Why CATL and Tesla’s Million Mile battery is a big deal?

We have been posting regular news about the collaboration, research and development of the million-mile battery by Tesla and Chinese Battery manufacturer CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology).

As battery news goes, this is a pretty big deal and a revolution that is important for the entire electric vehicle industry.

Tesla has long been a major proponent of the electric vehicle industry. Major moves to develop cost effective EV technology, research, develop and the later release of patents has helped the industry move along and find a foothold in world that was dominated by fossil fuel burners.

For more than a decade, Tesla has had an ongoing relationship with Panasonic as their primary battery manufacturing partner. This collaboration has led to Tesla to break many EV distance records. The Model S with a 100kWh battery was recently rated by the EPA to achieve over 400 miles of range. When this vehicle was released in 2012, it only achieved 265 miles with an 85kWh battery. This increase of energy density in the same size footprint battery pack is incredible!

Tesla recently setup factory in China and commenced production of the Model 3 at this facility. Along with this move, they also entered into a relationship with CATL to supply batteries for production. CATL and Tesla both announced recently that they were working on a battery that could achieve 1 million miles and boasts chemistry that reduces the need for precious elements like cobalt.

A battery rated at 1 million miles would change the face of the electric vehicle industry, providing the longevity and reliability for these vehicles to run for decades with limited or no battery degradation.

Current Lithium Ion battery technology allows electric vehicles to drive efficiently for 10-15 years and these batteries will experience 1-2% loss of energy storage capacity for every year of driving. This varies greatly depending on the battery, vehicle model, climate and also whether the vehicle uses a battery thermal management system. Lithium batteries don’t enjoy hot climates and perform poorly in extreme cold, this is actually why we feel the Pacific Northwest is the ideal climate for electric vehicles.

With battery technology that could endure such an amazing duty cycle with little or no degradation, it will spur other manufacturers to invest in this technology and stop holding back from committing to producing EVs in their lineup.

Furthermore, with better battery warranties and reliability, consumers would feel more comfortable investing in electric vehicle technology without a concern of what will happen to the battery in 10-15 years. Current EV battery warranties are mostly 8 years or 160,000kms but vary greatly depending on manufacturer.

We are waiting to see the specifications of these new batteries and all of the information around energy density, charge cycles, warranties and most importantly rate of charging. The V3 Tesla Supercharger can charge at up to 250kW, so it will be interesting to see if the new range of CATL batteries can accept this rate of charge. This would mean rapid charging will be concluded in minutes opposed to hours, a further advantage for the consumer.

As you may know, the Cielo Team specializes in EV Charging installations in Multi Unit Residences. We have worked with hundreds of Strata Corporations, Property Management Companies and Property developers to create the best solutions for residents throughout the Lower Mainland.

If you are interested in installing EV charging infrastructure in in your Multi Unit Residential Building, workplace or single family home, call Cielo Electric for a fully comprehensive site assessment. Ph: 778-862-4109 or visit www.cieloelectric.ca for more information.

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