Elon Musk ‘Doesn’t Know How to Make a Battery,’ Rival Says

The laminitis and president of CATL, 1 of the world’s largest suppliers of batteries, says Elon Musk’s 4860 artillery exertion volition ne'er beryllium successful. Robin Zeng made the comments successful an interrogation with Reuters wherever helium besides discussed hopes of CATL opening a works successful the U.S. to manufacture batteries for the likes of Ford and Tesla.

CATL already supplies batteries to Tesla for vehicles produced astatine its Shanghai factory, and Tesla has a woody to licence the company’s exertion for artillery accumulation successful Nevada. But the EV shaper has for years proclaimed that an innovative, cylindrical artillery designed in-house would beryllium cardinal to expanding scope and bringing down the outgo of its cars. Batteries marque up astir 30% of the outgo of an EV, according to immoderate estimates. Musk proclaimed successful 2020 that Tesla’s 4860 artillery would beryllium 10-20% cheaper to nutrient and bring a fivefold summation successful capacity.

Numerous reports person suggested Tesla has faced problems perfecting the battery, which is presently utilized successful the Cybertruck and immoderate different vehicles. Musk reportedly has pushed engineers successful caller months to bring down costs further and hole a method occupation that causes the batteries to illness connected themselves portion successful use, according to The Information. Other challenges person included scaling the usage of a dry-coating strategy for electrodes, which are applied to batteries utilizing ample rollers; moving the rollers astatine precocious speeds has reportedly resulted successful issues with binding agents’ temperatures.

“We had a precise large debate, and I showed him,” Zeng told Reuters astir a caller gathering helium had with Musk. “He was silent. He doesn’t cognize however to marque a battery. It’s astir electrochemistry. He’s bully for the chips, the software, the hardware, the mechanical things.” Zeng was complimentary astir Musk’s autonomous strategy that involves utilizing cameras and AI alternatively of much costly Lidar sensors.

CATL makes batteries for Tesla vehicles successful China arsenic good arsenic for Ford vehicles successful the U.S. The institution uses a much accepted LFP artillery technology, which doesn’t get arsenic overmuch scope arsenic the 4860 batteries that Tesla is developing.

Reuters does not connection immoderate elaboration connected Zeng’s thinking, and immoderate you deliberation astir Musk, helium does beryllium naysayers incorrect rather often. Zeng and his Chinese rival BYD person go ascendant successful the satellite of EV batteries, and BYD makes its ain electrical vehicles, rapidly becoming 1 of the biggest electrical carmakers successful the world. That occurrence mightiness beryllium making Zeng somewhat complacent.

Of course, Musk has suggested that he’s fixed up connected making the elusive $25,000 car, alternatively focusing his efforts connected making an autonomous robotaxi. Autonomy is Tesla’s caller strategy to support the banal ripping arsenic income maturation volition travel successful mostly level for 2024.