Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Tesla have launched a pilot program that will combine thousands of Powerwall home battery systems to create a “virtual power plant” or “distributed battery.” Tesla has invited some 25,000 PG&E customers with Powerwalls to join the program. PG&E residential customers are eligible for the program if they own a… Read more »
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Startup led by Tesla alums aims to build electric RVs
As is the case with a legacy vehicle, towing a trailer with an EV greatly reduces range—as John Voelcker found in his recent test of a Ford F-150 Lightning (see the latest issue of Charged), towing can reduce range by 40% or even more. But what if the trailer had its own electric powertrain? That’s… Read more »
Panasonic to build EV battery plant in Kansas to supply Tesla
Panasonic plans to build a new battery plant in De Soto, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. The new facility will primarily supply batteries to Tesla, but will also have a research department focused on next-generation battery tech. The company has made no official announcement of the planned production capacity or investment amount. The Kansas… Read more »
Tesla, other EV-makers ask US government to fund heavy-duty EV charging infrastructure
Tesla, along with several other automakers and environmental groups, has formally asked the Biden administration to invest in charging infrastructure for electric buses, trucks and other medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIL) signed by President Biden last November includes $7.5 billion in funding for EV charging. In an open letter to Energy… Read more »
Why is Tesla no longer including mobile charging cables with its vehicles?
First-time EV buyers are famously nervous about charging, which is one reason that most new EVs come with a portable charging cable—it’s reassuring to know that you can plug your new car in as soon as you take it home, without having to deal with charger installation right away. Some drivers find the portable adequate… Read more »
Tesla’s Engineering Surprises: Model S Plaid Technology Deep Dive
In this session, Munro & Associates CEO Sandy Munro will discuss the latest findings of their Tesla Model S Plaid teardown. Munro’s team is currently in the process of deeply analyzing the car’s components, and he will present an overview of the engineering surprises including components like motors, batteries and electronics, as well as BIW,… Read more »
Panasonic Energy CEO talks about Tesla’s 4680 battery cells
Panasonic has been working on 4680 battery cells for Tesla for a year and a half now, and plans to begin full-scale production in Japan in 2023. Kazuo Tadanobu, CEO of Panasonic’s Energy Division, recently offered some details about the innovative cells in an interview with Bloomberg. Tadanobu stressed the difficulty of developing the new… Read more »
Liontown Resources to supply Tesla with Australian lithium
Australia-based battery materials company Liontown Resources has agreed to supply Tesla with spodumene concentrate, a source of lithium. Liontown will supply Tesla with up to 150,000 dry metric tons (DMT) of spodumene concentrate per year, produced at Liontown’s Kathleen Valley Lithium Project in Western Australia. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2024. Pricing will be… Read more »
Tesla wins approval to start production at Gigafactory Berlin
German authorities have granted Tesla conditional environmental approval to start production at Gigafactory Berlin, clearing the way for German-made Model 3s and Ys to start rolling off the line any day now. The plant has already assembled around 2,000 prototypes. Nothing is ever settled in a democracy, especially a paperwork-loving one. Tesla has received a… Read more »