Tesla hints at in-house LFP batteries with new job listing

Credit: Andrea Conway/X

Tesla has posted a new job listing on its website hinting at plans for in-house manfucturing of a previously used battery chemistry this week, coming just on the heels of the company’s unveiling of its Cybercab and Robovan.

On its careers page, Tesla launched a job listing for a Senior Cell Materials Engineer position for a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) Cathode program this week, suggesting that the company is looking to develop the battery chemistry in-house. The job is located in Palo Alto, California, where Tesla’s AI and engineering headquarters is located,

“Your responsibility will be spearheading cross-functional team validation efforts of our LFP cathode materials, developing new material and electrochemical tests to accelerate qualification time and bring our team’s expertise in materials and electrochemical data interpretation to the next level,” Tesla writes in the job description.

Credit: Tesla

You can check out the full job listing for the Senior Cell Materials Engineer for LFP cathode here.

The news comes after Tesla discontinued its Model 3 RWD with the LFP battery earlier this month. The discontinuation was just days following the Biden administration’s launch of a 25-percent tariff on lithium-ion batteries from China, alongside a 100-percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs).

The LFP Cathode listing could be related to upcoming plans for in-house LFP production at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada, as the company begins expansion plans set to eventually offer 100 GWh of 4680 battery cells upon completion. Some also expect LFP to be used for the affordable, self-driving Cybercab that Tesla unveiled this week, which would seem to fit the timeline of the new platform, as it’s expected to hit production in 2026.

The company is also set to work with Chinese manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL), with an executive from CATL earlier this year hinting at plans to develop low-cost batteries for a large-volume EV from the automaker. A report from Bloomberg in January also said that Tesla would be buying machinery from CATL to build in-house LFP batteries for its Megapack, though it would be 100-percent operated by Tesla.

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

Zachary Visconti: Zach is a renewable energy reporter who has been covering electric vehicles since 2020. He grew up in Fremont, California, and he currently resides in Colorado. His work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, KRON4 San Francisco, FOX31 Denver and many other publications. When he isn't covering Tesla or other EV companies for Teslarati, you can find him writing and performing music, drinking lots of coffee, or hanging out with his cat, Banks. Reach out to Zach at zach@teslarati.com, or you can find him on X @zacharyvisconti.
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