Big Boss Musk said on Twitter last month that Tesla’s current batteries contain 3% cobalt, and the next generation of batteries should contain zero cobalt. ?
Then, CATL also entered Tesla’s domestic electric vehicle procurement catalog, supplying “lithium iron phosphate” batteries for the domestic MODEL 3, becoming the first company to provide batteries to Tesla after Panasonic and LG. of suppliers. ?
Just when everyone thought that the cobalt-free battery mentioned by Musk was a lithium iron phosphate battery, Tesla China issued a statement to clarify that cobalt-free does not mean lithium iron phosphate, and cobalt-free batteries are The specific technology of Tesla’s new battery developed by itself will be announced in April.
These technical terms about batteries may be a bit confusing to consumers, so let’s take a look at them?
1. Why does Tesla use cobalt-free batteries? ?
2. Tesla’s cobalt-free batteries are about to be released, why do we still use CATL’s lithium iron phosphate batteries?
3. Currently, China’s lithium battery supply is very mature. Why does Tesla still need its own dry batteries?
4. Will the batteries developed by Tesla have a negative impact on Chinese battery suppliers?
1. Why does Tesla use cobalt-free batteries?
What is certain is that whether it is the latest cobalt-free battery developed by Tesla or the lithium iron phosphate battery purchased from CATL, these cobalt-free batteries are cheaper. I believe everyone is familiar with lithium iron phosphate. It is the iron battery that BYD has been researching. It has high stability and low cost because it does not contain cobalt metal, and metallic cobalt is the most expensive component in the battery. Lithium iron phosphate battery is similar in comparison. High-performance ternary lithium batteries are about 70% of the cost. In addition, Tesla's self-developed cobalt-free battery, according to official information, is a supercapacitor dry battery, and its cost is at least 10% lower than the current "wet" battery cost. This is why Tesla wants to use cobalt-free batteries. Cost and profit are the driving forces.
2. Why does Tesla use lithium iron phosphate batteries from CATL?
The two companies have reached an agreement to cooperate, that is, CATL will provide Tesla with lithium iron phosphate batteries. In view of the low energy density characteristics of lithium iron phosphate, these batteries will be used in the low-endurance models of MODEL?3 To further reduce costs, traditional car companies are about to enter the field of electric vehicles in a big way, and Tesla has to consider cost-effectiveness. In fact, CATL’s specialty is lithium batteries, and it is currently the world’s largest supplier of lithium batteries. Why did it agree to supply Tesla with iron batteries? We analyze there are two reasons. First, there is still room for improvement in iron batteries. For example, BYD recently developed the "blade battery". Although it is also an iron battery, its energy density is almost the same as that of lithium batteries, but its cost is much cheaper. CATL There is also a need for new products that are of high quality and low price. Second, the price of cobalt in the international market is not generally expensive. If iron batteries develop, the price of cobalt will definitely fall. This is also good news for CATL, a large lithium battery manufacturer.
3. Why does Tesla still develop its own cobalt-free batteries?
If it is just a traditional power battery, Tesla must have no intention of getting involved. Tesla is developing a new type of battery called a supercapacitor dry battery. We know that the ideal form of future batteries is a solid-state battery, which means there is no liquid electrolyte. This kind of battery is not only light in weight and small in size, but also has soaring energy density. Everyone is studying this kind of battery, but it is only in the research stage. Tesla's supercapacitor dry battery is equivalent to a semi-solid battery. If it can only achieve half the effect of a solid-state battery, it will actually be a major breakthrough. Moreover, its cost can be reduced by 10-20% compared to current ternary lithium batteries. What Tesla likes to do is to disrupt the industry. He even dares to build rockets. This new type of battery must be Tesla's favorite. The two companies Musk acquired are American Maxwell, whose core technology is supercapacitors, and Canadian Hibar System, whose core technology is dry cell technology. Currently, the two technologies have been integrated and may be mass-produced.
4. Will Tesla’s new batteries have a negative impact on China’s battery industry?
Although solid-state batteries are ideal in terms of weight, volume, and energy density, in fact, their conductivity is not high and their high-temperature characteristics are not good, so there are still bottlenecks that need to be overcome. The actual working status of Tesla's battery is still unknown, and we are waiting for Tesla's battery to be revealed in April.
If this kind of supercapacitor dry battery is better than the current ternary lithium battery in terms of energy density and high temperature resistance, it will have a big impact on the domestic traditional lithium battery industry. It is not easy to judge whether it will be a critical blow.
At the end of the day, Panasonic is currently the top company in manufacturing lithium batteries. It has two unique indicators that other battery manufacturers are difficult to achieve. One is low temperature resistance. In an environment of minus 20 degrees, the battery charge and discharge status All are relatively normal; in addition, the power output under low battery conditions is nearly twice that of most peers. That is, when the battery power is low (less than 25%), the output power of the Panasonic battery is still very high and will not be premature. Limiting car performance is also the reason why Tesla and Panasonic initially cooperated.
Panasonic has supplied lithium batteries to Tesla in recent years, and the batteries have been constantly updated. The cobalt content has been decreasing year by year, from the original cobalt content of 11kg in a car battery to only 3.5kg at present. This is already a huge breakthrough. At the same time, Panasonic is also studying solid-state batteries, and it has been earlier, but there has been no substantial breakthrough so far. If Tesla can really make a substantial breakthrough, it would be quite amazing. Everything will be announced in a month.
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.