Tesla launched its 4680 battery throughout an enormous “Battery Day” occasion in late 2020, with firm CEO Elon Musk then saying the brand new battery would greater than halve the associated fee to provide batteries for its automobiles. This was vital for Tesla’s plan to construct a $25,000 entry-level EV. The battery exists and has been used to refill the packs of Cybertrucks and a few Texas-built Mannequin Ys, however the entry-level automotive has been delayed lengthy sufficient that the corporate hopes everybody has forgotten about it by now. Regardless of Tesla having allegedly constructed 100 million 4680 cells, the founder and boss man of CATL (Modern Amperex Know-how Restricted), the world’s largest battery producer, mainly mentioned Tesla’s batteries suck shit and Elon is a dummy.
OK, so he didn’t say it in fairly these phrases, however the intent is sort of clear. In a current dialogue with Reuters, CATL boss Robin Zeng let his true emotions about Elon Musk out for all to see. The Chinese language billionaire has had loads of alternative to debate his emotions face-to-face with the Musk man, as CATL is a serious provider to Tesla’s manufacturing facility in Shanghai, and is ready to provide the Nevada Gigafactory used collectively by Panasonic and Tesla from 2025.
Zeng says he informed Musk immediately that the 4680 “goes to fail and by no means achieve success. We had a really large debate, and I confirmed him. He was silent. He doesn’t know the right way to make a battery. It’s about electrochemistry. He’s good for the chips, the software program, the {hardware}, the mechanical issues.”
CATL passenger car packs have a tendency to make use of lighter and higher-performance LiFePO4 pouch cells as a substitute of the metal-cased cylinders that Tesla has usually produced.
Zeng went on to complain to Reuters about Musk’s unrealistic timelines and historical past of over-promising and under-delivering. In keeping with Zeng, Musk informed him that the rationale he at all times commits to a two-year timeline for brand new initiatives is that he desires to “encourage and focus Tesla staffers” and that he believes something past two years “would possibly as nicely be infinity.”
“His downside is overpromising. I talked to him,” Zeng mentioned. “Possibly one thing wants 5 years. However he says two years. I positively requested him why. He informed me he wished to push individuals. He in all probability himself thinks it wants 5 years, however when you imagine him when he says two years, you can be in large hassle.”
So what does that imply for the Cybercab that Musk claims will likely be delivered in 2026? Is it actually coming in two years, or will or not it’s infinity?
