Image: Tesla
It seems that Tesla is already seriously preparing for future battery production at Giga Berlin. The Fremont factory reportedly has produced several Model Y prototypes with the new 4680 cells and new architecture, which will be shipped to Germany.
Recently, @bburnworth/Twitter reported that he received information from an authoritative source that Tesla's Fremont factory has produced 17 Model Y prototypes, which utilize the new technology announced during Battery Day. He claims that these Model Ys are built using rear and front castings, new 4680 tabless battery cells installed as a structural battery pack.
A source told @bburnworth that these prototypes will allow Tesla to improve equipment and methods in order to quickly get to work in Berlin in early 2021, highlighting that the company has been producing new cells for months.
Rear and front castings, structural battery tying the two castings together. This prototyping will allow Tesla to refine the equipment and methods to hit the ground running fast in Berlin in early 2021!
— Bruce Burnworth (@bburnworth) December 15, 2020
At the time being, Tesla is piloting its new battery cell production at Fremont. But Tesla plans to ultimately move this production to Giga Berlin, where it will continue to scale this new cell production technology.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that 100 GWh of annual cell production is possible for the German battery plant, but that is not the limit. “I can even imagine expanding to 200 to 250 GWh,” he said. “I’m pretty sure that that would make it the largest battery factory in the world."
At the moment, there is active recruitment of specialists at Giga Berlin for positions related to the production of battery cells. Tesla's battery factory in Giga Berlin is set to become one of the largest of its kind in Germany. “It will play at least in the CATL factory league,” said Minister for Economic Affairs, Labor and Energy, Jörg Steinbach.
The new 4680 tabless cell has five times more energy, enables 16% more range, and harnesses six times more power than 2170 cells. It also lowers the dollar-per-kilowatt hour cost of the battery by 14%. That is, the larger form factor is key, as it gives the battery significant advantages, and costs less to manufacture. Although all technologies will be released in 18-36 months, Tesla retains its technological leadership in the industry, continuing to challenge traditional car manufacturers.
© 2020, Eva Fox. All rights reserved.
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Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter
About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
