According to the latest report, Tesla is expected to deliver the first Model Y electric vehicles equipped with 4680 batteries by the end of this quarter. According to supply chain companies, the two most critical components in the electric vehicle industry in 2022 are chips and lithium batteries.
Chip shortages for cars continue, while the gap between supply and demand continues to widen when it comes to lithium batteries.
As various countries and automakers are aggressively moving towards new energy vehicles, lithium battery manufacturers cannot keep up with the demand.
That could mean there could be a lithium battery shortage in 2022 that’s more severe than the current chip shortage.
The supply of lithium batteries has attracted global attention. In 2021, LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries with good cost performance will launch a counterattack against ternary batteries.
The growth rate of lithium iron phosphate batteries in applications is higher than that of ternary batteries, especially in the Chinese market. In 2021, the installed capacity of lithium iron phosphate batteries will increase from 30% to 50%, surpassing that of ternary batteries.
In addition to Tesla’s plan to use lithium iron phosphate batteries in 2/3 of its models, China’s own brand car manufacturers, as well as international car brands in Europe, the United States, South Korea and Japan are considering the feasibility of using lithium iron phosphate batteries.
Tesla’s 4680 battery is considered an important key to reversing the current competition between lithium iron phosphate batteries and ternary batteries. The 4680 battery is based on ternary battery technology but has been upgraded in size and performance, creating a better price/performance ratio.
Tesla officially announced the 4680 battery cell in September 2021, claiming that the single-cell energy has been increased by 5 times, the vehicle cruising range has been increased by 16%, and the power output has been increased by 6 times.
The media pointed out that Tesla CEO Elon Musk said on a recent conference call that the 4680 batteries produced at its Austin factory will be used in the Model Y. Market sources estimate that the first EVs with 4680 batteries will be delivered by the end of the first quarter of 2022.
IT House has learned that some battery manufacturers have invested in 4680 batteries, including Japan’s Panasonic, which has begun initial mass production of 4680 products. Korean battery manufacturers LG Energy Solutions (LGES) and Samsung SDI have completed the development of 4680 battery samples. Chinese battery makers CATL, Yiwei Lithium and BAK Power Battery plan to start mass production of 4680 batteries in 2022.