The headline figure of Tesla’s second-quarter 2021 earnings report was a blockbuster: $1.1 billion in GAAP net income, a new record for the company and an astounding success for a young automaker. The milestone was reached thanks to the soaring sales of Models 3 and Y—the former is now outselling many gas burners in several… Read more »
Contrary to popular belief, the most important mineral in EV batteries may not be lithium, but nickel. According to the Nickel Institute, the metal, which gives cells higher energy density and greater storage capacity, is an essential component for Li-ion battery cathodes—in fact, it’s the most important metal by mass in the cathodes used in… Read more »
A viable electric Class 8 truck would be a massive disruptor of the global transport system, and since the unveiling of the Tesla Semi in 2017, we’ve been on the edge of our ergonomic bucket seats, waiting for it to appear on highways. Alas, Tesla’s production schedule has suffered more delays than the LA Freeway…. Read more »
Tesla says its new 4680 battery cell, unveiled at the 2020 Battery Day event, represents a “massive breakthrough” that could enable a new generation of cheaper EVs. However, some industry experts have predicted that mass-producing the new cells will not be easy. Concurrently with developing the new cells, Tesla has been broadening its battery supply… Read more »
UCAP Power, a San Diego-based developer of ultracapacitor-based power solutions, has purchased the Korean-based ultracapacitor business of Maxwell Technologies, along with other related assets, including the Maxwell brand. Maxwell Technologies is probably best known for being acquired by Tesla in 2019, which many believed had less to do with its pioneering work with supercapacitors (aka… Read more »
Back in 2012, when Tesla introduced Model S, public chargers were almost nonexistent. Electric road trips were impractical, and the paucity of infrastructure was a major consumer objection to buying an EV (it still is). Frustrated with the slow pace of development of an EV fast charging standard, Tesla rolled out its own, and the… Read more »
During last year’s Battery Day presentation, Tesla unveiled a number of new technologies, processes and plans, some of them only sketchily explained. One of these was a new lithium extraction process that Senior VP of Engineering Drew Baglino predicted could deliver as much as a 33% reduction in lithium costs. “What is the best way… Read more »
As EVs move into mass production, the industry is going to need an insane—make that ludicrous—amount of batteries. Trendsetter Tesla long relied solely on Japan’s Panasonic for cells, but around the time production began at Gigafactory Shanghai, it started working with other suppliers, including Korea’s LG and China’s CATL. Tesla and CATL signed a supply… Read more »
We can’t let Europe and China have all the fun—EV sales in North America’s EV capital, California, are finally taking off. According to the California New Car Dealers Association, some 53,261 plug-in vehicles were sold in the Golden State in the first quarter of 2021, representing 10.8% of the total auto market. The pandemic was… Read more »
Tesla’s ambition is to build a “decentralized global electric utility.” The potential is enormous—CEO Elon Musk has said that Tesla Energy, the company’s energy generation and storage division, could someday outgrow its automotive business. The idea is that Solar Roofs generate renewable electricity, and Powerwalls provide storage and interface with the electric grid. The Powerwall… Read more »