Blog Tesla Unveils Tabless Battery Cell That Boosts Range by 16%

Tesla unveiled Tuesday at its Battery Day event a new 4680 battery cell, a larger form factor that would increase range by 16%.

Tesla said the new cells will have a 5x  increase in energy and a 6x increase in power capacity. The new cell is 46mm by 80mm, featuring a “tabless” design that enables the efficiencies.

Tesla has reduced parts, created a better electrical connection from the battery, and simplified the manufacturing process. The efficiency in the manufacturing process of the new cell is expected to reduce the price per kWh by 14%. Tesla hopes to eventually reduce that price by 50%.

Tesla is currently producing the cells at a facility near its factory in Fremont, Calif.

Musk also raved about efforts to make the battery factory more efficient, driving home the idea that battery production needs to speed up in order for EVs to have a significant impact on climate change. Musk said it will be a “highway” at “max-velocity” once at scale. Still, Tesla’s new homegrown cells are not expected to reach mass production until 2022. 

Musk said it will take a year for the first facility to reach its 10 GWh production capacity.

Musk hinted that the new battery design will lead to savings necessary for Tesla to introduce a $25,000 electric vehicle.

Watch the full presentation here.

 

[LionXng]

Other companies are still trying to figure out how to get batteries for their prototypes while Tesla just figured out how to change the entire game. Range increases 16% from form factor + 20% from anode and 14% from structural battery. That puts a model 3 at 495 miles.

 

[GenSao]

The total range increase is 54%!

 

[zecar]

So higher C rate? What's the energy density improvement by volume and by weight?

 

[oliverdavidwow]

the range is increased by 54%... please change the headline!

 

[RichAZ/CapeCod]

I will freely admit to not understanding the computation that shows such an increase in range (the stated increase ought to give a 300 mile range auto another 50 miles or so of range??). My intent is to order our MY in Oct (long story as to why then). I was hoping for a longer range vehicle then is now the case. Not sure that's going to happen.

Rich

 

[Mrbrock]

the range is increased by 54%... please change the headline!

I think the 16% is right now with the battery design. The anode and cathode material gains I assume are future goals based on research. Same for the cell vehicle integration.

 

[brucet999]

I will freely admit to not understanding the computation that shows such an increase in range (the stated increase ought to give a 300 mile range auto another 50 miles or so of range??). My intent is to order our MY in Oct (long story as to why then). I was hoping for a longer range vehicle then is now the case. Not sure that's going to happen.

Rich

No, it won't happen for your MY. Probably not for any MY because the improvement is for a new form factor, tabless battery whose factory is at least a year away from volume production capability. Very likely that the battery pack design would not be compatible with M3 or MY, in the same way that MS and MX are still using 1650 batteries instead of 2170.

 

[Yinn]

No, it won't happen for your MY. Probably not for any MY because the improvement is for a new form factor, tabless battery whose factory is at least a year away from volume production capability. Very likely that the battery pack design would not be compatible with M3 or MY, in the same way that MS and MX are still using 1650 batteries instead of 2170.

How do you propose they get to 520+ miles on the Plaid Model S then? I doubt having an extra motor is going to provide more space to cram 1650's into it.

 

[ICUDoc]

How do you propose they get to 520+ miles on the Plaid Model S then

I expect they will pack more cells in. WHERE they will stick them, I don't know...

 

[GenSao]

How do you propose they get to 520+ miles on the Plaid Model S then? I doubt having an extra motor is going to provide more space to cram 1650's into it.

I believe the 54% range increase is mostly related to power efficiency. The regular Model S LR+ has a 100 kWh battery pack with an EPA combined 117 MPGe (29 kWh/100 mi.). The Plaid Model S may have the same equivalent 100 kWh battery pack with an EPA combined 180 MPGe (19 kWh./100 mi.).

 

[dpeilow]

I very much doubt they've found a 54% improvement in efficiency at the same time even more downforce and stickier tyres.

 

[chlore]

I think the main takeaway from the entire presentation is:
16% increase in range based on battery design alone (read: better cell geometry = more capacity). Also important is this is not vaporware... these are batteries being produced, right now, at a scalable prototype facility. A ~50% increase in power transfer rate due to tabbed design (i.e. improved thermal characteristics) (read: decrease in charging time) while not directly stated in the presentation the insane power output of an electric vehicle is merely a direct correlation of a battery's ability to discharge at the same (or greater) rate that it charges. As charging times decrease power output for a battery pack naturally increase.
- You can order your Plaid Model S now (<2 second 0-60) ...btw it's a family sedan.
- Tesla has secured its own lithium source... locally... in the U.S. to be used in it's own Gigafactory(TeraFactory?) using a new process that removes most of the current manufacturing steps. Said lithium source is enough to "electrify" the entire U.S. vehicle fleet should the entire reservoir be purchased and only in that one state. (there will be no lithium shortage.)
- new battery pack design will be structurally integrated into the car increasing overall car strength while decreasing overall gross vehicle weight. While not currently available for your new model Y, it was directly stated that this will be the way all their cars are built as new factories come online and/or it is feasible to retool.
- Plans for the TeraFactory... seriously they built a GigaFactory in 18 months. Only the ignorant are betting against this.

Any one of these talking points would have other vehicle manufactures throwing a media commercial parade... for Tesla just a Wednesday...

 

[wycolo]

Truly a watershed moment when Elon said he never know just how that trailing zero got into the name of the 18650 Panasonic cell. So from now on it is just a '1865 cell'. All those needless zeros, all those years . . .
--

 

[HenryFarkas]

No, it won't happen for your MY. Probably not for any MY because the improvement is for a new form factor, tabless battery whose factory is at least a year away from volume production capability. Very likely that the battery pack design would not be compatible with M3 or MY, in the same way that MS and MX are still using 1650 batteries instead of 2170.

That was a disappointment. I'd thought that when my M3 batteries died, I'd be able to replace them with the better battery, but it looks like they won't fit in my M3.

 

[brucet999]

That was a disappointment. I'd thought that when my M3 batteries died, I'd be able to replace them with the better battery, but it looks like they won't fit in my M3.

Maybe by 2030, when your battery is too degraded and needs replacement, they will have something even better.

 

[Schly]

If batteries are struturally integrated into the vehicle, how do you suppose they'll swap out bad cells? There will be bad cells. There are always bad cells.

 

[RCMorgan]

the range is increased by 54%... please change the headline!

 

[piperguy]

Tesla unveiled Tuesday at its Battery Day event a new 4680 battery cell, a larger form factor that would increase range by 16%. Tesla said the new cells will have a 5x increase in energy and a 6x increase in power capacity. The new cell is 46mm by 80mm, featuring a “tabless” design that enables the...
[WPURI="https://teslamotorsclub.com/blog/2020/09/22/tesla-unveils-tabless-battery-cell-that-boosts-range-by-16/"]READ FULL ARTICLE[/WPURI]

 

[HenryFarkas]

Wow, I hadn't thought of that. They'd have to take the whole car apart to get at the batteries.