New generation Tesla batteries under development in a secret area
Alexander Klimnov, photo by Tesla and Teslarati.com
Today Tesla Inc. is working very hard on the next generation of its own batteries. They have to store significantly more energy and at the same time become much cheaper.
New batteries can begin to be used on a promising Tesla pickup
Californians were the ones who created the first high-power lithium-ion batteries suitable for mass production of electric vehicles, thus dramatically increasing their range. Back then, Tesla's first-born Roadster consisted of thousands of conventional laptop batteries, now lithium-ion batteries are being created specifically for electric vehicles. There are many manufacturers now making them, but Tesla's cutting-edge technology continues to keep it at the forefront of the energy-hungry battery segment. However, the first information about the next even more powerful generation of Tesla batteries began to leak into the world media.
Technological breakthrough through business acquisitions
The revolutionary leap in terms of Tesla's battery design development is likely to come from the acquisition of Tesla Inc. by Maxwell Technologies of San Diego. Maxwell manufactures supercapacitors (ionisters) and is actively researching solid-state (dry) electrode technology. According to Maxwell, using this technology, an energy capacity of 300 Wh / kg has already been achieved on prototypes of batteries. The challenge for the future is to break through to an energy intensity level of more than 500 Wh / kg. In addition, the production cost of solid-state batteries should be 10-20% lower than those currently used by Tesla with liquid electrolyte. The California-based company also announced another bonus - a predicted doubling of battery life. Thus, Tesla will be able to achieve the coveted 400-mile (643.6 km) range of its electric vehicles and achieve full competitiveness with conventional cars for price. 
The new supercar Tesla Roadster in 2020 will be able to reach the declared range of 640 km only on fundamentally new batteries
Tesla has planned its own battery production?German website for Auto motor und sport magazine reports persistent rumors about Tesla's deployment of its own battery production. Until now, the Japanese manufacturer Panasonic supplied battery cells (cells) to Californians - for Model S and Model X they are imported directly from Japan, and for Model 3 cells are produced at Gigafactory 1 in the US state of Nevada. Production at Gigafactory 1 is jointly operated by Panasonic and Tesla. Recently, however, this has led to huge controversy, as Panasonic apparently was disappointed with Tesla's sales figures, and also feared that the Californians would not expand the given battery production in the future.
The intrigue of the launch of the compact Tesla Model Y in 2020 was the source of the supply of batteries
In particular, the rhythmic supply of batteries for the Model Y announced already in the fall of 2020 has been questioned by Panasonic CEO Kazuhiro Zuga. Currently, Panasonic has stopped its investment in Gigafactory 1 altogether. Tesla may want to become independent from the Japanese by developing its own production of battery cells.
Tesla is today a leader in high-capacity battery technology for electric vehicles, and Californians are determined to defend this fundamental competitive advantage. The acquisition of Maxwell Technologies may be a decisive step, but that depends on how far the San Diego technician has actually moved towards bringing revolutionary solid-state battery technology to market. 
If the revolutionary solid-state battery technology really takes place, then it is possible that the Tesla Semi electric tractor unit will become a bestseller in the cargo market, like the Model 3 in a passenger car.
So far, many automakers are setting themselves up to make their own battery cell production. It looks like Tesla wants to become more independent from its supplier Panasonic and is therefore also conducting research in this area.
With the availability of a sufficient number of revolutionary high-energy solid-state batteries, Tesla will gain a decisive advantage in the market and, finally, release the really cheap and long-range electric vehicles promised by its owner Elon Muskov for a long time, which will cause an avalanche-like growth of the BEV market.
According to CNBC sources, Tesla's secret laboratory is located in a separate building near the Tesla factory in Fremont (photo behind the splash screen). Earlier there were reports of a closed "laboratory zone" located on the second floor of the enterprise. The current battery division is probably the successor to that former laboratory, but even more classified. 
Tesla will be able to achieve a real breakthrough in the automotive market only if its line of models becomes even more "long-range" with a significant reduction in price
Most expensive item according to IHS Markit analysts modern electric car- the battery, but most of the money for them is received not by Tesla, but by Panasonic.
Insiders are not yet able to report on the real achievements of the secret Tesla laboratory. Elon Musk is expected to share it at the end of the year during a traditional conference call with investors.
Earlier it was reported that Tesla plans to sell 1,000 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles per day. Tesla's current monthly record for Model 3 shipments is 90,700 EVs. If the company manages to deliver the planned number of electric vehicles in June, then this record could be broken.
Tesla Motors is the creator of truly revolutionary eco-vehicles, which are not only mass-produced, but also have unique characteristics that allow them to be used literally every day. Today we take a look inside the battery Tesla electric car The Model S will learn how it works and uncover the magic of this battery's success.
According to the North American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Model S only needs a single charge of 85 kWh batteries to travel more than 400 km, which is the most significant indicator of any similar vehicle on the specialized market. To accelerate to 100 km / h, the electric car needs only 4.4 seconds.
The key to the success of this model is the availability of lithium-ion batteries, the main components of which are supplied for Tesla by Panasonic. Tesla batteries are steeped in legends. And therefore, one of the owners of such a battery decided to violate its integrity and find out what it is inside. By the way, the cost of such a battery is 45,000 USD.
The battery is located in the underbody, giving Tesla a low center of gravity and excellent handling. It is attached to the body by means of brackets.
Tesla battery. We disassemble
The battery compartment is formed by 16 blocks, which are connected in parallel and shielded from the environment by means of metal plates, as well as a plastic cover that prevents the ingress of water.
Before completely disassembling it, the electrical voltage was measured, confirming the working condition of the battery.
The battery assembly is characterized by high density and precise fit of parts. The entire picking process takes place in a completely clean room, using robots.
Each block consists of 74 cells, very similar in appearance to simple finger-type batteries (Panasonic lithium-ion cells), divided into 6 groups. At the same time, it is almost impossible to find out the scheme of their placement and operation - this is a big secret, which means that it will be extremely difficult to make a replica of this battery. We are unlikely to see a Chinese analogue of the Tesla Model S battery!
The positive electrode is graphite, and the negative one is nickel, cobalt and alumina. ...
The most powerful battery available (its volume is 85 kWh) consists of 7104 such batteries. And it weighs about 540 kg, and its parameters are 210 cm long, 150 cm wide and 15 cm thick. The amount of energy generated by just one unit out of 16 is equal to the amount produced by a hundred batteries from laptop computers.
When assembling its batteries, Tesla uses elements produced in various countries, such as India, China, Mexico, but the final revision and assembly are made in the United States. The company provides warranty service their products for up to 8 years.
Thus, you learned what the Tesla Model S battery consists of and how it works. Thank you for your attention!
We have partially covered the configuration battery Tesla model s with a capacity of 85 kW * h. As a reminder, the main battery element is the company's lithium-ion battery cell. Panasonic, 3400 mAh, 3.7 V.
Panasonic cell 18650
The figure shows a typical cell. In reality, Tesla's cells are slightly modified.
Cell data parallel connect in groups of 74... When connected in parallel, the voltage of the group is equal to the voltage of each of the elements (4.2 V), and the capacity of the group is equal to the sum of the capacities of the elements (250 Ah).
Further six groups connect sequentially into the module... In this case, the voltage of the module is summed up from the voltages of the groups and is equal to approximately 25 V (4.2 V * 6 groups). The capacity remains 250 Ah. Finally, modules are connected in series into a battery... The battery contains 16 modules in total (total 96 groups). In this case, the voltage of all modules is summed up and amounts to 400 V (16 modules * 25 V).
The load for this battery is an asynchronous electric drive with a maximum power of 310 kW. Since P = U * I, in the nominal mode at a voltage of 400 V, a current flows in the circuit I = P / U = 310,000 / 400 = 775 A. At first glance, it may seem that this is a crazy current for such a "battery". However, do not forget that with a parallel connection according to the first Kirchhoff's law I = I1 + I2 +… In, where n is the number of parallel branches. In our case, n = 74. Since we consider the internal resistances of the cells inside the group to be conditionally equal, then the currents in them will be the same. Accordingly, a current flows directly through the cell In = I / n = 775/74 = 10.5 A.
Is it a lot or a little? Good or bad? In order to answer these questions, let us turn to the discharge characteristic of a lithium-ion battery. American craftsmen disassembled the battery and carried out a series of tests. In particular, the figure shows oscillograms of voltages during the discharge of a cell taken from a real Tesla model s, currents: 1A, 3A, 10A.
The spike on the 10A curve is caused by manually switching the load to 3A. The author of the experiment solved one more problem in parallel, we will not dwell on it.
As can be seen from the figure, a discharge with a current of 10 A fully satisfies the requirements for cell voltage. This mode corresponds to a 3C curve discharge. It should be noted that we took the most critical case when the engine power is at its maximum. Realistically, given the very use of a twin-motor drive with optimal gear ratio gearboxes, the car will operate with a discharge of 2 ... 4 A (1C). Only at moments of very sharp acceleration, when driving uphill at high speed, the cell current can peak at 12 ... 14 A.
What other benefits does it provide? For a given load in the case of a direct current, the cross-section of the copper conductor can be chosen 2 mm.kv. Tesla motors kills two birds with one stone. All connecting conductors also function as fuses. Accordingly, there is no need to use expensive system protection, additionally use fuses. The connecting conductors themselves melt in the event of an overcurrent due to the small cross-section and prevent an emergency. We wrote about this in more detail.
In the figure, the conductors 507 are the same connectors.
Finally, consider the last issue that is exciting the minds of our time, and causing a wave of controversy. Why does Tesla use lithium-ion batteries?
I will make a reservation right away that I will express my subjective opinion on this particular issue. You can disagree with him)
Let's carry out a comparative analysis of different types of batteries.
Obviously, the lithium-ion battery has the highest specific rates to date. The best battery in terms of energy density and weight / size ratio does not yet exist in mass production, alas. That is why in Tesle it turned out to make such a balanced battery, providing a cruising range of up to 500 km.
The second reason, in my opinion, is marketing. All the same, on average, the resource of such cells is about 500 charge-discharge cycles. This means that with active use of the car, you will have to replace the battery after a maximum of two years. Although, the company really does.
(the average: 4,83
out of 5)
Tesla Motors is the creator of truly revolutionary eco-vehicles, which are not only mass-produced, but also have unique characteristics that allow them to be used literally every day. Today we take a look inside the Tesla Model S battery, find out how it works and uncover the magic of this battery's success.
1. According to the North American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Model S requires one charge of 85 kWh batteries to travel more than 400 km, which is the most significant indicator among similar vehicles on the specialized market. To accelerate to 100 km / h, the electric car needs only 4.4 seconds.
2. The key to the success of this model is the availability of lithium-ion batteries, the main components of which are supplied for Tesla by Panasonic. Tesla batteries are steeped in legends. And therefore, one of the owners of such a battery decided to violate its integrity and find out what it is inside. By the way, the cost of such a battery is 45,000 USD.
The battery is located in the underbody, giving Tesla a low center of gravity and excellent handling. It is attached to the body by means of brackets.
Tesla battery. We disassemble
3. The battery compartment is formed by 16 blocks, which are connected in parallel and shielded from the environment by means of metal plates, as well as a plastic cover to prevent water ingress.
5. Before completely disassembling it, the electrical voltage was measured, confirming the working condition of the battery.
The battery assembly is characterized by high density and precise fit of parts. The entire picking process takes place in a completely clean room, using robots.
6. Each block consists of 74 cells, very similar in appearance to simple finger-type batteries (Panasonic lithium-ion cells), divided into 6 groups. At the same time, it is almost impossible to find out the scheme of their placement and operation - this is a big secret, which means that it will be extremely difficult to make a replica of this battery. We are unlikely to see a Chinese analogue of the Tesla Model S battery!
The positive electrode is graphite, and the negative one is nickel, cobalt and alumina. The indicated amount of electrical voltage in the capsule is 3.6V.
7. Tesla battery cooling system.
8. The most powerful battery available (its volume is 85 kWh) consists of 7104 such batteries. And it weighs about 540 kg, and its parameters are 210 cm long, 150 cm wide and 15 cm thick. The amount of energy generated by just one unit out of 16 is equal to the amount produced by a hundred batteries from laptop computers.
9. When assembling its batteries, Tesla uses elements produced in various countries, such as India, China, Mexico, but the final revision and assembly are made in the United States. The company provides warranty service for its products for up to 8 years.
The Tesla company is known, first of all, for its breakthrough in the field of electric cars. The concept of environmentally friendly transport has long been mastered by the largest auto giants, but American engineers managed to bring the idea closer to the real interests of the consumer. To a large extent, this was facilitated by the power supply systems, which were supposed to completely replace the traditional engine. internal combustion... And the battery line for the Tesla Model S electric vehicle heralded a new stage in the segment's development.
Battery Applications
The main motives for the development of fundamentally new batteries were caused by the tasks of increasing the performance of electric cars. Therefore, the basic line is focused on providing transport with an innovative energy supply system. In particular, the flagship lithium-ion battery versions are used for Tesla Model S models. Their feature is the exclusion of the so-called hybrid principle of battery operation, in which alternating power supply of the car from the battery pack and the internal combustion engine is allowed. The company strives to make the power supply of electric vehicles completely independent of traditional fuels.
However, the developers are not limited to power supply systems for vehicles. To date, several series have been formed with batteries intended for stationary household and commercial use. And if the Tesla battery for a car is focused on supporting the functionality of chassis and on-board electronics, then models of energy storage batteries can be considered as universal and autonomous power supply sources. The potential of these elements is sufficient for servicing, for example, home appliances. The concept of accumulating solar energy is also developing, but so far there is no talk of widespread use of such systems.
Battery device
Batteries have a special structure and configuration of the arrangement of active elements. First of all, power supplies are based on a lithium-ion base. Such elements have long been used as mobile devices and power tools, but the task of supplying power to vehicles for them was first discovered by the developers of the Tesla battery. For the car, a block is used, consisting of 74 components, which outwardly resemble finger batteries. The whole block is divided into several segments (from 6 to 16 depending on the version). Graphite acts as a positive electrode, and a whole group of chemical fillers, including aluminum oxide, cobalt and nickel, gives a negative charge.
As far as integration into the vehicle structure is concerned, the battery pack is attached to the underbody. By the way, it is this placement that provides electric cars with a lower center of gravity and, as a result, optimal handling. Fixation is carried out using complete brackets.
Since there are only a few analogs of such solutions today, then, first of all, an idea may come to compare the Tesla battery with traditional batteries. And in this sense, the question logically arises about the safety, at least, of this method of placement. The task of providing protection is solved by a high-strength case, which contains the Tesla battery. The device of each block also provides for the presence of protective metal plates. Moreover, it is not the inner compartment itself that is isolated, but each segment separately. To this should be added the presence of a plastic cover, which is specially designed to exclude the penetration of water under the body.
Specifications
The most powerful version of the battery for the Tesla electric car includes about 7104 mini-batteries, is 210 cm long, 15 cm thick and 150 cm wide. The voltage in the unit is 3.6 V. For comparison, the amount of energy generated by one battery section corresponds to the generated potential from the batteries of hundreds of laptop computers. But the weight of the Tesla battery is quite impressive - about 540 kg.
What do these characteristics give an electric car? According to the calculations of experts, a battery with a capacity of 85 kW * h (average in the manufacturer's line) allows you to drive about 400 km on a single charge. Again, for comparison, not so long ago the largest automakers in the "green" segment fought for the performance of 250-300 kilometers, which could be covered without recharging. The high-speed dynamics are also impressive - 100 km / h are gained in just 4.4 seconds.
Of course, with such properties, the question arises about the durability of the battery, since high performance presupposes a corresponding rate of wear of the active elements. It should be noted right away that the manufacturer gives an 8-year warranty for their batteries. Probably, the actual life of the Tesla battery will be similar, but so far even the first owners of electric cars cannot confirm or deny this figure.
On the other hand, there are studies that show a moderate loss of battery power. On average, the block loses 5% of its capacity potential for 80 thousand km. There is another indicator showing that the number of requests from users of Tesla electric cars due to malfunctions in the battery pack is decreasing as new modifications are released.
Battery capacity
With the assessment of the capacitive indicator of batteries, not everything is clear. With the development of the line, this characteristic has gone from 60 to 105 kWh, if we take the most noticeable versions. Accordingly, according to official data, at the moment the peak capacity of the Tesla battery is about 100 kW * h. However, according to the results of checking the first owners of electric cars with such equipment, it turned out that, for example, a modification of 85 kW * h actually has a volume of 77 kW * h.
There are also opposite examples, in which an excess of volume is found. Thus, a 100 kWh battery model, upon detailed examination, turned out to be endowed with a capacity of 102.4 kWh. Discrepancies in determining the amount of active nutrients are also revealed. In particular, there are discrepancies in the estimates of the number of battery cells. Experts attribute this to the fact that Tesla's battery is constantly being modernized, taking in new improvements and improvements. The company itself notes that every year new versions of the unit undergo changes in architecture, electronic components and cooling system. But in each case, the activities of the engineers are aimed at improving the performance of the product.
PowerWall modification
As already mentioned, in parallel with the ruler car batteries Tesla also develops the segment of energy storage devices intended for household needs. One of the latest and most striking developments in this segment is also the PowerWall lithium-ion unit. It can be used both as a permanent source of energy to cover certain energy tasks and as a backup unit with the function of an autonomous generator. This Tesla battery is presented in different versions, which differ in capacity. So, the most popular models are 7 and 10 kWh.
With regard to performance, the power potential is 3.3 kW at a voltage of 350-450 V and a current of 9 A. The mass of the unit is 100 kg, so you can forget about the mobility of the battery. Although you should not dismiss the possibility of using the unit in the country during the seasonal time. There is no need to worry about damage to the battery during transportation, since the developers pay special attention to the physical protection of the case. The only thing that can upset a new user of this Tesla product is the battery charging time, which is about 10-18 hours, depending on the drive version.
PowerPack modification
This system is based on PowerWall elements, but is designed to serve enterprises. That is, we are talking about a commercial version of an energy storage device that lends itself to scalability and is able to provide high productivity target object. Suffice it to say that the battery capacity is 100 kW, although this capacity is not the maximum. The developers have provided for a flexible system for combining several units with the ability to provide from 500 kW to 10 MW.
Moreover, the single PowerPack batteries are also being improved in their performance. Not so long ago, it was announced the appearance of the second generation of Tesla's commercial battery, the characteristics in terms of power have already reached 200 kW, and the efficiency is 99%. This energy storage reserve differs in technological properties.
The engineers used a new inverter of the reversible type to ensure the possibility of expanding the volume. Thanks to this innovation, both the power and the productivity of the unit have increased. In the near future, the company plans to propose a concept for introducing PowerPack cells into the structure of auxiliary solar cells Solar Roof. This will make it possible to replenish the energy potential of the battery not through the main power supply lines, but through free solar energy in a continuous mode.
Where is Tesla battery manufactured?
According to the manufacturer, the lithium-ion batteries are manufactured by its own factory, Gigafactory. Moreover, the assembly process itself is implemented jointly with Panasonic. By the way, it also supplies accessories for battery segments Japanese company... At the facilities of Gigafactory, in particular, the newest series of power blocks is produced for the third generation of Model electric cars. According to some calculations, the aggregate volume of produced batteries at the maximum production cycle should be 35 GWh per year. For comparison, this volume takes up half of all the capacities of batteries produced in the world. Such a high potential will be serviced by 6,500 employees of the enterprise, although in the future it is planned to create about 20 thousand more jobs.
It should be noted that the Tesla model S battery has a high degree of protection against burglary, which practically minimizes the risks of counterfeit counterparts appearing on the market. In addition, the manufacturing process itself involves the participation of high-precision robotic units. Obviously, only corporations of the same level as Tesla are capable of repeating the technology today. However, interested firms do not need this, since they are engaged in their own developments in this direction.
Battery cost
Prices for Tesla batteries also change regularly, which is associated with cheaper production technologies and the release of all new components with higher performance characteristics... A few years ago, a Model S electric car battery could be purchased for $ 45,000. At the moment, the items cost $ 3,000-5,000. Similar pricing applies to PowerWall home appliances. But the most expensive is the commercial Tesla battery, the price of which is $ 25,000. But this also applies only to the first generation version.
Analogues from competitors
As already noted, Tesla is not a monopoly in the segment. There are many similar offers on the market, which may be less well known, but are quite competitive in terms of their characteristics. Thus, the Korean company LG, which developed the Chem RESU elements, offers an alternative to the PowerWall system. The unit with a capacity of 6.5 kWh is estimated at $ 4,000. Sunverge offers drives with a range of 6-23 kWh. This product features charge monitoring and solar panel connectivity. Its cost varies on average from $ 10,000 to $ 20,000. ElectrIQ offers home energy storage devices with a capacitive potential of 10 kWh. The unit costs $ 13,000, but this price includes an inverter as well.
Mastering an innovative direction and others car manufacturers, which are even more tightly squeezing the Tesla battery on the market in different modifications... Among the competitors of this link, Nissan and Mercedes are especially noted. In the first case, the XStorage line of batteries with a capacity of 4.2 kWh is offered. The features of these elements include a high degree of environmental safety, which fits into the requirements of the latest European standards for car production. In turn, Mercedes produces small elements of 2.5 kW * h, but they can be combined into more efficient units, the power of which reaches 20 kW * h.
Finally
Tesla is undoubtedly the most popular developer of innovative energy supply systems and ecological vehicles. But as it opens up new horizons in the world of technology, this firm faces major hurdles. In particular, Tesla Model S electric cars with lithium-ion batteries are regularly criticized by experts for insufficient safety in terms of protection against battery fires. Although in the latest versions, engineers have made significant improvements in this regard.
The problem of the unavailability of batteries for the mass consumer still persists. And if with household drives this situation is changing due to the reduction in the cost of elements, then the idea of pairing blocks with solar panels cannot yet be successful in the market due to the high cost. The possibilities of accumulating free energy are the most promising and beneficial for users, but the acquisition of such systems is beyond the power of the majority of even interested consumers. The same applies to other areas in which the use of alternative energy sources is expected. The principle of their operation gives a lot of advantages, but they are achieved only through sophisticated high-tech equipment.
