Tesla's battery revolution: Double range and cheaper price

When Tesla introduces its first model back in 2006, it was hard to imagine that in just 14 years the automotive world is on the verge of a new revolution. Governments of different countries introduced different support measures at the legislative level by subsidizing the sale of electric cars both directly and through various bonuses. However, this while the rainbow world is currently facing a big problem - namely the limited capacity and high costs of traditional lithium-ion batteries. But it is also obvious that lithium-ion battery technologies have advanced significantly over the past five years.
Netherlands / Spain / China / Germany: Government incentives for electric vehicles and infrastructure.
Modern batteries are known by advanced solutions that provide both a long-range and relatively faster and saver charge. Such a breakthrough was made possible since leading chemical and technological companies, for example, LG Chem, Panasonic, etc. set about manufacturing batteries for electric cars. But that's why regardless of car brands they are all dependent on third party suppliers. Telsa's partnership with those companies has led to an industry-leading battery cost.

Project Roadrunner

But over the past few months, the automaker has been rumored to be working on making its own battery cells in the Fremont factory at the same time the company has already spent its quota on government subsidies so it needs breakthrough solutions that will help strengthen leadership over its competitors such as Volkswagen and BMW. The first and properly the most logical step in this way is to create a cheaper and more capacious battery pack. The still-secret project is called "RoadRunner" and aims to achieve mass productions of a new battery cell that comes with more energy density and lower price. Although there is no clear statement from Tesla on starting the battery production there is enough indirect evidence of their work. The company has bought cell production lines at its Nevada factory owned by Panasonic and acquired HIBAR Systems, a well-known company providing state-of-the-art equipment for battery cell manufacturing.

The revolutionary leap in terms of the development of new battery design is likely to occur through the acquisition of Maxwell technologies from San Diego. Maxwell is specialized in developing ultracapacitor energy storage technologies made with dry electrodes and is actively exploring the solid-state technology. So what are the main advantages of dry electrode batteries in comparison to the current cells?

  • One key advantage is the formation of a durable and tough electrode which can significantly increase the battery's life. It is not accidentally that Elon Musk announced the new battery pack designed explicitly for a million miles of operation. This achievement will obviously provide better resale value for the vehicles. 
  • The second benefit is the higher energy density that ensures more range for an EV equipped with the dry electrode. According to the manufacturer, the energy consumption of more than 300 Wh/kg has already been achieved on the battery prototypes using these technologies. The challenge for the future is a breakthrough to the energy density level of more than 500 Wh/kg. 
  • And finally dry electrons batteries are easier, faster and cheaper to manufacture. The aim is to reach a level of less than 100 USD per kW/h already in 2020, which will enable Tesla to drop the prices of their batteries of about 20%.
  • The environmental benefits are that these new technologies feature environmentally friendly materials, without poisoning solvents and dangerous cobalt. 

Teslas April event about batteries

So we might shortly see Telsas on the road equipped with cheaper cells with a higher energy density that would enable the vehicles to achieve a longer range with fewer batteries. This will help Tesla to jump once more over its closest European rivals by offering efficient EVs at a much more affordable price. We could expect more information during Tesla's battery investors event later in April when Elon Musk will probably announce the production of the battery cells.