Panasonic, the long-term battery supplier of Tesla , is expected to mass-produce the 4680 architecture batteries to be sold to Tesla by March 2023. While actively preparing for mass production of 4680 batteries, Panasonic also plans to further increase the energy density of batteries and expand the possibilities of major car manufacturers to build electric vehicles.
According to the latest statement from Panasonic Chief Technology Officer Shoichiro Watanabe, Panasonic is currently researching new technologies and aims to increase the energy density of electric vehicles by 20% before 2030. Once this goal is achieved, electric vehicles equipped with battery packs of the same size will have an additional driving range of more than 100 kilometers; major car manufacturers can also choose to reduce the size of the battery pack to create more spacious and lighter electric vehicles. , while the cruising range remains unchanged.
In addition, Watanabe also mentioned that Panasonic intends to further increase the voltage of the battery without compromising the performance of the battery.
The battery voltage currently used in Tesla electric vehicles is 4.2V, but as long as new additives are mixed in electrolyte , the voltage can be increased to 4.3V or 4.4V. Watanabe further pointed out that if the voltage can be increased to 4.5V or 4.6V, he believes that the entire world's view of the possibility of electric vehicles will change.
While developing new battery technology, Panasonic has also established the location of a new battery factory in the United States. It is understood that it will be in Kansas , which may create up to 4,000 new job opportunities for the local area and bring about US$4 billion. investment money.
The Panasonic battery factory in Kansas, USA, is expected to be used to produce 4680 batteries and supply them to Tesla, but the factory will not start operations until at least 2024.
Indeed, as electric vehicles become a future trend, the batteries used in cars become particularly important. However, as far as the batteries currently on the market are concerned, their performance is far from up to standard in order to be popular. This shows that there is still a long way to go on this road.
