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CATL says new factory can produce one battery cell per second

Credit: CATL

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Tesla supplier Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) has established a new electric vehicle (EV) battery production facility in China, which the company says can produce one battery cell every second.

The production facility is located in the Guizhou province in the Guian New District, and it officially entered operation on Friday, according to a report from CnEVPost. The production facility will produce energy storage batteries and will eventually feature an annual capacity of 60 GWh.

The factory’s opening represents the first of two construction phases planned at the site, with the first officially entering production and featuring about 885 mu (9,526 sq. ft.) of total land area. CATL reportedly invested around RMB 7 billion (~$960 million) into phase one of construction, and the site becoming operational is expected to have an annual production capacity of 30 GWh while the second phase will add another 30 GWh of output.

Tesla supplier CATL reveals LFP battery that can charge up to 250 miles in 10 mins

The speed of the factory’s production is largely due to the facility having an automation rate of about 95 percent, according to CATL. The company also added that, from the point of feeding raw materials to the output of the finished product, the factory will take roughly two and a half minutes to produce a full battery pack.

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CATL is one of Tesla’s many suppliers, and it’s the world’s largest battery manufacturer, with around a 36.9-percent global market share between January and August. No other battery maker had above a 30 percent market share in that time period.

In Q3, CATL reported net profits of RMB 10.43 billion (~$1.4 billion), representing a 4.3 percent drop from Q2 but a 10.7 increase year over year.

The news comes after the U.S. Congress asked Tesla to provide details about its relationship with CATL last month, citing concerns about the company partnering with U.S. companies. One letter on the topic cites an agreement with Ford, in which the automaker disclosed that it planned to open a $3.5 billion plant in Michigan with licensed technology from CATL.

Earlier this year, reports also suggested that Tesla could be considering a U.S. plant built jointly with CATL, though the automaker did not confirm whether the reports are valid or not.

What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send your tips to us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently lives in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver, InsideEVs, CleanTechnica, and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking a good cup of coffee, or hanging out with his cats, Banks and Freddie. Reach out at zach@teslarati.com, find him on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.

Investor's Corner

Tesla gets its best analysis from Morgan Stanley as ‘it’s all about to change’

He maintained its ‘Overweight’ rating and the $410 price target Morgan Stanley had on the stock.

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has gotten perhaps its best analysis from Morgan Stanley in quite some time, as the Wall Street firm claims that “it’s all about to change.”

That phrase could be used for both the company’s status and the world in general.

Analyst Adam Jonas said in a new note on Thursday to investors that Tesla could be one of the major winners in terms of the global transition from what it is now to what it will be.

He describes the global shift that will occur over the next few years:

“Have you interacted with a robot today? Have you even seen a robot today? No? Well, take a mental picture because it’s all about to change. When we meet someone who has never been in a Waymo or a Tesla Cybercab (which is most people), we frequently see a wince and a response such as ‘I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable getting in a car without a driver.’ We imagine going back in time to 1903 and asking people if they’d feel comfortable in an airplane.’”

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The same technological revolutions that have occurred over the past 150 years will continue to occur again and again. We are on the verge of another, Jonas believes, as companies like Tesla are working on artificial intelligence tech, which includes changing the way we look at things like transportation and labor.

Jonas includes an interesting tidbit in his note about how humanoid robots could change wages, and how it could work into the advantage of Tesla, especially as it is developing its own Optimus robot:

“We estimate 1 humanoid robot at $5/hour can do the work of 2 humans at $25/hour, generating an NPV of approximately $200k/humanoid. 1 robot shaped car can potentially drive down cost/mile of a ride share vehicle to <$0.20 mile (1/10th human-driven ride-share).”

Jonas sees Tesla as a key player in how AI will impact things like manufacturing and various automotive industries, and he believes there is long-term potential for AI, robomobility, and even autonomous eVTOL platforms.

Tesla stock: Morgan Stanley says eVTOL is calling Elon Musk for new chapter

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He maintained its ‘Overweight’ rating and the $410 price target Morgan Stanley had on the stock.

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Tesla expands Robotaxi program in Austin to new riders

Tesla has been expanding both the rider group and the geofence in Austin slowly, making sure to prioritize safety and avoid any major events with the early rollout.

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Credit: @TerrapinTerpene/X

Tesla is expanding its Robotaxi program in Austin, Texas, as several people have received invitations to participate and take rides.

Tesla first launched the Robotaxi platform on June 22. It invited a handful of people to participate in the first-ever public rides. We were lucky enough to get an invitation, and our permissions have been expanded in the Bay Area pilot program as well.

The group was small and consisted of big names in the Tesla community. It expanded and is continuing to offer these exclusive invitations to notable members of the Tesla community.

There have been fewer than five subsequent invitations after the first group’s were sent in late June:

Tesla has been expanding both the rider group and the geofence in Austin slowly, making sure to prioritize safety and avoid any major events with the early rollout.

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Tesla’s new Robotaxi geofence shape is an FU by Elon Musk to the competition

“We are being very cautious. We do not want to take any chances, so we are going to go cautiously. But the service areas and the number of vehicles in operation will increase at a hyper-exponential rate,” CEO Elon Musk said during the Q2 Earnings Call.

Eventually, the Robotaxi platform will not require an invite, and it will operate without geofences. Musk believes Tesla can get there within three or six months, and plans to have at least half of the U.S. population with access to a Robotaxi by the end of the year:

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“I think we will probably have autonomous ride-hailing in probably half the population of the U.S. by the end of the year. That’s at least our goal, subject to regulatory approvals. I think we will technically be able to do it. Assuming we have regulatory approvals, it’s probably addressing half the population of the U.S. by the end of the year.”

Tesla plans to have regulatory approval in Nevada, Arizona, and Florida sooner than in other states.

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Tesla makes major change at Supercharger Diner amid epic demand

To ensure that menu items are both available in plentiful quantities and fresh, the menu could feature some seasonal options moving forward.

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tesla diner
Credit: Tesla

Tesla has made a major change at its Supercharger Diner in Los Angeles as the location is experiencing epic amounts of demand after launch.

The Supercharger Diner was an idea of CEO Elon Musk’s way back in 2018. It took some time to come to fruition, but it has finally opened, serving its first customers in July.

Tesla Supercharger Diner officially opens: menu, prices, features, and more

Upon its launch, people lined up around the block to give the restaurant a try. There were some who admitted to waiting 13 hours for the doors to open, which finally did at 4:20 p.m. local time.

If you know anything about Tesla, you know that the time fits the bill for the company.

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Tesla Cybertruck leftovers are the main course at the Supercharger Diner

Nevertheless, it has basically been a non-stop operation since its grand opening. It’s already available to serve customers 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. These hours, along with the long-awaited grand opening, have brought tens of thousands of customers in the first few weeks.

As a result, the Diner’s chef, Eric Greenspan, revealed there will be some things that will no longer be on the menu as it handles “unprecedented demand.”

He told Eater the menu would be “forever evolving.” It has, as a result, now been void of the following menu items:

  • Market Salad
  • Club Sandwich
  • Hashbrown Bites
  • Biscuits and Red Gravy
  • Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • Vegan Patty option for Burger
  • Waffles are now only served in the morning, instead of all day
  • Soft serve will return this week. It’s provided by a local farm, which couldn’t handle the demand
  • Reimagined fountain drinks

Tesla focused on sourcing a vast majority of the food from local sources. This is likely why it has been forced to scale back much of its menu for the time being. When restaurants source their food and beverages locally, their menus change frequently.

To ensure that menu items are both available in plentiful quantities and fresh, the menu could feature some seasonal options moving forward.

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