- Japanese battery maker and Tesla provider Panasonic is engaged on a breakthrough electrical automobile battery chemistry.
- The corporate is engaged on anode-free lithium metallic batteries, which may increase vitality density and scale back pack weight.
- With these new cells, Teslas may probably get considerably extra driving vary.
The Tesla Mannequin Y obtained a much-needed improve this 12 months with its “Juniper” refresh. The automaker’s best-selling automobile worldwide seems sleeker, is extra environment friendly and advantages from critical chassis and suspension enhancements. However its most important improve would possibly nonetheless be on the horizon. In about two years, the Mannequin Y may see a large vary increase due to cutting-edge battery cells.
Panasonic Vitality, Tesla’s major excessive voltage battery provider, mentioned on Thursday that it’s creating a brand new sort of cell that considerably will increase vitality density, Reuters first reported. The Japanese battery large is betting on anode-free batteries, which it says may ship “world-leading” capability by the top of 2027.
When a battery fees, the anode acts because the storage facet of the cell. Historically, it’s been constructed from graphite, a cloth dominated by Chinese language provide chains that provides value and manufacturing complexity. Panasonic’s concept is to ditch the graphite solely. By doing so, the corporate claims it might probably liberate house for extra energetic cathode supplies like nickel, manganese and cobalt. That would instantly increase the pack’s vitality capability. It may additionally lead to probably lighter, smaller and cheaper batteries.
Panasonic will manufacture cylindrical cells at its newly inaugurated battery plant in Kansas.
Picture by: Panasonic Vitality
If Panasonic delivers, the payoff may very well be large. The rear-wheel-drive Mannequin Y at present delivers about 357 miles of EPA vary. With anode-free cells, that quantity may climb by almost 90 miles, Panasonic claims, placing it simply shy of 450 miles on a single cost. That will give Tesla’s crossover a driving vary that’s akin to the Lucid Gravity or the Common Motors electrical vans such because the GMC Sierra EV, which have hulking 200+ kilowatt-hour battery packs. The Mannequin Y may ship comparable vary whereas being considerably cheaper and with a a lot smaller battery pack.
All of that is nonetheless theoretical, and we haven’t seen anode-free batteries on the highway within the U.S. but. Nevertheless, Panasonic isn’t the one firm engaged on this chemistry. California-based battery start-up QuantumScape has been creating anode-free batteries in partnership with the Volkswagen Group. Michigan-based Our Subsequent Vitality has additionally experimented with dual-chemistry packs that when promised 600 miles of vary in a BMW iX prototype.
In the meantime, Panasonic has hinted it may use the tech not only for the next vary, but additionally to make smaller, cheaper batteries that preserve as we speak’s vary whereas chopping value and weight. The corporate additionally plans to scale back its reliance on nickel, one other uncooked materials whose provide chains are extremely dominated by China. Some automakers are additionally considering alongside comparable strains. Common Motors, as an example, is creating lithium-manganese-rich (LMR) batteries for its vans and SUVs beginning in 2028, aiming to scale back its reliance on expensive nickel.
What Tesla will do with Panasonic’s breakthrough stays to be seen. However the timing couldn’t be extra necessary. The automaker’s opponents are on the verge of introducing high-quality next-generation EVs within the U.S. The brand new Nissan Leaf is correct across the nook. The following-gen Chevy Bolt is due for launch early subsequent 12 months. And Rivian’s Mannequin Y competitor, the R2, can also be a extremely anticipated launch in 2026.
Tesla could also be busy pitching itself as an AI and robotics firm, however vehicles are nonetheless its lifeline. Giving its hottest automobile an additional 90 miles of vary may very well be the only, and presumably the simplest option to remind EV consumers why the corporate nonetheless issues.
Have a tip? Contact the writer: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
