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Tesla Developing Its Own Battery Tech?
Tesla Inc. has established a small “skunkworks” team to develop its own batteries, sources tell CNBC.
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Tesla Inc. has established a small “skunkworks” team to develop its own batteries, sources tell CNBC.
The initiative aims to reduce Tesla’s reliance on Panasonic Corp., which supplies lithium-ion batteries for the carmaker’s electric vehicles. Earlier this year, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said production of the company’s Model 3 sedan was limited by capacity constraints at the so-called Gigafactory battery plant operated by Panasonic and Tesla in Nevada.
The new Tesla team is evaluating unspecified next-generation battery chemistries and production methods, CNBC says. In February, Tesla acquired Maxwell Technologies, which specializes in ultracapacitors. Musk, a longtime proponent of the technology, once predicted that ultracapacitors would provide the next breakthrough in EV energy storage.
Other carmakers and battery suppliers have been focusing on solid-state batteries, which promise to significantly increase the driving range and charging capacity of EVs. Toyota aims to unveil a prototype EV powered by a solid-state battery next summer.
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