Silicon nanowires are a new type of semiconductor nanobattery material. Amprius, a developer of new lithium-ion battery materials that recently moved its company to the vicinity of TSLA's Fremont plant, has made significant achievements in the research of silicon nanowire materials. The silicon nanowire batteries it has developed have higher energy density and are lighter and smaller in size.
"Many exciting things will be announced at Battery Day." Ahead of the official start of the "Battery Day" event, TSLA CEO Elon Musk has been hyping it up on social media, saying, "This day is going to be crazy."
TSLA originally planned to hold a "Battery Day" in April this year to introduce the company's latest battery technology achievements to investors, but due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the date of the "Battery Day" was postponed multiple times and was finally held in September.
There are high expectations for TSLA's investor event, especially as traditional automakers are shifting towards electrification. TSLA aims to showcase its technological strength in battery technology to attract continued investor investment. Earlier this year, Thomas Ulbrich, Volkswagen's board member responsible for electric vehicles, stated that TSLA was 10 years ahead of its competitors in manufacturing electric vehicles and software.
New battery: "Million-mile battery" debuts?
A few days before "Battery Day," foreign media revealed the product of TSLA's self-developed battery project, Roadrunner. The product is a large cylindrical battery with a diameter more than twice that of the 2170 cylindrical battery currently used by TSLA.
The current specifications for the 2170 cylindrical battery are 21 mm in diameter and 70 mm in length, meaning that the cell volume of this large battery is four times that of existing cells. If this battery can be fully utilized, TSLA models will be able to significantly increase capacity, reduce the number of cells and assembly kits, and lower costs.
In addition, according to an earlier Reuters report, TSLA will launch a "million-mile" battery at "Battery Day," and this battery may be jointly developed with CATL. The so-called "million-mile" battery refers to a battery that still retains more than 70% of its capacity after 1 million miles (approximately 1.6 million kilometers) of use.
CATL has already invested in the research and development of this type of battery. According to information previously disclosed by the company, this battery uses self-healing long-life technology and can operate for 16 years or 2 million kilometers, with a cost increase of no more than 10% compared to current batteries, and it is already capable of mass production.
Musk also stated on social media, "TSLA is expected to mass-produce batteries with longer lifespans and 50% higher energy density within 3 to 4 years. 400Wh/kg has a high cycle life, and mass production (not just lab production) is not far off. It may take 3 to 4 years." Currently, the 2170 batteries used in the TSLA Model 3 have an energy density of approximately 260Wh/kg, so 400Wh/kg means a 50% increase in energy density compared to the current level.
New materials: Will cobalt-free batteries make their debut?
Musk has consistently sought to reduce the cost of lithium-ion batteries, as they account for nearly 40% of the cost of electric vehicles. Further cost reduction is crucial for promoting the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. Therefore, earlier this year, reports surfaced that TSLA would use "cobalt-free" batteries, specifically lithium iron phosphate batteries, supplied by CATL.
However, TSLA's Shanghai Gigafactory has stated on its official account that "cobalt-free does not necessarily mean it is lithium iron phosphate."
The term "cobalt-free" is generally understood to refer to the removal of cobalt from nickel-cobalt-manganese ternary lithium batteries. Cobalt is extremely expensive in power lithium batteries, prompting manufacturers to develop batteries with lower cobalt ratios, from 523 to 622 and then to 811 in recent years.
However, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are another type of "cobalt-free" battery, and they are cheaper, but their range is not as good as ternary lithium batteries. Musk believes that LFP batteries can effectively supplement ternary battery production when production is insufficient. "The cost advantage of LFP batteries is partially offset by the increased weight after packing, so the cost of a packed LFP battery is close to that of a packed ternary lithium battery."
Furthermore, during the second-quarter earnings call, Musk stated, "If you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally friendly way, TSLA will supply you with a huge contract for a long time."
Nickel can improve the energy density of power lithium batteries, therefore high-nickel cathode materials (NCM811 and NCA) are considered the future development trend of power lithium batteries. TSLA and major domestic battery manufacturers are promoting the development and application of high-nickel battery materials. Since 2018, the penetration rate of high-nickel materials has been continuously increasing. GGII (Gaogong Lithium Battery Research Institute) predicts that the application share of high-nickel NCM811 and NCA in the domestic market will reach 26.29% in 2020, corresponding to a cathode material demand of about 70,000 tons. By 2025, the share is expected to exceed 60%, corresponding to a cathode material demand of nearly 400,000 tons.
According to foreign media reports, TSLA is in talks with Canadian mining company GigaMetals Corporation to purchase low-carbon nickel metal. If the news is true, the demand for nickel may increase significantly. A research report by Caitong Securities predicts that the demand for nickel in power lithium batteries will rise from the current 40,000 tons to 800,000 tons by 2030, with an average annual compound growth rate of 35%.
One more thing: Battery recycling may become a major highlight.
In addition to announcing its new battery, TSLA recently launched a battery recycling program. According to its website, the materials used in TSLA's lithium-ion batteries are recyclable. "The battery materials are refined into batteries and remain within the battery cells at the end of their lifespan, at which point valuable materials can be extracted for reuse."
Musk previously stated that the lifespan of TSLA's lithium-ion batteries is approximately 300,000 to 500,000 kilometers. If replacement is needed, the battery price varies depending on the vehicle model, ranging from $3,000 to $7,000.
Coincidentally, Redwood Materials, founded by former TSLA Chief Technology Officer JBStraubel, focuses on battery recycling technology, and its location is near the TSLA factory. In a recent media interview, JBStraubel stated that Redwood Materials is a "reverse superfactory," aiming to reduce the price of lithium-ion batteries by recycling them and then resupplying battery materials such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium.
He stated that obsolete lithium-ion batteries from electric vehicles can be stripped from them and recycled to be used as core materials for rebuilding new lithium-ion batteries—in this closed loop, almost no materials are wasted.
Interestingly, Redwood Materials recently received funding from Amazon's Climate Pledge Fund, a fund that Musk and Bezos are fierce rivals. In June, Amazon announced a $2 billion Climate Pledge Fund to support the development of sustainable technologies and services, aiming to enable Amazon and other companies to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Besides Bezos, Redwood Materials also has the support of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.
