Confirmed: MIC Tesla Model 3 Will Have Prismatic LFP Cells

[Steve_C]

https://insideevs.com/news/400255/mi...tic-lfp-cells/

Sounds like Prismatic LFP is due for a price decrease? Or maybe increase if demand skyrockets.

I find it interesting that they are finding LFP a better solution.

[jkleins]

I have read this is some of the EV forums and it was considered still in rumor phase although it sounded like they have found a way to improve energy density. It would be sweet to have access to all those wrecked Tesla batteries some day. [emoji3]

[GordMay]

A new scientific paper* lends credence to a claim CEO Elon Musk made last year.
Researchers, from Dalhousie University (Tesla’s battery research partner), say they’re close to creating a lithium-ion battery that can run a car for over 1 million miles.
Owners of current Tesla vehicles can expect to get about 500,000 miles out of their batteries before there’s a serious problem. So, the industry was understandably skeptical of Musk’s April 2019 claim of a million-mile design; and after all, Musk does like to frame things in the most optimistic way possible. However, the paper details a battery design that can run a million miles, while losing only about 10 percent of its total capacity. Tesla has been filing US and international patents on the new battery chemistry.
The battery described in the paper* uses lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide (NMC) for the battery’s cathode and artificial graphite for the anode. The electrolyte that moves ions between the positive and negative electrodes consists of lithium salt and other trace materials. There’s nothing revolutionary about the components, but the way they were implemented leads to a major efficiency improvement. For example, the NMC crystal structure described in the paper should be more able to resist wear and tear over time.
More ➥ https://www.electrive.com/2020/01/02...ell-chemistry/

* “A Wide Range of Testing Results on an Excellent Lithium-Ion Cell Chemistry to be used as Benchmarks for New Battery Technologies” ~ by Jessie E. Harlow et al.
➥ A Wide Range of Testing Results on an Excellent Lithium-Ion Cell Chemistry to be used as Benchmarks for New Battery Technologies

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by jkleins

I have read this is some of the EV forums and it was considered still in rumor phase although it sounded like they have found a way to improve energy density. It would be sweet to have access to all those wrecked Tesla batteries some day. [emoji3]

Go to the junk yard and buy them. The junk yards are full of EV batteries as their isn’t much of a used market.
However I’d suspect that the older Tesla batteries are marketable as you can strip them and take out the scads of Panasonic 18650 cells and sell them.
Just about everyone else uses a proprietary cell, where Tesla used off the shell 18650’s.
Not much use for a Prius cell for example, cause it has no use but 18650’s are extremely common in flashlights etc.

[jkleins]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Go to the junk yard and buy them. The junk yards are full of EV batteries as their isn’t much of a used market.

However I’d suspect that the older Tesla batteries are marketable as you can strip them and take out the scads of Panasonic 18650 cells and sell them.

Just about everyone else uses a proprietary cell, where Tesla used off the shell 18650’s.

Not much use for a Prius cell for example, cause it has no use but 18650’s are extremely common in flashlights etc.

Sure. But you would have a battery that everyone on this forum seems to think is a fire hazard. If the car manufacturers go to LiPo then the trickle down would be more beneficial to us. Having a safer battery being produced in larger number should bring down our costs and availability. At least that is the concept [emoji3]

[aybabtme]

fyi: usually LiPo isn't used to talk about LiFePO4 chemistry, but instead refers to the hobby/RC type of battery packs, like these:

[aybabtme]

More on topic: I wonder if this isn't a combination of:

1. China being better at prismatic LFP cells than NMC 18650 cells (which would have to come from Korea, probably?).
2. Government pressure to use said locally made technology?
3. Lesser need for long-range, maybe people don't travel long distance as much in China?
4. (warning, making stuff up here) Maybe a higher catastrophic accident rate, and Tesla wants to minimize risks of fires/bad press?