Key Takeaways from Battery Day 2020:
4680 Battery Cell: Introduced a larger, "tabless" cell design (46mm x 80mm) that improves energy density by 5x, power by 6x, and increases range by 16%.
Cost Reductions: Targeted a 56% reduction in $/kWh, aiming to make electric vehicles as affordable as gas-powered cars.
Structural Battery Pack: The battery pack will act as a structural member of the car (similar to airplane wings holding fuel), reducing weight and saving 370 parts.
Manufacturing Innovation: Introduced a dry cathode process that reduces production footprint, energy consumption, and costs.
Eliminating Cobalt: Shifted towards high-nickel cathodes to remove cobalt, which is expensive and ethically challenging to mine.
Raw Materials & Recycling: Announced a new cathode plant in North America and a, battery recycling facility in Nevada.
$25,000 Tesla: CEO Elon Musk reaffirmed the goal to produce a more affordable $25,000 EV within three years.