Ganfeng said its first-generation solid-state battery can reach an energy density of 260 Wh/kg, with a production line capable of producing 4 GWh per year.
(Image credit: Ganfeng Lithium)
China's Ganfeng Lithium -- the world's largest lithium producer by market capitalization -- said it has begun mass production of its first-generation solid-state battery, after announcing the new technology in late 2021.
Ganfeng revealed the progress in a May 19 investor conference meeting minutes, saying its first-generation solid-state batteries can reach an energy density of 260 Wh/kg and that the production line is designed to have an annual capacity of 4 GWh.
Production of the solid-state battery is currently undergoing capacity creep, with application scenarios including power batteries and energy storage, according to the minutes.
Ganfeng's second-generation hybrid solid-state lithium battery uses lithium metal as the anode and can reach an energy density of 400 Wh/kg, the company said.
The safety performance of the second-generation solid-state battery meets automotive requirements, and the cycling performance of the sample battery has met the requirements of car companies, Ganfeng said.
The battery has an oxide electrolyte and uses graphite for the anode. It has a diaphragm, but unlike conventional diaphragms, it uses a solid electrolyte diaphragm.
Ganfeng did not announce the energy density of the first-generation solid-state battery at the time, but said the second-generation solid-state battery had an energy density of more than 360 Wh/kg.
The company's latest announcement means that it has made new progress in the development of the second-generation solid-state battery over the past year and a half, allowing for a further increase in energy density.
Current mainstream lithium-ion battery cells have an energy density of just over 200 Wh/kg, and NIO's (NYSE: NIO) 150 kWh semi-solid-state battery, expected to be available within months, is 360 Wh/kg.
On April 19, CATL unveiled its new battery technology, Condensed Battery, which claims an energy density of up to 500 Wh/kg for a single cell.
The Condensed Battery will be available for use in electric vehicles and will have mass production capability within this year, said Wu Kai, CATL's chief scientist at the time.
Several Chinese power battery makers have previously announced batteries with ranges of up to 1,000 km, but all are based on nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) ternary materials.
Now Gotion High-tech has unveiled a new battery technology, which claims to be able to achieve a range of 1,000 km even without the use of expensive ternary materials.
Hefei, Anhui-based Gotion unveiled its L600 LMFP battery cells based on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry and a battery pack called Astroinno Battery at its 12th technology conference today.
The L600 LMFP cells have an energy density of 240 Wh/kg, or 525 Wh/L. The cells support 4,000 cycles at room temperature and 1,800 cycles at high temperature, according to the company.
A battery system based on the L600 LMFP cell could have an energy density of 190 Wh/kg, which is higher than the energy density of packs based on ternary chemistry systems that are in mass production now, Gotion said, adding that the new cell will be in mass production in 2024.
The energy density growth of mass-produced LFP cells has faced a bottleneck, and further improvements require chemical system improvements, so the LFP solution with manganese addition was born, said Cheng Qian, Gotion's executive president of international operations.
Gotion unveiled the Astroinno Battery based on L600 LMFP cells, saying that the pack uses a sandwich structure with double-sided liquid cooling technology and minimalist design, resulting in a 45 percent reduction in the number of structural components and a 32 percent reduction in the weight of structural components.
The minimalist electrical design thinking makes the pack's wiring harness length only 26 percent of the previous one, from the original 303-meter harness down to 80 meters, with a volumetric grouping efficiency of 76 percent, according to the company.
The pack has an energy density of 190 Wh/kg, surpassing the energy density of ternary batteries currently on the market, Gotion said.
Gotion is not the first manufacturer to release a 1,000-km range battery pack, but it is the first to achieve that range based on the LFP chemistry system.
CATL, China's largest power battery maker, unveiled Qilin Battery, or CTP (cell to pack) 3.0, on June 23, 2022, claiming an energy density of up to 255 Wh/kg to support a vehicle with a 1,000km range.
The Qilin Battery is an innovation in battery structure, not a chemical system, and a 1,000 km range battery pack requires NCM chemistry.
Dragon Armor is also an innovation in battery pack structure without involving battery chemistry.
Svolt Energy said that the Dragon Armor Battery with LFP cells could have a range of more than 800 kilometers, while such batteries with ternary cells could have a range of more than 1,000 kilometers.
Gotion installed 1.18 GWh of power batteries in China in April, ranking fifth with a 4.68 percent share, according to the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance (CABIA).
In the LFP market, Gotion ranked fourth with a 6.17 percent share in April.
With Toyota's reluctance to embrace the EV revolution, Chinese premium EV brands, like Zeekr, are eyeing the luxury MPV space as a chance to charge big money.
This review is done by ChinaDriven, which creates content about Chinese EVs on YouTubeTwitter.
Zeekr, Geely's premium EV brand, has introduced a luxurious MPV called the Zeekr 009. But why would a Chinese premium EV brand make an expensive people mover?
MPVs in the West have largely died out from their hay day in the 90s. Nowadays referred to as ”Soccer Mum Vans,” they don't have the swankiest of images. In China, there is a smattering of low-end MPVs for sale but most of the action in this segment happens at the top-end.
MPVs are mostly statement vehicles, a sign of wealth and success; they're chauffeur-driven rides of the wealthy. My experience living in China for the past decade, the absolute epitome was the imported Toyota Alphard.
With Toyota's reluctance to embrace the EV revolution, Chinese premium EV brands, like Zeekr, are eyeing the luxury MPV space as a chance to charge big money and show off their tech and quality nouse.
Exterior
The large grille, a mainstay of the luxury MPV space, is perhaps a necessary evil. Behind it 154 programmable dot-matrix LEDs dubbed “The Spring of Light.” Distinct square LED daylight running lights, a break from the EV norm of LED Light bars.
It's a big square front end, with deliberate and unapologetic styling. It's a brutal-looking thing. But there's something quite cool about that, especially in all-black.
The side profile is long, square, and functional. Darkened pillars give the roof the illusion of floating, with some choice of chrome accents down the side, including the door handles.
Thankfully the door handles are normal door handles; Unlike so many EVs that try to create new intricate ways of opening a door, confusing every passenger you have.
The whole rear is cleaved in half by its chrome belt line. A huge rear windscreen gives gobs of rearward visibility. Something you'll need in this 5.2-meter long MPV. The rear end carries over the styling cues from the Zeekr 001 with its fin design in its rear LED light bar. The rear-end styling isn't as abrasive as the front-end and offers a clean look.
Interior
The interior of the Zeekr 009 boasts premium materials that solidify its status as a top-notch vehicle. From the abundance of Nappa leather, micro suede, and metal touch points, to the borrowed styling cues from the Zeekr 001, such as the steering wheel and gear selector, this vehicle exudes class.
The ambient lighting, which primarily resides in the rear, is a deliberate styling choice rather than an ambitious soft under-glow.
All seats are comfortable, with multiple options for heat, ventilation, massage, and adjustment. However, it's the second row that truly shines. As a luxury MPV, the second-row seats are essential, and the Zeekr 009 delivers plenty of room and adjustment options.
In fact, the layout of the three rows is incredibly well thought out, with even the third row providing ample space while still allowing for a trunk space of 37 liters with the seats up and a cavernous 2979 liters with the third row down.
Entertainment in the rear is delivered through a roof-mounted 15.6 LCD screen controlled by a remote. While it may seem archaic, it makes sense given the amount of legroom in the second row.
The first and second-row seats also boast headrest speakers, bringing the total speaker count up to 20 for the super-powerful Yamaha system.
The second row is truly the place to be with its HDMI connection for screen mirroring, roof-mounted camera for conference calling, pull-out solid metal tables, and built-in 60W fast charging for each seat.
Overall, the Zeekr 009's interior is classy, comfortable, and functional, with a particular focus on the second row to deliver a luxury MPV experience
Battery, Range, Charging
The Zeekr 009 is available in two trims: the WE Edition and ME Edition.
The Zeekr 009 is positioned as a premium vehicle, but its pricing is surprisingly reasonable compared to the Toyota Alphard in China, which commands a price of between $121,000-134,000.
One of the major selling points of the Zeekr 009 is that it is the world's first vehicle to be equipped with CATL's Qilin battery, which offers a 13% increase in power compared to a pack of the same size filled with Tesla's 4680 cells. CATL Qilin is an advancement in the cell to pack packaging rather than cell chemistry. But it offers impressive gains.
DC fast charging is of course available and quoted at 10-80% in 28mins.
Tech
Upfront the driver is greeted with a 10.2-inch digital instrument panel and a 15.4-inch central LCD touchscreen which together with the rear screen is powered by a Snapdragon 8155 CPU.
The central infotainment screen is snappy and well laid out. However, there is no English UI, but you can't blame Zeekr for that, especially when it's highly unlikely the 009 will be released in Europe.
There's a 5G connection, plenty of USB-C connections, and a wireless phone charger. All pretty standard tech on premium and even mid-level EVs in China nowadays. I do wish there was a HUD, but it's not a dealbreaker. A voice assistant is also included, but again in China, this is a somewhat standard affair.
In the second row, you'll find Zeekr's smart bar, a 3.4-inch circular LCD panel on the door that controls the third zone A/C, as well as capacitive touch buttons for the rear windows and panoramic roof shade.
ADAS
Zeekr's Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) is powered by the Mobileye Supervision full-stack ADAS solution. While they have promised a more advanced ADAS suite called the Zeekr Autonomous Driving (ZAD) that can be added for a one-time fee, it is not yet available. The ZAD promises to provide exceptional ADAS capabilities for complex driving scenarios.
Currently, the Zeekr 009 comes standard with a level 2 ADAS system that includes Lane Keep Assist and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), as well as Zeekr's Highway Autopilot (ZNP).
The ADAS sensor array includes seven 8MP cameras, twelve ultrasonic radars, one milliwave radar, and four 2MP cameras for the 360-degree camera system.
The Mobileye Supervision solution is vision-based, which means that the Zeekr 009 does not have LiDAR. All the data collected by the sensors is processed by dual Mobileye EQ5H chips that deliver 48 TOPs.
Driving & Performance
For an MPV, the Zeekr 009 has a ridiculously powerful dual-motor drivetrain. Delivering 400kW (544hp) of power and 686Nm (506ft-lbs) of torque to the pavement; it smashes 0-100kph in 4.5s.
While it's unclear why an MPV needs this level of power, it certainly adds some fun to the driving. The Zeekr 009 can come to a stop from 100kph in 36.9m, which is impressive, but the sheer mass of the vehicle is felt during heavy braking.
Driving dynamics are nothing to write home about, as expected, but it delivers a comfortable ride thanks to its air suspension and CDC. While this sort of vehicle is not ideal for high-speed cornering, the tires do a commendable job, but no matter what physics cannot be overcome. This is very much a comfortable point-and-squirt kind of speed. Slow in, fast out.
Ultimately, the Zeekr 009 is designed to deliver comfort to the person in the back, most likely the "Big Boss." The rear seats are feature-packed, relaxing, and remarkably comfortable, making them perfect for long chauffeured journeys.
Conclusion
Would I buy a Zeekr 009? I'm not wealthy or important enough to warrant a luxury chauffeured ride, but if I were, I'd take the Zeekr 009 over the Toyota Alphard any day of the week.
However, the decision isn't as simple as that. In my city, the Alphard still reigns supreme as the go-to MPV that screams "I've made it." Even though the Zeekr 009 is a superior product with a lower price point, those with seemingly endless pools of money aren't price sensitive.
But in larger cities where getting a license plate for an internal combustion engine is expensive and difficult, the Zeekr 009 may be a popular seller.
In my city, I think I'd still be a maverick for choosing it over the Toyota Alphard. But I'd be right, they'd be wrong. And I'd have $40,000-50,000 in my back pocket, a better vehicle and a big smug smile on my face.
The potential expansion would give the Shanghai factory the capacity to produce 1.75 million powertrains per year, up from the current 1.25 million, according to Reuters.
(Image: Tesla China video screenshot.)
Tesla has applied for regulatory clearance to expand its Shanghai plant and to begin producing pouch-type battery cells for the first time, according to a Reuters report today.
The potential expansion would give the Shanghai factory the capacity to produce 1.75 million powertrain units a year, up from the current 1.25 million, the report said, citing an undated public notice.
It's not clear whether Tesla is committed to moving forward with the expansion or is simply seeking approval for potential, future capacity, the report noted.
Tesla is seeking permission to produce pouch battery cells, and a trial production line would have an initial annual capacity of 20,000 amp-hour cells, the equivalent of one Model Y battery pack, according to the report.
It's not clear how Tesla would use the pouch batteries, which it hasn't used in electric vehicles before, the report noted.
Tesla is also looking to ramp up production of cylindrical 4680 battery cells in China and has brought in new suppliers to reduce costs, according to the Reuters report.
Giga Shanghai is Tesla's largest plant in the world, producing the Model 3 and Model Y, with an annual capacity of about 1.1 million vehicles.
CATL is Tesla's power battery supplier in China, and has a factory near Giga Shanghai that makes battery packs for the EV maker.
Earlier today, Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter as saying that Tesla is nearing the final stages before starting trial production of its revamped Model 3 sedan in Shanghai.
On April 9, Tesla signed a deal with Shanghai's Lingang authorities to build a new Megafactory in the area, which will be dedicated to Megapack, Tesla's energy storage product.
The Megafactory will be Tesla's first energy storage system factory outside of the US home market, with an initial planned annual production capacity of up to 10,000 commercial energy storage batteries and an energy storage scale of nearly 40 GWh, with products to be supplied to the global market.
The plant is scheduled to start construction in the third quarter of this year and go into operation in the second quarter of 2024.
It is not clear whether the pouch battery cells mentioned in the Reuters report are related to the Megafactory.
Deliveries of the Zeekr 009 MPV with CATL Qilin Battery had begun on April 17.
(Image credit: Zeekr)
Zeekr, the premium electric vehicle (EV) brand of Geely, started the delivery of the Zeekr 001 shooting brake model with CATL Qilin Battery, after starting the delivery of the Zeekr 009 MPV with the battery pack a month ago.
Deliveries of the WE version of the Zeekr 001 with the optional 140 kWh Qilin Battery began today, and the 1,032 km CLTC range makes the model the longest production EV in the world, Zeekr said in a press release.
The Zeekr 001's range addresses the mileage anxiety that plagues users and will allow them to enjoy a hassle-free travel experience, Zeekr said.
Zeekr was officially launched as an independent company in March 2021, with its first model, the Zeekr 001, launched on April 15, 2021, and deliveries beginning in October 2021.
On November 1, 2022, Zeekr's second model, the Zeekr 009 MPV, was launched, and its deliveries began on January 15.
On April 12 of this year, Zeekr launched its third model, the Zeekr X, which it hopes will become the benchmark for luxury compact cars.
CATL launched the Qilin Battery, or CTP (cell to pack) 3.0 battery, on June 23rd last year, claiming that its energy density can reach 255Wh/kg and can support the vehicle to achieve a range of 1,000 km.
On August 27 last year, Zeekr and CATL announced that the Zeekr 009 will be the world's first vehicle to be equipped with the Qilin Battery, while the Zeekr 001 will use the ultra-long range version of the Qilin Battery and will be the world's first production vehicle to be equipped with the 1,000 km range Qilin Battery.
On January 1, Zeekr launched the 2023 Zeekr 001, offering four base versions, including two WE versions, one ME version and one YOU version.
Zeekr offers a 140-kWh Qilin Battery option for the single-motor WE version with a 100-kWh battery pack, allowing the CLTC range to reach 1,032 km.
However, the Qilin Battery option is limited to only 1,000 units, and consumers will have to pay an additional RMB 103,000 ($14,790), meaning the Zeekr 001 with a range of more than 1,000 km will start at RMB 403,000.
Zeekr delivered 8,101 vehicles in April, up 279.08 percent from 2,137 in the same month last year and up 21.58 percent from 6,663 in March, according to data released earlier this month.
To date, Li Auto has 13 supercharging stations and aims to have more than 300 by the end of the year. | Li Auto US | Li Auto HK
(Image credit: Li Auto)
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) is continuing to build out its charging system, bringing a second batch of supercharging stations into operation.
The automaker's six 4C supercharging stations went live today, and they're all located in highway service areas in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, Jinan, Shandong and Dongguan, Guangdong, it said today on Weibo.
Li Auto opened the first seven 4C supercharging stations for trial operation on April 20. As of now, the company's supercharging stations reach 13.
All of Li Auto's currently available models are extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), which are essentially plug-in hybrids.
The company unveiled its all-electric solution on April 18, the first day of the Shanghai auto show, which is based on an 800 V high-voltage platform capable of giving a battery electric vehicle (BEV) a 400 km range on a 10-minute charge.
By 2025, Li Auto's product array will include a super flagship model, five EREVs, and five BEVs, the company said.
Li Auto's first all-electric model will be the world's first to feature CATL's 4C Qilin Battery, it previously said.
C refers to the battery's charge multiplier, and 4C means that the pack could theoretically be fully charged in a quarter of an hour.
By the end of May, Li Auto's first 25 supercharging stations will open for trial operation and be available to all electric vehicle owners, it announced on April 18.
Each station will be equipped with three regular fast-charging piles and one 4C super-fast charging post, it said.
These 4C charging piles will have a maximum power of 480 kW and 2C charging piles will have a maximum power of 250 kW. 2C charging piles will allow vehicles to go from 20 percent to 80 percent in 30 minutes, the company said at the time.
By the end of this year, Li Auto will have built more than 300 supercharging stations along highways, it said.
By 2025, Li Auto will have 3,000 charging stations, covering 90 percent of China's highway miles and major cities, the company said.
Earlier today, NIO (NYSE: NIO) announced it had put eight new battery swap stations into operation, bringing the total to 1,403.
As of May 15, NIO also had 2,580 charging stations in China, offering 15,312 charging piles.
As of March 1, XPeng's (NYSE: XPEV) charging network included 1,948 charging stations, of which 1,018 were operated by the company, according to the latest information on its website.
The battery plant will support electric two-wheeler and power tool manufacturers in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, Eve Energy said.
(Image credit: Eve Energy)
Chinese lithium battery maker Eve Energy will build a new battery factory in Malaysia, just days after announcing it would build a plant in Hungary.
Eve Energy Malaysia, the Malaysian arm of Eve Energy, signed a memorandum of understanding with Pemaju Kelang Lama Sdn Bhd (PKL) on May 12 to buy land from the latter to set up a lithium battery manufacturing plant in Malaysia, according to a stock exchange announcement.
The land is 66.58083 acres (26.9 hectares) and the price is 164 million ringgit ($36.6 million), according to the May 12 announcement.
The signing of the MOU marks the effective advancement of Eve Energy's cylindrical lithium battery manufacturing project, which will further meet the company's need to scale up its cylindrical battery capacity, the announcement said.
The battery plant will support electric two-wheeler and power tool manufacturers in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, and continue to consolidate and enhance the company's presence in these areas, Eve Energy said.
Eve Energy, one of the world's largest power battery manufacturers, installed 2.4 GWh of batteries worldwide in the first quarter, up 75.5 percent year-on-year, according to data released by South Korean market research firm SNE Research on May 3.
This puts Eve Energy in 9th place globally with a 1.8 percent share, while CATL and BYD are the top two with 35.0 percent and 16.2 percent shares, respectively.
The announcement comes two days after Eve Energy announced on May 10 that its subsidiary EVE Power Hungary had signed an agreement with Debreceni, a subsidiary of the Hungarian government of Debrecen, to purchase land owned by the latter in the city's northwest industrial zone for the production of cylindrical power cells.
The land in Hungary covers 45 hectares and the purchase price is 22.5 euros per square meter plus VAT, for a total price of about 12.86 million euros ($14.1 million).
The deal will meet the company's need for production land for future growth and further expand its capacity for power and energy storage batteries, Eve Energy said at the time.
Eve Energy's announcement provided no further information, though the move appears to be in preparation for supplying BMW.
BYD and Weichai Power will build a power battery development and manufacturing base in Shandong province, where the latter is headquartered.
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
BYD (OTCMKTS: BYDDY), one of the world's largest manufacturers of power batteries, is expanding its customer base.
BYD and Weichai Power, China's largest diesel engine maker, signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Shenzhen on May 12 to collaborate on the joint production of power batteries, according to a post by the latter on Weibo.
Tan Xuguang, chairman and CEO of Weichai, and Wang Chuanfu, chairman and president of BYD, attended the signing ceremony, according to the article.
(Image credit: Weicai Power)
The two sides will produce power batteries in a joint venture in Shandong to build a power battery R&D and manufacturing base to promote the development of new energy commercial vehicles in China, the article said, without providing further details.
Weichai, based in Weifang, Shandong province, posted revenue of RMB 53.4 billion ($7.67 billion) and net profit of RMB 1.86 billion in the first quarter, according to its financial report.
Weichai began its involvement in the new energy business in 2010, especially in the fuel cell sector.
The company has a new energy engine base in Weifang, and its chairman, Tan, is also chairman of Sinotruk, which has a new energy heavy truck manufacturing base in Jinan.
BYD is the world's largest maker of new energy vehicles (NEVs) and the world's second-largest maker of power batteries.
BYD installed 21.5 GWh of power batteries in the first quarter, ranking second globally with a 16.2 percent share, behind CATL's 35.0 percent, according to data released earlier this month by South Korean market research firm SNE Research.
In China, BYD installed 7.32 GWh of power batteries in April, ranking second with a 29.11 percent share, according to the China Automotive Battery Innovation Alliance (CABIA). CATL ranked first in China with a 40.83 percent share in April.
In Shandong, where Weichai is headquartered, BYD has a car assembly plant, a power battery factory and a chip factory.
Eve Energy sealed a battery cell supply relationship with BMW last September to supply large cylindrical lithium-ion cells for the latter's Neue Klasse line of vehicle models.
(Image credit: Eve Energy)
Chinese lithium battery maker Eve Energy will build a power battery factory in Hungary, possibly in preparation for its supply to BMW.
Eve Energy subsidiary EVE Power Hungary signed an agreement on May 9 with Debreceni, a subsidiary of Hungary's Debrecen government, to buy land owned by the latter in the city's northwest industrial zone for the production of cylindrical power cells, according to a Shenzhen stock exchange announcement yesterday.
The land covers 45 hectares and the purchase price is 22.5 euros per square meter plus VAT, for a total price of about 12.86 million euros ($14.1 million), according to the announcement.
The deal will meet the company's need for production land for future growth and further scale up production capacity for power and energy storage batteries, Eve Energy said.
Eve Energy's announcement provided no further information, though the move appears to be in preparation for supplying BMW.
On September 9, 2022, Eve Energy announced that it had finalized a cell supply relationship with BMW Group to supply large cylindrical lithium-ion cells for the latter's Neue Klasse line of models.
BMW also said at the time in a post on its official WeChat account that it had awarded contracts worth more than 10 billion euros to CATL and Eve Energy to meet the demand for battery cells for the new generation of models.
The two partners will each build two battery cell plants in China and Europe, each with an annual capacity of 20 GWh, BMW said at the time, adding that it will also look for partners to build two more core plants in the North American Free Trade Area.
BMW will first use cylindrical cells in new-generation models starting in 2025, and that sixth-generation lithium-ion cell will bring a major technological leap forward, allowing more than 20 percent higher energy density, up to 30 percent higher range and up to 30 percent faster charging, it said at the time.
Eve Energy, one of the world's largest manufacturers of power batteries, installed 2.4 GWh of batteries in the first quarter, up 75.5 percent year-on-year, according to data released by South Korean market research firm SNE Research on May 3.
This puts Eve Energy in 9th place globally with a 1.8 percent share, while CATL and BYD are in the top two with 35.0 percent and 16.2 percent shares respectively.
Since this week, the Model Y with BYD battery has been produced at Tesla's Gigafactory in Grünheide, Germany, according to a German media report. | TSLA.USBYDDY.US | BYD HK
(Image credit: CnEVPost)
Starting this week, the Model Y with BYD battery has been produced at Tesla's Gigafactory in Grünheide, Germany, local media outlet Teslamag said in a report Thursday.
The model is a rear-wheel drive version and the batteries will not be produced by Tesla itself, but by BYD in China, according to the report.
This is Tesla's fourth battery supplier after Panasonic, LG Energy Solution and CATL, the report noted.
Last August, Tesla applied for and received European type approval for the Model Y with BYD's lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery, which at the time had a 55-kWh capacity and a 440 km WLTP range, the report said.
Tesla currently specifies a WLTP range of 455 km for the Model Y with standard rims and 430 km with 20-inch wheels, the report noted.
In February 2022, rumors surfaced that Tesla had placed an order with BYD's battery manufacturing division, FinDreams Battery, for blade batteries for 204,000 vehicles per year.
On August 10, 2022, Chinese media outlet Sina Tech cited multiple sources as saying that BYD's blade battery supplies to Tesla had begun to be delivered to the latter's plant in Berlin, Germany, the first Tesla Gigafactory to apply BYD batteries.
On March 13, South Korea's Korea Economic Daily reported that Tesla had decided not to use BYD's batteries due to quality problems caused by a series of fire incidents with the latter's LFP batteries.
A BYD spokesperson, responding to CnEVPost's request for comment at the time, said the information was untrue and not in line with the actual situation.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk later also tweeted that the media report was false and that Tesla's relationship with BYD was positive.
BYD is not only the largest new energy vehicle (NEV) in China, but also one of the largest battery manufacturers in the world.
BYD installed 21.5 GWh of power batteries in the first quarter, ranking second in the world with a 16.2 percent share, according to data released by South Korean market research firm SNE Research on May 3.
CATL continued to rank first in the world with a 35.0 percent share in the first quarter, and was the only one with a share of more than 30 percent.
