CATL is providing equipment to Tesla’s factory in Nevada
According to the latest reports, CATL CEO said in an interview that CATL and Tesla are cooperating to develop batteries with faster charging speeds. He revealed that the two parties are jointly researching battery technologies such as new electrochemical structures to speed up charging. He also said that CATL is providing equipment to Tesla’s factory in Nevada, USA.
Tesla will install equipment purchased from CATL in Sparks, Nevada, to expand battery production in the U.S. state of Nevada. According to reports, Tesla will fully bear the construction costs and have full control of the factory. CATL will only help install equipment and will not participate in operations.
The report quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that the factory will produce batteries for Tesla's large-scale energy storage system Megapack, and the move is part of a broader effort to establish a lithium iron phosphate battery (LFP) supply chain in the United States. He also said Tesla believes purchasing equipment is a cost-effective way to build a factory.
According to reports, Tesla’s existing Megapack products already use batteries from CATL, and the batteries produced in the proposed new factory will follow the design of these batteries. CATL dominates the market for LFP batteries, which are cheaper and more stable than nickel batteries.
People familiar with the matter also revealed that the new factory’s initial production capacity is planned to be 10GWh and is expected to be put into operation in 2025. If the project goes smoothly, the supply chain can be established and production can be further expanded.
According to reports, in addition to plans for a new factory, Tesla also plans to double the production capacity of its battery factory in Lathrop, California, this year. CEO Musk said on a conference call that Tesla's battery energy storage business will grow faster than its electric vehicle business this year.
Currently, user demands are changing, the battery life problem of new energy vehicles has been basically solved, and rapid energy replenishment has become a more important issue for consumers. In August last year, Ningde Times released the Shenxing super-chargeable battery, which has an ultra-fast charging speed of "charging in 10 minutes and a range of 400 kilometers" and a cruising range of more than 700 kilometers. This battery is the world's first 4C supercharged battery that uses lithium iron phosphate material and can be mass-produced.