cell can exceed 300Wh/kg and finally reach 500Wh/kg.
In the early days, Tesla took the lead in using ternary lithium batteries. While relying on battery pack management technology to overcome the low safety of ternary lithium batteries, it also used its high energy density to further improve the range. In addition, excellent autonomous driving assistance technology and vehicle OTA capabilities have also become the killer weapon to attract consumers.
After experiencing the cold winter of the auto market, bold and precise product concepts and accurate capture of user needs and product positioning have become the primary issues that many companies think about.By creating environmentally friendly, technological and high-end electric vehicles, Tesla has not only created a unique and firm brand image, but also distinguished itself from traditional old car manufacturers as pure electric, using product differentiation to lay the foundation for stable development, and continues to stimulate the incremental market in the pure electric field.
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