Tesla has been working on manufacturing its revolutionary 4680 batteries for several years now, but the automaker likely ran into some problems while manufacturing the new cells at its Gigafactory in Berlin.
On the occasion of Battery Day 2020, Tesla had lifted the veil on its 4680 batteries (46 x 80 mm). The electrodes of the 4680 batteries are approximately 20-25% thicker than those of the 2170 cells, which makes it possible to decrease the quantity of metals in the cells and to increase the quantity of electrodes. This allows the batteries to contain 5 times more energy, 6 times more powerand these could therefore deliver up to 16% more battery life for the same size. The new cells could withstand almost 3.5 million kilometres, more than three times the capacity of current batteries.
The first electric cars with 4680 batteries were delivered last summer, but these were produced at the Gigafactory in Fremont. Other copies have more recently been launched at the Gigafactory in Austin, but we know that Tesla mainly planned to equip its European Model Ys manufactured at the Gigafactory in Berlin with these batteries. However, production in Germany would presumably have been put on hold.
Tesla suspends production of 4680 batteries in Germany
A report from our German colleagues Handelsblatt announces that Tesla has suspended battery production at its Gigafactory in Berlin. ” The fact that Tesla is not yet starting full production of battery cells at its German factory in Grünheide apparently has other reasons than falling energy costs and new tax incentives in the United States that are coming. number in the billions. Several sources close to the electric car manufacturer report a major delay in a crucial, but very complex production technique “.
Tesla would have returned most of the machines intended for the production of the batteries in its Austin Gigafactory. Elon Musk’s company would like first master a technical aspect of battery production in the United States: the so-called “dry” coating of the electrodes. Tesla still wants to manufacture batteries at its Berlin plant for the long term, but it will first need to improve its production process before launching production at other factories.