Connect with us
BMW_i4_M50_Auto_Zuerich_2021_IMG_0290 BMW_i4_M50_Auto_Zuerich_2021_IMG_0290

News

BMW announces battery supply deals with CATL and Eve Energy

Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Published

on

As electric vehicles become more prevalent in the coming years, it is pertinent for every automaker that wishes to survive to ensure that it can secure enough batteries for its EVs. BMW appears to have read the memo, with the German luxury automaker announcing battery supply deals with both CATL and EVE Energy.

The batteries from the Chinese suppliers would be powering BMW’s new series of electric cars that are part of its NEUE KLASSE lineup starting in 2025. CATL would be providing BMW with battery cells that feature a major leap in energy density, charging speed, and range. The size of the battery cells CATL will be providing to BMW is quite interesting, as they feature a standard diameter of 46 mm.

CATL’s batteries that would be supplied to BMW would be produced at two of the battery maker’s future battery plants in China and Europe. Each of the facilities is expected to have an annual capacity of up to 20 GWh dedicated to the German automaker. CATL also noted that it would be prioritizing the use of renewable energy and recycled materials for its battery production.

Apart from CATL, Eve Energy also announced a battery cell supply agreement with BMW. The confirmation of the two companies’ deal was indicated in an exchange announcement. The battery maker noted that the project should help Eve Energy and BMW build a long-term and stable relationship in the future.

While Eve’s announcement did not provide many details, the battery maker did state that it would also be supplying BMW with large, cylindrical lithium-ion batteries for the German luxury automaker’s upcoming NEUE KLASSE series of electric vehicles. This suggests that Eve may also be supplying BMW with battery cells that are 46 mm in diameter.

Advertisement

Large cylindrical batteries with a diameter of 46 mm have been prolific in recent years due to Tesla’s 4680 battery cell program. Tesla, the leader in the electric vehicle sector, announced its 4680 battery cell program during the company’s Battery Day event in 2020, and since then, the EV maker has started rolling out vehicles equipped with its new generation cells, albeit at limited quantities for now.

It should be noted that the cells that will be supplied by CATL and Eve Energy to BMW may not necessarily be identical to the 4680 cells used by Tesla, though they are a notable departure from the prismatic cells used by the German automaker in its past EVs. BMW’s use of cylindrical cells for its NEUE KLASSE EVs, if any, suggests that Tesla’s utilization of the cylindrical battery form factor was indeed a sound decision.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

Advertisement
Comments

News

Tesla’s Supercharger Diner probably just secured more locations

Published

on

tesla diner
Credit: Tesla

Tesla’s Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles dominated the company’s global usage rankings after just one year, proving the concept is more than just a one-off novelty location that will fade away.

The performance could incite the company to build more locations, something that CEO Elon Musk has hinted at for some time.

Tesla’s Supercharger Diner delivered 21.2 GWh of energy in its first year of operation, the company’s head of Charging, Max de Zegher, revealed on X. Of the top 10 most utilized Supercharger locations in Tesla’s global infrastructure, the Diner in Los Angeles was the most used by drivers, and it wasn’t particularly close:

On its launch day one year ago, nobody was too sure what the Tesla Diner would be about. It seemed like an interesting concept, and considering it had been in the works for years, it was a highly anticipated launch that many were looking forward to.

Based on its success, we could see additional Diners with Superchargers built throughout the United States, and potentially beyond. Musk has said on several occasions that the company would be willing to bring the Diner idea to more markets.

Tesla makes major change at Supercharger Diner amid epic demand

Of the markets that Musk has mentioned, both Palo Alto and Austin have come to be perceived as ideal selections. However, there are no concrete plans as of now to build new Supercharger Diners anywhere; the location on Santa Monica Boulevard will remain the exclusive spot to pick up Tesla-inspired eats, at least for the time being.

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

Tesla short sellers win big after shares fall after earnings

Published

on

A red Tesla Roadster driving around a turn
(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla short sellers won big following the company’s massive fall on Wall Street after it reported subpar Earnings on Wednesday.

Tesla short sellers collected about $4.12 billion in single-day profits on Thursday, according to BloombergShares fell as much as 15 percent during Thursday’s session. It closed as one of the worst days for Tesla on Wall Street in the past three years.

Investors sold off the stock after Tesla said it would aggressively direct its spending toward AI and its Optimus robot project. The company had record revenues, which were driven by one of the strongest quarters in terms of vehicle deliveries in company history.

However, it missed EPS estimates by reporting just $0.33, a far cry from the $0.53 analysts expected.

S3 Partners reported that about 3 percent of Tesla’s outstanding stock is sold short. Managing Director at S3, Ihor Dusaniwsky, provided the short seller’s potential profit, as well as another figure: shorts have likely had paper gains of $8.92 billion this year, as Tesla shares are down 30 percent in 2026.

Tesla (TSLA) Q2 2026 earnings results: miss on EPS, beat on revenue

Tesla has burned short sellers many times in the past, but the company’s latest Earnings Call was a chance for those skeptics to taste some payback. Although the company gave some very transparent information regarding future projects, the rollout of Robotaxi, Optimus, and Semi, many investors took their profits on Thursday.

Notable short sellers like Michael Burry have been transparent about their skepticism around Tesla shares. Burry just revealed three weeks ago that he had opened up a new short on the stock, stating he shorted Tesla shares at $416.22. “Happy it jumped back to this level,” he said in a blog post.

At the time of publication, Tesla shares were down about 3 percent and the stock was trading at $309.92.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla door handle saga gets its latest chapter and a big change is coming

Published

on

Credit: Tesla | Model 3 Owner's Manual

Tesla’s long-standing saga regarding its door handles and a manual release has entered its latest chapter, and as a result, a big change is coming.

On Friday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) denied Tesla’s petition that was seeking a defect investigation into roughly 180,000 Model 3 vehicles for an issue involving the emergency mechanical door release.

NHTSA said that Tesla’s petition did not present evidence of a safety-related defect in the door handles or their emergency releases. Instead, the agency determined that it would rather solve the issue of the lack of labeling or location of emergency mechanical door releases and the federal safety rules that govern them.

Essentially, the NHTSA wants to create and enforce rules that would require automakers to make emergency door latch releases more clearly labeled in a car. Despite a Tesla having manual door releases on all four passenger doors, many people do not know they exist or how they work.

Tesla addresses door handle complaints with simple engineering fix

In recent times, Tesla has faced some criticism involving its door handles, specifically because some occupants have reported that they are unable to exit their vehicles after losing power. The door handles on a Tesla are electronically operated, but in the event that the 12V battery dies, there is a manual release that can be used.

The NHTSA only identified a single complaint involving the mechanical door releases: a 2022 Model 3 owner said the release was concealed and unlabeled after the vehicle lost power after a front-end collision. It has also already started to create a separate rulemaking process to make emergency door-egress systems more obvious.

It should be noted that all Teslas have mechanical emergency door releases, but they are placed in various locations as the vehicles have aged and been redesigned from year to year. Refer to the safety manual for your vehicle if you have any confusion about where the emergency releases are and how they work.

Continue Reading