Elon Musk Hints at Beefier Batteries
There’s another B-Day set to occur next month, and this one has nothing to do with the Ford Bronco. “Battery Day” is what Tesla dubs September 22nd — the day of its annual shareholder’s meeting, but also the date of a planned technology reveal.
Tesla has suggested its near future holds great advancements in energy density, meaning far greater miles from a same-sized battery. In response to an online query, company CEO Elon Musk hinted that the EV maker’s batteries could travel 50 percent longer on a charge.
Noticed by Reuters, the reply was in response to a tweet noting that a certain battery tech company has set up shop adjacent to the automaker’s Kato Road “skunkworks,” located near its Fremont assembly plant. Amprius Technology concerns itself with developing silicon nanowire batteries boasting greater energy density and battery life than traditional lithium-ion units found in today’s electric vehicles.
With the Twitter user noting that Musk has expressed interest in an electric jet aircraft, Musk tweeted, “400 Wh/kg *with* high cycle life, produced in volume (not just a lab) is not far. Probably 3 to 4 years.”
That’s a measure of energy density. The Panasonic battery pack found in a Model 3 sports a density of 260Wh/kg, Reuters reports, making Musk’s estimate approximately 50 percent denser. In the EV field, more miles equals more eyes on a product.
Last year, mention was made of work on a EV battery with the potential to travel one million miles before replacement. Earlier this year, Tesla promised a version of its Chinese-market Model 3 sedan with a cheaper, longer-range battery — a product of the automaker’s partnership with China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd.
In addition to this, present supplier Panasonic has claimed it plans to make the current cells fitted into the automaker’s battery packs 20 percent more dense in the coming half-decade.
[Image: IIHS]
More by Steph Willems
Latest Car Reviews
Read moreLatest Product Reviews
Read moreRecent Comments
- MaintenanceCosts Poorly packaged, oddly proportioned small CUV with an unrefined hybrid powertrain and a luxury-market price? Who wouldn't want it?
- MaintenanceCosts Who knows whether it rides or handles acceptably or whether it chews up a set of tires in 5000 miles, but we definitely know it has a "mature stance."Sounds like JUST the kind of previous owner you'd want…
- 28-Cars-Later Nissan will be very fortunate to not be in the Japanese equivalent of Chapter 11 reorganization over the next 36 months, "getting rolling" is a luxury (also, I see what you did there).
- MaintenanceCosts RAM! RAM! RAM! ...... the child in the crosswalk that you can't see over the hood of this factory-lifted beast.
- 3-On-The-Tree Yes all the Older Land Cruiser’s and samurai’s have gone up here as well. I’ve taken both vehicle ps on some pretty rough roads exploring old mine shafts etc. I bought mine right before I deployed back in 08 and got it for $4000 and also bought another that is non running for parts, got a complete engine, drive train. The mice love it unfortunately.
Comments
Join the conversation
"Tesla has suggested its near future holds great advancements in energy density, meaning far greater miles from a same-sized battery." I'll believe this when I see an improvement roll down to my smartphone and laptop batteries, and not a second sooner.
An electric jet aircraft, eh? Sounds like a wave-skimming submarine, or an off-road railroad.