The new 4680 batteries are the pillar on which Tesla will build its global expansion and on which it wants to expand its product range.
This new type of battery is essential for the new design of battery packs that will become structural. New products such as the Semi electric truck and the futuristic Cybertruck pickup truck will be born from this format.
Musk’s idea is to increase purchases from battery cell suppliers. For this reason, Tesla has turned to CATL, Panasonic, or LG.
Besides the news from the partnership with LG, CEO Elon Musk said that Tesla is “shifting standard range cars to an iron cathode: “Nickel is our biggest concern for scaling lithium-ion cell production. That’s why we are shifting standard range cars to an iron cathode. Plenty of iron (and lithium)!”
This could possible indicate that Tesla is shifting it strategy in concern with batteries. Elon Musk mentioned months ago that he believes that “the energy density of iron phosphate (LFP) batteries have improved enough that it now makes sense to use the cheaper and cobalt-free batteries in its lower-end vehicles.”
Last year, Tesla already started the production of the Model 3 Standard Range with LFP battery cells and it is exporting this model to Europe and other markets. However, in the U.S., Tesla is still producing the same mode with lithium-ion battery cells with nickel cathode. We hope that Musk changes it for the better.