- CATL is the world’s largest battery maker.
- Its founder and chief, Robin Zang, blasted Tesla CEO Elon Musk for his wager on the 4680-type cylindrical cell.
- CATL provides cells to Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory and focuses on LFP batteries.
Tesla positioned a giant wager again in 2020 when it introduced that it was growing a brand new battery cell format. The 4680 battery, because it’s identified, powers the Cybertruck and prior to now, it made its method into a restricted variety of Mannequin Y crossovers.
The cylindrical cell was touted as being extra energy-dense than the 2170- and 1865-type models discovered within the Mannequin Y and Mannequin 3 and the Mannequin S and Mannequin X, respectively. It’s additionally purported to be cheaper to fabricate and simpler to assemble.
Lately, Tesla introduced that it produced its 100 millionth 4680 cell. That’s a giant achievement and an indication that the corporate managed to ramp up manufacturing of the proprietary cell considerably to achieve a median manufacturing price of 495,000 cells per day. That’s sufficient for 368 Cybertrucks.
Nevertheless, the largest battery maker on the earth, Up to date Amperex Know-how Restricted, higher often known as CATL, believes that taking place the cylindrical cell route is a useless finish. CATL’s founder and head honcho, Robin Zeng, instructed Tesla CEO Elon Musk this to his face. The response was silence.
Zang, who spoke with Reuters, stated he had instructed Tesla’s head honcho that his wager on the 4680 cylindrical battery “goes to fail and by no means achieve success.”
“We had a really massive debate, and I confirmed him,” Zeng stated. “He was silent. He would not know how one can make a battery. It is about electrochemistry. He is good for the chips, the software program, the {hardware}, the mechanical issues.”
However that’s not all. Zang additionally had some remarks about Musk’s tendency to set unrealistic timelines for upcoming merchandise. “His drawback is overpromising. I talked to him,” Zeng stated. “Perhaps one thing wants 5 years. However he says two years. I undoubtedly requested him why. He instructed me he needed to push folks.”
Photograph by: Tesla
Tesla 4680 cylindrical battery cell
Photograph by: CATL
CATL prismatic battery cells
Musk has been pushing the narrative that Tesla automobiles will be capable of drive themselves for a couple of decade. This promise culminated with the reveal of the Cybercab robotaxi which is able to supposedly go on sale in 2026 with no steering wheel or pedals.
“He most likely himself thinks it wants 5 years, however in case you consider him when he says two years, you can be in massive hassle,” Zang stated for Reuters. “The path is correct.”
Zeng met with Musk in Beijing in April and the 2 typically discuss varied subjects, based on Reuters. For context, CATL is a serious provider to Tesla’s Shanghai manufacturing facility which assembles the Mannequin 3 and Mannequin Y EVs for native and worldwide markets. Tesla has additionally licensed CATL know-how for its upcoming battery manufacturing facility in Nevada, which is predicted to turn into operational subsequent yr.
Tesla’s 4680 cylindrical cell makes use of a lithium-ion chemistry with a nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) cathode. In the meantime, CATL focuses on manufacturing lithium iron phosphate (LFP) prismatic cells. Lately, the Chinese language big launched a consumer-grade sodium-ion battery which is even cheaper to fabricate than LFP cells.
