As we approach Tesla's Battery Day, slated for September 22nd, we've already heard a lot about what could be happening at CEO Elon Musk's next big event. While we probably won't learn much about Tesla cars specifically, there could be news about breakthrough technology for the batteries that power them - or perhaps the company's intentions to continue expanding into the energy storage business.
Just a few more weeks away, we decided to pull everything together to put what we could see or hear at the event in one place. We'll update this as we hear more.
A Tesla cookie jar?
On Wednesday, photos of a potential new battery cell that Tesla plans to build itself were shown on the Internet. Simon Moores, executive director of Benchmark Mineral, a price reporting agency for the lithium-ion battery industry, called it "Biscuit Tin" because it looks like it. Electrek first reported leaked photos apparently showing this new battery cell, which is chunkier and reportedly can pack more energy density per cell. By and large, more energy per cell means fewer cells per pack, which can result in great cost savings. The photos also appear to show a tabless design to create a more efficient manufacturing process.
Silicon nanowire anode for batteries
What the heck is a Silicon nanowire anode? Tesla posted its Battery Day invitation at the top with a peculiar pattern of dots and grouped lines, leading experts to believe we were looking at a teaser for the technology. It's a potentially massive breakthrough for batteries, and it seems like the most likely news we'll get of Battery Day so far. Musk is pretty unpredictable, so who knows? We could get something even more interesting in the coming weeks.
The technology could enable Tesla and its battery partners to manufacture units with far higher energy density (i.e. greater ranges) and longer service lives. Batteries with more energy that last longer are the golden key to unlocking cheaper electric cars.
Musk teases potential manufacturing redesign
Battery Day might be all about batteries, but Musk also teased that we saw big news on the vehicle manufacturing side too. According to Electrek, Musk wants to talk about how Tesla plans to build cars in the upcoming European Gigafactory in Berlin. There the CEO said that a "radical redesign of the core technology of car manufacturing" will take place at the facility. He added that Battery Day "will contain some of what [Tesla is] will do in Berlin. "
We don't know exactly what Tesla has up its sleeve. But Musk ended his recent comments while touring the site by saying, "It will be the first time the vehicle's core structural design has been changed."
A roadmap to a 400 watt hour battery
Musk took to Twitter last month to comment on a rumor that Tesla was actually interested in an electric aircraft. We won't go into this as we have no evidence to back the theory, but what Musk said is fascinating on its own. He talked about the ability to mass-produce batteries with 400 watt hours per kilogram over the next three to four years. In the past, Musk said this is the threshold for electric aircraft to be viable.
Apart from airplanes, that kind of energy density would be unreal by today's standards. For comparison the Tesla Model 3 hits about 260 Wh / kg. Imagine a Model 3 with 50% more energy density and you will understand why everything Musk touts with that goal is a very big deal.
The million-mile battery
This particular item has been swirling around the rumor mill for almost a year, and if Tesla has anything to say about it, Battery Day sure seems the right time. China's contemporary Amperex Technology Limited already confirms that it has a unit ready to run 1.24 million miles and it just so happens that CATL is a battery supplier to Tesla. However, the automaker hasn't done anything official about the battery.
It could be that Tesla has something else that is better tailored to its current and upcoming vehicles, or that the entity is completely independent from CATL. At least we know Tesla has worked with researchers paving the way for a million-mile battery in the past.
Goodbye to cobalt batteries?
While CATL confirmed that a million-mile battery was ready for production, the company went a step further to confirm reports it worked with Tesla on development cobalt-free batteries. Cobalt remains a highly controversial rare earth material due to political and humanitarian circumstances about its mining. It's pretty expensive too.
Instead, rumors suggest that CATL and Tesla are focusing on lithium iron phosphate batteries, specifically for launch in China. The two reportedly held talks to use the battery company's cell-to-pack technology to make up for a cobalt deficiency, which is helping to increase energy density and improve range. We don't have the full story about this development, so we may learn a lot more about Tesla's use of cobalt on Battery Day.
Musk and Tesla's Electricity Utility Aspirations
We learned of Tesla's interest in power companies in Europe on two occasions. Maybe Battery Day will shed some light on what Tesla has been planning. Earlier this year, Tesla applied for a supply license in the UK, and earlier this week we met the automaker received a license to distribute electricity in Western Europe. In addition, Tesla sent out a survey of current owners in Germany to find out what would cause them to switch from their current utility. The automaker questioned owners further, asking if they would buy a PowerWall and even allow Tesla to control when they can charge their EV.
It all depends Tesla's Autobidder Programcurrently operating in its Australian battery farm. Essentially, those involved can return energy to the power grid when they don't need it. Experts do not believe that Tesla would enter the utility business on its own, but are working with partners in different countries to balance the entire network with batteries.
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First published on September 3rd.
