Panasonic, the Japanese manufacturing giant, says it is working on a new battery cell that can add 90 miles of range to the Tesla Model Y – pushing it to over 450 miles (725 km).
Of course, it could also just use fewer batteries and reduce the weight of the vehicle or other EVs.
Panasonic deserves considerable credit for the electric revolution in the automotive industry this millennium.
When Tesla sought to incorporate Li-ion batteries into electric vehicles, Panasonic was the only battery cell manufacturer to join the effort.
The partnership helped Panasonic significantly expand its battery business, but Korean and Chinese battery cell manufacturers soon surpassed it.
Now, the company is looking to catch up with a new novel battery chemistry.
Panasonic’s proposed design eliminates the anode during manufacturing. Instead, a lithium metal anode forms naturally inside the cell after the first charge. This approach frees up space for more active cathode materials — nickel, cobalt, and aluminum — increasing capacity without changing the overall cell volume.
The company believes that it will result in a 25% increase in energy density, which could add about 90 miles of range on a Model Y (via Reuters):
If achieved, the improvement would lead to a 25% increase in battery capacity, thus boosting the driving range of Tesla’s most affordable sport-utility vehicle, the Model Y, by almost 90 miles (about 145 km), at current battery pack size, Panasonic said.
Panasonic states that the new battery technology will be available by the end of 2027. It didn’t discuss cost.
Electrek’s Take
I’m always wary of “battery breakthrough” announcements, as they rarely pan out to anything substantial, but if they can deliver a 25% increase in energy density at a reasonable cost with longevity, it could be a winner.
The problem is that new batteries generally fail in one of those aspects.
I hope it’s not the case for this project because competition is good, and I’d like to see Panasonic put some pressure on the Chinese and Korean battery manufacturers.
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