Tesla's new battery tech promises a map to cheap self-driving electric cars!
"New battery manufacturing tech could lead to big jumps in electric vehicle efficiency if everything works out."
Elon Musk has many ideas—some of which actually come to fruition, and some take time to do so………
Much more efficient electric vehicle batteries
At an event called Battery Day, you would expect some nitty-gritty engineering details about anodes and diodes—and Musk did not disappoint.
Tesla plans to revolutionize the constructs of battery cells that power cars completely. The new design is "tabless," which indicates the rolled-up foils within each cell will not need a metal tab running its length to enable charging along with discharging.
Instead, Tesla's new batteries are equipped with laser-patterned foils that are easier to make and reduce the distance the electrons need to travel, which increases efficiency.
According to Musk, the new 4680 cells are slightly bigger than the currently existing models, which offer five times the energy along with six times the power, translating into a 16-percent increase in range from the previous change alone!
Removing the tab will also reportedly cut down production time drastically as the machines do not have to start and stop in order to accommodate the extra strips of material. The whole product will move through the factory at a level of "top speed," as Musk states about it.
An idea "$25,000 budget electric car"
Because the event was aimed at the investors, Musk spent a considerable amount of time explaining how much money the company's new battery technology will save compared to current ongoing operations.
Ultimately, Musk also believes the cost reductions will allow Tesla in order to realize the goal of creating an entirely electric car model like the Model 3 that will retail for less than $25,000.
Structural batteries for better-functioning cars
As part of its quest for an increased electric car range, Tesla plans to change the way it functions its cars.
Rather than treating the battery like cargo that needs carrying, the battery pack will now be a structural part of the vehicle.
To make this happen, Musk states that Tesla developed its own aluminum alloys, which will be cast without additional heat treatments.
That allows the factory in order to build the front and rear portions of the car in solid pieces that link with the battery structure.
Taking it all along with a grain of silicon.
While Tesla has considerably raised its production lately—and profited a considerable financial success along with market growth—Musk still has a history of hefty promises with underwhelming results.
He still envisions a world where internal combustion engines only exist as novelties. It sounds far off, but California just announced that it would ban the sale of new internal-combustion-powered vehicles starting in 2035.
Let’s see how far into that time frame we get before the $25,000 Tesla truly materializes!
By
E.AKSHAYA SAI CHANDAR