New battery cells for model 3

[tsla007]

Tesla’s gigafactory will be the first ever to make a new format of battery—a 21/70, rather than the 18/650 that the auto maker uses today for the Model S and Model X. The latter cylinder-shaped battery is commonly used in portable electronics and has been used by Tesla since the beginning. The numbers stand for the width and length in millimeters.

 

[tsla007]

Also, Tesla has doubled the amount of people constructing the “gigafactory,” which sits on more than 3,000 acres near Reno. Now, 1,000 workers build seven days a week on two shifts in an effort to start churning out lithium-ion cells by early 2017.

 

[tsla007]

Abus Replacement Battery FU8320/21/70/FU8110/FU8380 - FU2990

 

[JeffK]

It looks like you're talking to yourself...


it's a 20700 battery I think the WSJ article you pulled that from is incorrect.
Also the real thread regarding this article is:
Some details of new battery at WSJ article

 

[strykeroz]

That link doesn't appear to show a 21700 cell. Will they be the first to make these at the gigafactory, or have others (including Samsung, in this story ) already shown this form factor to be useful?

 

[JeffK]

Samsung is making a 21700 yes... but the Gigafactory will be 20700 batteries.

Elon Musk on Twitter

I'm not sure why he posted a link to a CR2 battery.

 

[strykeroz]

Thanks for clarifying. For the sake of my model 3's 2nd battery pack I hope the world has settled on a standard in the next decade. Two only 1mm different in one dimension appears unnecessary.

 

[JeffK]

Thanks for clarifying. For the sake of my model 3's 2nd battery pack I hope the world has settled on a standard in the next decade. Two only 1mm different in one dimension appears unnecessary.

There's no reason to settle on a standard... even within the same form factor there are differences in cell chemistry. Not all chemistries are appropriate for automotive applications either.

We've always had a wide variety of cell types and form factors.

 

[JeffK]

Well, I guess they changed their minds about 20700 ... According to the WSJ article author and his interview with JB they are using 21700 cells!

 

[WarpedOne]

Why the obsession on 'standards'? What is the profit?

 

[strykeroz]

Why the obsession on 'standards'? What is the profit?

Being completely pragmatic a lot can happen in 10 years. Having a range of options for the next battery pack seems like a good outcome for improving the resale and second life of our model 3. If we get stuck with a pack made of cells that are not widely adopted the options we have will be limited, and relatively expensive.

 

[eSpiritIV]

Whatever form factor they choose, it will have higher energy densities, and fit in the M3 and all other cars by tweaking the battery holder size.