Tesla has a long-standing relationship with Panasonic, as a battery supplier and a partner in the Gigafactory. So EV-savvy ears perked up at news that the California carmaker had met with a trio of Korean battery-builders.
In fact, Reuters reported that Samsung SDI was “making progress” in talks with Tesla to supply batteries for Model 3, citing an unnamed source.
Is Tesla looking to diversify its sources of batteries? Not for its new vehicles, as it turns out.
“Would like to clarify that Tesla is working exclusively with Panasonic for Model 3 cells. News articles claiming otherwise are incorrect,” tweeted Musk. “S and X cells are also Panasonic.”
In answer to a Twitter user’s question, Musk then confirmed that LG Chem will supply the batteries for Roadster 3.0 (as announced last October) and that Samsung SDI may be a supplier for Tesla Energy.
Source: @elonmusk, Tesla Updates
Image: Pete Slater/Flickr