# New Tesla Battery Cells Leaked!



## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Electrek managed to obtain leaked pictures of Tesla's new battery cells.
But our very own @KarenRei noticed that there was a very faint QR code in the picture, and decided to see what it said.

EDIT: looks like her original post was in jest.
She was trying to make it look like it was a hydrogen cell (thus, H2, and a pressure rating).
It actually just says "PRODUCT: 071100001365"
I was unable to confirm that. The weak barcode readers I have on my phone couldn't make sense of those images.


__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1306692732799328263

__ https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1306865434474446849


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## JasonF (Oct 26, 2018)

The Electrek article said the new cells are just to reduce cost and increase (positive) yield. So no major battery capacity increase anticipated just yet.


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## M3OC Rules (Nov 18, 2016)

JasonF said:


> The Electrek article said the new cells are just to reduce cost and increase (positive) yield. So no major battery capacity increase anticipated just yet.


That makes some sense to me because if they announced some new battery that significantly increased range, cost, and/or longevity but it wasn't available right now, they would Osborne themselves. What would be the point?


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

JasonF said:


> The Electrek article said the new cells are just to reduce cost and increase (positive) yield. So no major battery capacity increase anticipated just yet.


Even if they are able to increase Wh per volume with the new cell, they can simply not offer larger battery packs yet. I think the only way they could "pull an Osborne" is if they pre-announce a 400-mile Model 3 coming next year.

As long as the chemistries are the same regardless of form-factor, there's no compelling reason to wait for the new battery other than a capacity increase.


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## M3OC Rules (Nov 18, 2016)

garsh said:


> Even if they are able to increase Wh per volume with the new cell, they can simply not offer larger battery packs yet. I think the only way they could "pull an Osborne" is if they pre-announce a 400-mile Model 3 coming next year.
> 
> As long as the chemistries are the same regardless of form-factor, there's no compelling reason to wait for the new battery other than a capacity increase.


What about cost and longevity? I'm not too worried about longevity but I think it is still a big concern.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

M3OC Rules said:


> What about cost and longevity? I'm not too worried about longevity but I think it is still a big concern.


Yep, those are valid concerns if such upgrades are announced on Tuesday. I think they can still announce such improvements without hurting sales, if they're careful.

Cost: Tesla can just announce price cuts immediately to remove the incentive to wait to purchase. It'll lower their margins short-term, but that's better than killing short-term sales.

Longevity: That would make a big difference. If the new form-factor or packaging makes a big difference in pack lifetime, they could announce improved battery warranties immediately. That may result in a few more warranty replacements than originally planned, but again, that's better than killing your short-term sales. Given how well Tesla battery packs avoid degradation, this probably wouldn't be too hard of a pill for them to swallow.


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## JWardell (May 9, 2016)

The giant new cells are going to be a leap in capacity per weight, capacity per volume, and cost per capacity. All huge wins. I was shocked to see Elon basically confirm it on Twitter.
The increased sign will require a significant redesign, raising the whole floor to fit them. So Semi and Cybertruck will be designed around them, S&X may or may not get them after a significant chassis redesign, and I don't expect them to be in 3 or Y for many years.


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## Feathermerchant (Sep 17, 2018)

With the tall seat rails on the Y I think the floor could be raised a little. Yes I think the semi truck and Cybertruck which need the range will get the new battery.
This new large cell must have lower internal resistance or it would overheat without come large cooling improvement. Lower cell resistance means more range and shorter charge time. Both are a plus.


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## garsh (Apr 4, 2016)

Feathermerchant said:


> This new large cell must have lower internal resistance or it would overheat without come large cooling improvement.


Undoubtedly. They must have a new plan for cooling something this large.


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## sandange (Apr 21, 2016)

Aside of the battery technology advantages,
I imagine that the the new cells also fit in with the mega casting concept of fewer parts, easier to assemble making for faster production, higher profits.


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## TrevP (Oct 20, 2015)

Given the limited production of the pilot line in Fremont I’d expect these cells to be destined for the Plaid Model S/X and Semi at first. Once the Texas plant is up and running the production should be very high and end up in the Cybertruck. Roadster is a given too but production on those will be very low compared to the rest of the offerings


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## bwilson4web (Mar 4, 2019)

In a half asleep state, I imagined a next generation battery pack with the biscuit cells:

cells are laid on their side with the center axis aligned going front to back
two layers of offset cells insures maximum pack density
between cells is an inflammable material that ablates at high temperatures and is non-poisonous
between the cell end terminals is a 'heat pipe' plate that connects the cells in series, end-to-end
each heat pipe plate has a coolant pipe to carry away excess or add heat as needed
between the cell ends is a ductile, conductive current carrier
non-conductive, tensile rods compress the cells into conductive strings
optional - a power MOSFET in every "n" (2-5) heat pipe plates can open the string circuit without striking an arc
This approach minimizes 90 degree current changes to just the ends. Two layer stacking maximizes the energy density. Heat transfer passes through the ends of the cells via the metal electrodes, not laterally through the separators. The heat pipe plates can carry an amazing amount of BTUs to where it can do some good or at least no harm.

Bob Wilson


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