CATL claims that a new ‘Kirin battery’ with Cell to Pack (CTP) technology will deliver 13% more power than Tesla 4680 batteries with the same cell chemistry and battery pack size. The market launch is planned for April, 2022.
The Shanghai Tesla Model 3 MIC should get its LFP battery packs upgraded to this new technology. The energy density could increase by 28 % – from 125 to 160 Wh/kg. CATL is currently the iron LFP battery cell supplier to Tesla.
The energy density specs of this third-generation battery pack technology from CATL.
LFP version (LiFePO4 is cobalt-free)
Gravimetric energy density: 160 Wh/kg
Volumetric energy density: 290 Wh/L
NCM version (contains cobalt)
Gravimetric energy density: 250 Wh/kg
Volumetric energy density: 450 Wh/L
There will be variants with LFP and NCM (nickel) cells.
CATL packs would outperform the BYD Blade battery. The BYD blade started at 140 Wh/kg, but in the current long-range version of the BYD Yuan Plus reach 150 Wh/kg. CATL’s LFP cell be better at 160 Wh/kg.
CATL is planning to build a new $5 billion battery facility in North America. This will have an 80 GWH/year capacity and likely mainly supply Tesla. CATL is already supplying Tesla with a 70GWH/year capacity factory in China. The current factory packs cells but a CATL China battery cell factory is being built near Tesla Shanghai.
SOURCES- CNEVPost
Written by Brian Wang, Nextbigfuture.com
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If China ever gets hold of ASML, Carl Zeiss and TSMC IP that certainly will be the case.
China can always outperform on manufacturing once it has the IP and expertise to do so.
Yeah packaging and various other constraints do reduce volumetric density of the whole pack quite a bit sadly.
One of the major benefits of solid state lithium designs is that they push to decrease the electrolyte volume and therefore the cell size and overall pack density should see a serious uptick.
The Kiran battery has the same chemistry and pack size as a Tesla 4680? I always knew they would give LiFePh batteries a good second look.
How the article is written is unclear…it’s all over the place. Are you saying a new iron phosphate battery from CATL will hold 13% more power than a new 4680 battery, which is not an iron battery?
I believe the article is about battery packs
Chinese companies out innovativing Tesla on battery packs! The western domination might become historical
Only 160 ? I though it was 200 or even slightly better. Could it be the whole pack density instead of cell density? That it had more sense.
Ion-sodium cells from CATL too, that they had promised for next year are also at 160 with a patent to raise to 200. I though LFP were better (well… they are in volumetric density, but I think there is space in cars to compensate this).