Musk’s Ultimatum: Fix 4680 Battery Woes or Tesla’s Project Faces the Axe

According to a recent report, Tesla's CEO Elon Musk has issued an ultimatum to the team working on the company's 4680 battery cells: resolve the issues or face the project's end. Tesla is currently facing challenges with these larger battery cells.

Insiders who chose to keep their identity hidden have informed The Information, which was subsequently reported by InsideEVs, that back in May, Musk issued an ultimatum to the team working on the battery cells. He insisted they resolve the production scaling problems by the year's end or face the possibility of the entire project being scrapped.

Upcoming Tesla battery expected to enhance energy and performance

According to the report, engineers are tasked with addressing an issue where the new cells, which are larger in length and width compared to Tesla's earlier 2170 cells yet still cylindrical, are prone to imploding during operation.

In 2020, it was revealed that the 4680 batteries were being promoted by Elon Musk as the solution to reducing the cost of electric vehicles and providing the necessary energy for more demanding projects such as the Tesla Semi and Cybertruck. Although Tesla achieved the milestone of producing one million 4680 batteries at its trial plant in 2022, current production rates are said to be sufficient for just about 1,000 Cybertrucks each week. To reach their next target of providing batteries for the production of Model 3 and Model Y vehicles, Tesla will need to significantly increase production capabilities.

A look into the composition of an upcoming Tesla battery

Panasonic, a provider of batteries, has repeatedly warned that the technical challenges associated with the bigger battery cells might obstruct their widespread manufacturing. They highlighted in 2021 that creating these cells necessitates innovative methods. Despite various battery manufacturers expressing enthusiasm for these sizable cells, none have managed to expand production at a more rapid pace than Tesla and Panasonic.

CATL is taking a unique approach with its cell-to-pack technology by incorporating cells straight into the battery pack, bypassing the modules commonly found in existing pack structures. The firm stated in 2022 that this particular version of the technology could provide 13% additional energy compared to Tesla's 4680 cells within an identical space. However, the commercialization of cell-to-pack technology has been sluggish, particularly in the U.S. market.

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