Connect with us

News

Tesla’s metal-air battery patent: Carpe ‘Battery’ Diem or yesterday’s news?

Published

on

Tesla was recently granted a US patent titled, “Hazard mitigation through gas flow communication between battery packs,” and with the company’s Battery Day event around the corner, anything that may foretell what the revelations will be is seeing some serious consideration. Given that this invention describes a cooling process between a combined metal-air battery pack and non-metal-air battery pack, a first glance suggests that the patent is a Roadrunner-related hint. On this particular patent, though, there’s a bit of background to consider that might not indicate what the application title plus the patent’s publication date implies.

First, U.S. Patent No. 10,763,477 was issued on September 1, 2020, and Tesla’s Battery Day is September 22, 2020; however, the patent’s filing date goes back to January 16, 2017. When it comes to inventions at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), it’s not uncommon for the legal side of the patent process to take several years to complete, and there are few options available to speed up the process. But even these simple dates don’t tell the whole story on this patent’s timeline.

In addition to being several years in the making, this patent is a continuation of another patent (U.S. Patent No. 9,548,616) which was filed in 2011 with a provisional priority date in 2010. Considering the Model S’s debut took place in June 2012, it would seem that hopes of metal-air batteries getting a Battery Day feature become a bit less bright. Of course, it might be possible that Tesla has been working on the incredible tech that CEO Elon Musk has promised for next week’s event, as he is often full of surprises. Unfortunately, that doesn’t really seem to match either the USPTO’s record of the patent’s history nor the battery-related events that have been reported over the last year for Tesla.

(Image: Tesla/USPTO)

The core of Tesla’s most recently issued patent involves mitigating thermal runaway events that battery packs can be prone to experiencing. By introducing a metal-air battery to the overall lithium-ion vehicle battery system, a cooling method is made possible. As described in the application:

“The present invention provides a system and method for mitigating the effects of a thermal event within a non-metal-air battery pack. In accordance with the invention, the hot gas and material generated during the event is directed through the metal-air cells of a metal-air battery pack, the metal-air cells providing a large thermal mass for absorbing at least a portion of the generated thermal energy before it is released to the ambient environment, thereby lowering the risk to vehicle passengers, bystanders and first responders as well as limiting collateral property damage.”

This same description of the invention’s purpose is also included in its parent patent which has a priority filing date in 2010. While the specific claims (legal descriptions of what’s actually invented) in the recently published patent look to be a bit broader in scope than the older patent, thus indicating Tesla has either continued to develop and improve on the thermal runaway mitigation system or is trying to gain more extensive patent rights, another notable point is in the legal prosecution history at the USPTO.

Advertisement

The patent examiner in the case did not deem the two patents to be unique enough to have different expiration dates, and what’s called a Terminal Disclaimer was required for Tesla to be granted the patent rights. In other words, Tesla’s described battery technology in this particular case hasn’t changed significantly (according to the examiner) since it was first filed back in 2010. It may already be incorporated into the company’s current vehicles in some capacity.

Even without this patent’s promise of metal-ion battery tech as an inclusion in Battery Day revelations, there’s still plenty to look forward to. As some have dubbed the event “Master Plan Part 3,” Tesla is expected to detail its in-house production strategy and give a first look at its company-branded battery cells.

Tesla’s patent could be accessed below.

US10763477B2 by Simon Alvarez on Scribd

Advertisement

Accidental computer geek, fascinated by most history and the multiplanetary future on its way. Quite keen on the democratization of space. | It's pronounced day-sha, but I answer to almost any variation thereof.

Advertisement
Comments

Investor's Corner

Tesla just got a weird price target boost from a notable bear

Published

on

Credit: Tesla Manufacturing

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) just got a weird price target boost from a notable bear just a day after it announced its strongest quarter in terms of vehicle deliveries and energy deployments.

JPMorgan raised its price target on Tesla shares from $115 to $150. It maintained its ‘Underweight’ rating on the stock.

Despite Tesla reporting 497,099 deliveries, about 12 percent above the 443,000 anticipated from the consensus, JPMorgan is still skeptical that the company can keep up its momentum, stating most of its Q3 strength came from leaning on the removal of the $7,500 EV tax credit, which expired on September 30.

Tesla hits record vehicle deliveries and energy deployments in Q3 2025

The firm said Tesla benefited from a “temporary stronger-than-expected industry-wide pull-forward” as the tax credit expired. It is no secret that consumers flocked to the company this past quarter to take advantage of the credit.

Advertisement

The bump will need to be solidified as the start of a continuing trend of strong vehicle deliveries, the firm said in a note to investors. Analysts said that one quarter of strength was “too soon to declare Tesla as having sustainably returned to growth in its core business.”

JPMorgan does not anticipate Tesla having strong showings with vehicle deliveries after Q4.

There are two distinct things that stick out with this note: the first is the lack of recognition of other parts of Tesla’s business, and the confusion that surrounds future quarters.

JPMorgan did not identify Tesla’s strength in autonomy, energy storage, or robotics, with autonomy and robotics being the main focuses of the company’s future. Tesla’s Full Self-Driving and Robotaxi efforts are incredibly relevant and drive more impact moving forward than vehicle deliveries.

Additionally, the confusion surrounding future delivery numbers in quarters past Q3 is evident.

Advertisement

Will Tesla thrive without the EV tax credit? Five reasons why they might

Tesla will receive some assistance from deliveries of vehicles that will reach customers in Q4, but will still qualify for the credit under the IRS’s revised rules. It will also likely introduce an affordable model this quarter, which should have a drastic impact on deliveries depending on pricing.

Tesla shares are trading at $422.40 at 2:35 p.m. on the East Coast.

Continue Reading

News

Tesla coding shows affordable model details, including potential price

Published

on

Credit: @tslaming | X

Coding within Tesla’s website appears to have potentially revealed some details of the affordable model it plans to launch, including its possible price.

Although these details are unconfirmed by the company, recent sightings of the vehicle have sparked significant speculation as to what it will offer.

Tesla said a few months back that it had already successfully built the first few test units of the affordable model. CEO Elon Musk revealed later that it would essentially be a stripped-down version of the Model Y with a handful of changes.

We had our first look at what those changes appear to be, as what is likely the new affordable model was spotted on roads near Gigafactory Texas yesterday. It is a Model Y body with some Model 3 features.

It lacks the light bar that the new Model Y has and instead equips headlights similar to those of the Model 3 “Highland.”

Advertisement

Affordable Tesla Model Y spotted without camouflage near Giga Texas

Other design changes appear to include no glass roof and new wheels. Some rumors have also indicated that Tesla plans to use a cheaper, textile interior, devoid of the flashy features that its other cars are equipped with, including no rear screen, no HEPA system, and manually adjustable second-row air vents.

However, coding within the Tesla website seemed to reveal some pretty significant details about the new affordable model, including its name, which differs from the E41 codename it was given, its price, and a complete list of features.

This was found by Tesla Newswire on X. Here’s what the coding showed for the car. Note that this was found in coding, and is not necessarily confirmation from Tesla regarding what it plans to offer:

  • Name – Model Y Standard
  • Price $39,990
  • Redesigned front fascia
  • Single-part headlights
  • Front bumper camera
  • No glass roof, noted as a “closed glass roof”
  • 18″ Aperture wheels
  • Manually adjustable steering wheel
  • Textile décor
  • 15.4″ front touchscreen
  • No second-row touchscreen
  • Manually adjustable air vents in the second row
  • No HEPA system
  • 75 cu. fu. cargo space

Here’s what the coding looked like:

Many believe these could be the specs and details of the new affordable model, but others think Tesla might be baiting the community. Tesla knows its fans well, and many of them are sharp enough to examine some of the core portions of its website, looking for clues.

The company is well aware that these breadcrumbs will be discovered, and could be putting anything to drive up interest and chatter about what it could release. It certainly seems as if the price tag is a tad high, which tends to push some skepticism about the coding.

However, we’ll take anything we can get at this point. It is important to note that this coding is not a confirmation of details from Tesla.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Affordable Tesla Model Y spotted without camouflage near Giga Texas

The vehicle had clean lines and it looked sleek, though it was also notably simpler than the standard Model Y.

Published

on

Credit: Ryan Mable/X

The tea leaves seem to be pointing towards the imminent release of the highly anticipated affordable Tesla Model Y. This was hinted at in recent observations from notable Tesla influencers on social media, as well as a sighting of the vehicle without any camouflage.

The affordable Tesla uncovered

Sightings of the affordable Model Y have been abounding as of late, though details of the vehicle were still hidden by coverings on the vehicle. In a recent post on X from Firefly engineer Ryan Mable, however, noted Tesla influencer Sawyer Merritt has reportedly “spotted an uncovered cheaper Model Y variant” driving near Giga Texas. 

Several images of the uncovered vehicle were shared online. Based on the photos that were shared by Mable, the affordable Model Y seemed to feature a fascia that’s inspired by the Model 3 sedan. Its roof also looked blacked out. Overall, the vehicle had clean lines and it looked sleek, though it was also notably simpler than the standard Model Y.

Tesla influencer mystery

Interestingly enough, several Tesla influencers apart from Merritt posted that they were in Giga Texas. These included drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer, teardown specialist Sandy Munro, and reviewers Kyle Conner and Kim Java. These influencers have not provided any context behind their Giga Texas trip, though the fact that they were gathered on the site brought speculations that Tesla might have invited the group for a teaser or a private unveiling event of sorts.

It remains to be seen when the affordable Model Y would be made available, though conversations now are centered on the vehicle’s potential price. Previous reports suggested that the car might be priced just below $40,000, which many believe would result in very low sales, though some have also speculated that the affordable Model Y could be priced below $35,000, which would likely make it a strong seller.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending