While everyone is looking at 4680 batteries, new batteries from BYD have reportedly entered the Tesla Gigafactory in Berlin. What does that mean ?
The arrival of the new 4680 batteries in Tesla production is very popular. We almost forget that Tesla uses two different battery chemistries. In addition to the 2170 and 4680 NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) battery cells, Tesla has introduced LFP (lithium-iron-phosphate) batteries in its entry-level Model 3, among the manufacturer’s best-selling vehicles. According to the Chinese media Sina, whose August 10, 2022 article was picked up by the US media, there is news on this side, since the Gigafactory in Berlin would have received the first Blade batteries from BYD.
The partnership between BYD and Tesla was already known, but it was thought that BYD’s LFP batteries would complement those currently fitted to models coming off the production line in Shanghai. It is therefore a surprise to hear internal sources indicate that they are addressing the Berlin factory, which currently only produces Model Y Performance.
Towards the opening of a new production line in Berlin?
The Gigafactory Tesla in Berlin is currently testing the integration of the new 4680 batteries. These batteries should integrate the Model Y Performance as soon as there are enough of them. For the moment, Model Ys leaving the Berlin factory are equipped with batteries from the previous generation (2170).
The arrival of LFP-type batteries in Berlin therefore raises many questions. LFP batteries are usually aimed at entry-level models, which is therefore not the case with the current production in Berlin. Only Model 3 Standard Range produced in Shanghai (or Freemont for the US market) are currently equipped with it.
The Gigafactory in Berlin is apparently not equipped with presses for the manufacture of Model 3, but only Model Y. If we put all these elements together, we are faced with two theories:
- Either Tesla is preparing to use LFP batteries, in the same way as 4680 or 2170 batteries, to meet growing demand;
- Either Tesla is working on the launch of the standard version of the Model Y which is missing from the range.
For the moment neither Tesla nor BYD have communicated more information. This therefore remains only hypotheses, and one would like to believe that the second is the right one. The first test models could be produced at the start of the school year, according to the Sina media, so we will end up learning a little more about it.
Different batteries from Model 3 LFPs
Tesla has signed industrial partnerships with LG and CATL for the supply of LFP batteries. Those of BYD are different from those offered by CATL, which certainly explains why they were not added to Shanghai, because that would require upgrading the production tool, when it is just coming out of maintenance.
In addition to an innovative structure, BYD has emphasized the safety of its Blade batteries. In the presentation of the battery, we find in particular this little tackle of the competition: “ It is because of this impractical focus on energy density that safety has been pushed aside from battery development. BYD’s Blade Battery aims to bring battery safety back to the forefront, a shift from the industry’s tenuous attention to this crucial aspect. »
The brand also states that: In nail penetration tests, the Blade Battery emitted no smoke or fire after being penetrated, and its surface temperature only reached 30-60°C. Under the same conditions, a ternary lithium battery exceeded 500°C and burned violently, and while a conventional lithium iron phosphate battery did not openly emit flames or smoke, its surface temperature reached dangerous temperatures of 200 to 400°C. This implies that electric vehicles equipped with the Blade Battery would be much less likely to catch fire – even when badly damaged. »
BYD, which is also one of the largest manufacturers of electric vehicles in China, equips its new models with this battery. BYD ensures that this new generation offers more security, resistance, autonomy, while promising a long life and exceptional power. Arguments that seem to have seduced Tesla to integrate these same batteries into some of its models.