Elon Musk, The Game Changer
Are Tesla cells better than conventional 18650?
It's no secret that Tesla likes to keep an open mind when it comes to exploring, researching and testing new battery technologies.
Panasonic's 18650 cells are upgraded with "2170" cells with Tesla-Panasonic collaborative research. Tesla's new 2170 lithium-ion battery will soon appear in the Model 3.
|
18650 Cell |
2170 Cell |
|
|
Size |
18mm - 65mm |
21mm - 70mm |
|
Current |
3000mA |
6000mA |
"Nickel, Cobalt, Graphite and lithium [which serve] as the biggest cost drivers for the overall battery cost." It's already been confirmed that Tesla has reduced battery costs overall by 35%.
Fig: Material cost drivers of Tesla's lithium-ion batteries
Fig: Tesla and other examples of commercialized cathode formulations and the metals needed for them - aside from lithium (Source: Visual Capitalist*)
