After over a year of waiting and several delays, Tesla’s ‘Battery Day’ is among us. The company’s CEO, Elon Musk, has promised ‘many exciting things’ from the event. Have a read of some of the things to expect from the event. The event will happen this evening (22nd September 2020) in California.
You can watch the event live here at 9:30 pm UK time.
The ‘Million-Mile’ battery
It has recently been speculated that Tesla will announce a battery which will last around 1 million miles. Unfortunately, this distance isn’t on a single charge but is the overall life span of the battery. As a result, it is expected this will lower Tesla’s cost per kilowatt-hour to under $100. This may not sound significant; however, it would allow Tesla to sell electric vehicles at the same price as regular fuel-powered ones, making them much more accessible.
Tesla’s mission to make electric cars last a lifetime will result in people thinking they need to transition to EV.
Increase battery production
Currently, Tesla’s main battery producer is Panasonic, they currently supply the batteries for the Model 3 and Model Y.
Strained battery supply chains have impacted the production of Tesla vehicles in the past, with the Panasonic CEO saying they could ‘run out’ of batteries if Tesla continues to increase production.
Numerous leaks and acquisitions suggest Tesla may start producing their batteries to keep up with up demand. The leaks also show their supposed in-house batteries being twice the size as the ones currently being produced by Panasonic. This points towards a battery which has a higher capacity and is cheaper to manufacture.
Cutting out Cobalt
Cobalt is the rarest and most expensive aspect of a battery, which drives their prices up. Elon Musk has been vocal about creating a cobalt-free battery, and battery day seems like the perfect opportunity to showcase this.
The most worrying thing about cobalt is its reputation with poor mining condition and the violation of human rights. If Tesla managed to create a cobalt-free battery, it would decrease the need for these mines and reduce battery cost.
Battery Day’s ‘One last thing’
Elon Musk has always been able to spring one last surprise during these events, such as the updated roadster coming out the back of a semi. We can’t say if this surprise will actually happen, but with more competition arriving through Lucid Air, it’s not out the question.
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