Energy

Tesla partner Panasonic says 30% energy density increase in lithium-ion batteries possible

Published

9 years ago

April 10, 2017

The market for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is expected to exceed $33 billion by 2019 and $26 billion by 2023, according to global market research firm SIS International Research. The success of Tesla and its Nevada-based Gigafactory facility has generated a lot of excitement in the LIB industry. Panasonic’s automobile battery sales are forecast to grow to $4 billion a year by March 2019, largely due to their partnership with Tesla.

“We think the existing technology can still extend the energy density of LIBs by 20% to 30%,” Panasonic’s President Kazuhiro Tsuga said. “But there is a trade-off between energy density and safety. So, if you look for even more density, you have to think about additional safety technology as well. Solid-state batteries are one [possible] answer.” These safety concerns about LIBs are also pushing Panasonic to look at alternative battery power sources.

Solid state batteries use a solid electrolyte instead of the electrolytic solution that is essential in transporting the positive lithium ions between the cathode and anode in today’s batteries. Researchers have succeeded in developing an efficient electrolytic solid material that significantly improves lithium ion conductance, raising hopes that batteries with much higher power densities are edging closer to practical applications.

Tesla 2170 lithium ion cells produced in partnership with Panasonic powering Tesla’s Powerwall 2

“For decades now we have been pushing the limits of our Li-ion batteries in terms of energy density,” Naoaki Yabuuchi, an associate professor at Tokyo Denki University, acknowledged. “Today’s best Li-ion cells can put out about 300 watts per kilogram; a package of Li-ion cells can give off from 150 watts to 250 watts per kilogram. These levels are already close to the theoretical maximum.”

Yabuuchi is an expert on various types of rechargeable batteries. In his view, LIBs will reach the limit of their desirability as early as the first half of 2020 if their development continues to rely on existing technologies. But he has hope that new research can open up more capacity. “Existing LIBs still have room to improve their energy density because you can raise the density by introducing a nickel-based cathode material, so you can expect the batteries will still be used in the next few years.”

It’s not just Tesla and its partners like Panasonic that are interested in LIB capacity. Range anxiety continues to plague possible Tesla and other EV brand buyers, as they fear an inability to travel far enough between vehicle charges and not having access to convenient charging facilities. “We want our electric cars to go 500 km [on a single charge],” said Shinji Nakanishi, a battery researcher at Toyota, via EVannex. “And for this, we want rechargeable batteries that can generate 800 to 1,000 watt-hours per liter.”

Battery research into alternatives to LIBs is quickly evolving. The Battery Symposium in Japan, once a showcase for fuel cells and LIB cathode materials, has seen a significant shift in recent years to industry presentations on solid-state, lithium-air, and non-Li-ion batteries.

Another possible LIB alternative, lithium-air batteries, has the ability to greatly improve energy density. At this point, however, researchers are stymied because lithium-air batteries suffer from poor cycle life. But researchers haven’t given up hope. They’ve been attempting to raise the density close to theoretically expected levels, even if it occurs only for a single charge cycle.

And an entirely different alternative to the LIB doesn’t even use lithium: a cathode material for the sodium-ion battery has a discharge capacity that beats LIBs and enables the power packs to be recharged upward of 500 times. That would circumvent one of the existing weakness that now limits this technology. Two nickel-based cathode materials, lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide and lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxide, are sometimes mentioned in these discussions, but neither seem to have a clear potential for practical use within the next decade, according to Yabuuchi.

Tesla is leading the global shift in the automotive industry from traditional gasoline powered vehicles to more fuel-efficient, environmentally responsible modes of transport. Musk has exclaimed that the 2170 cell is “the highest energy density cell in the world and also the cheapest.” Yet, as an industry disrupter, part of Tesla’s vision has been to constantly evaluate new battery technologies. Back in 2013, Ted Merendino, a Tesla product planner, noted that “Tesla has one of the largest cell characterization laboratories in the world. We have just about every cell you can imagine on test.”

That constant inquiry behind the scenes into cell characterization at Tesla may become prudent in previously unforeseen ways. Recently, for example, with the lithium market in its most severe shortage in modern memory, Musk insisted that the amount of lithium in a LIB is about 2% of its total volume and that “lithium in a salt form is virtually everywhere… there is definitely no supply issues with lithium.” Some in the industry disagree with lithium’s resource stability, however, so that alternative battery research may end up offering good karma.

In 2016, sales of LIBs for electric vehicles increased by some 66%, up from 12.3 GWh of capacity to 20.4 GWh. LIBs are the go-to source for EV power right now. Many other products use LIBs: chainsaws, mini-cameras, solar window chargers, wheelchairs, bicycles, portable self-charging desks.

But, with safety issues surrounding LIBs, the limitations of their charge capacity, and lithium market limitations, will Tesla invest in R&D toward alternative battery development so it sooner-than-later adds battery alternatives to its catalog?

Of course, advances from R&D take years to make their way to the marketplace, but should one or more of these promising technologies be translated for commercial means, then we may see innovative improvements in batteries, which could also enhance the performance and cost of our beloved Teslas.

Source: Nikkei Asian Review via EVannex

Related Topics:Battery / Charging Gigafactory Panasonic Tesla Energy Top Story

Carolyn F

Carolyn Fortuna is a writer and researcher with a Ph.D. in education from the University of Rhode Island. She brings a social justice perspective to environmental issues. Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook and Google+

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Energy

Tesla starts hiring efforts for Texas Megafactory

Tesla’s Brookshire site is expected to produce 10,000 Megapacks annually, equal to 40 gigawatt hours of energy storage.

Published

1 day ago

November 12, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Tesla's Megapack Factory in Lathrop, CA (Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has officially begun hiring for its new $200 million Megafactory in Brookshire, Texas, a manufacturing hub expected to employ 1,500 people by 2028. The facility, which will build Tesla’s grid-scale Megapack batteries, is part of the company’s growing energy storage footprint.

Tesla’s hiring efforts for the Texas Megafactory are hinted at by the job openings currently active on the company’s Careers website.

Tesla’s Texas Megafactory

Tesla’s Brookshire site is expected to produce 10,000 Megapacks annually, equal to 40 gigawatt hours of energy storage, similar to the Lathrop Megafactory in California. Tesla’s Careers website currently lists over 30 job openings for the site, from engineers, welders, and project managers. Each of the openings is listed for Brookshire, Texas.

The company has leased two buildings in Empire West Business Park, with over $194 million in combined property and equipment investment. Tesla’s agreement with Waller County includes a 60% property tax abatement, contingent on meeting employment benchmarks: 375 jobs by 2026, 750 by 2027, and 1,500 by 2028, as noted in a report from the Houston Business Journal. Tesla is required to employ at least 1,500 workers in the facility through the rest of the 10-year abatement period.

New Tesla Megapack factory in Houston https://t.co/qybosqEuNI— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 11, 2025

Tesla’s clean energy boom

City officials have stated that Tesla’s arrival marks a turning point for the Texas city, as it highlights a shift from logistics to advanced clean energy manufacturing. Ramiro Bautista from Brookshire’s economic development office, highlighted this in a comment to the Journal.

“(Tesla) has great-paying jobs. Not just that, but the advanced manufacturing (and) clean energy is coming to the area,” he said. “So it’s not just your normal logistics manufacturing. This is advanced manufacturing coming to this area, and this brings a different type of job and investment into the local economy.”

Energy

Tesla and Samsung SDI in talks over new US battery storage deal: report

The update was related by industry sources and initially reported by South Korean news outlets.

Published

1 week ago

November 3, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Credit: Tesla Megapack

Recent reports have suggested that Tesla and Samsung SDI are in talks over a potential partnership to supply batteries for large-scale energy storage systems (ESS).

The update was related by industry sources and initially reported by South Korean news outlets.

ESS batteries to be built at Samsung’s Indiana plant

As noted in a report from Korea JoongAng Daily, the demand for energy storage systems has been growing rapidly in North America, thanks in no small part to the surge in AI investments across numerous companies. With this in mind, Tesla has reportedly approached Samsung SDI about a potential battery supply deal.

The deal is reportedly worth over 3 trillion Korean won (approximately $2.11 billion) and will span three years, according to The Korea Global Economic Daily. A battery supply deal with Samsung SDI could make sense for Tesla as the company already has a grid-scale battery, the Megapack, which is perfect for industrial use. Samsung SDI could simply supply cells for the EV maker.

Production of the batteries would reportedly take place at Samsung SDI’s joint venture factory with Stellantis in Indiana, which is currently under construction. Samsung SDI recently announced plans to use part of that plant’s EV lines to produce cells for ESS, with a targeted capacity of 30 GWh by the end of next year.

$TSLA 🇰🇷🇺🇸
NEWS: According to the article, Samsung SDI will provide Tesla with batteries for ESS at 10 GWh per year.

Samsung SDI will convert some of its LFP battery factory lines, which were jointly established with Stellantis in the U.S. and Indiana, for ESS and provide them… pic.twitter.com/VC0dpUVs8J— Tsla Chan (@Tslachan) November 3, 2025

Tesla and Samsung’s partnership

At present, only a handful of manufacturers, including Korea’s LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, SK On, and Japan’s Panasonic, are capable of producing energy storage-scale batteries domestically in the United States. A Samsung SDI official issued a comment about the matter, stating, “Nothing has been finalized regarding cooperation with Tesla.”

The possible energy storage system deal adds another layer to Tesla’s growing collaboration with Samsung, which is already in line as a partner in the upcoming production of Tesla’s AI5 and AI6 chips. Early sample manufacturing of the AI6 is expected to begin in South Korea, with mass production slated for Samsung’s Texas-based Taylor foundry when it starts operations.

The AI6 chip will power Tesla’s next wave of high-volume projects, including the Optimus humanoid robot and the autonomous Cybercab service. Musk has called the partnership with Samsung a “real collaboration,” adding that he personally plans to “walk the line” at the Taylor facility to speed up progress.

Energy

Tesla VP hints at Solar Roof comeback with Giga New York push

The comments hint at possible renewed life for the Solar Roof program, which has seen years of slow growth since its 2016 unveiling.

Published

3 weeks ago

October 24, 2025

Simon Alvarez

Image Credit: Tesla/Twitter

Tesla’s long-awaited and way underrated Solar Roof may finally be getting its moment. During the company’s Q3 2025 earnings call, Vice President of Energy Engineering Michael Snyder revealed that production of a new residential solar panel has started at Tesla’s Buffalo, New York facility, with shipments to customers beginning in the first quarter of 2026.

The comments hint at possible renewed life for the Solar Roof program, which has seen years of slow growth since its 2016 unveiling.

Tesla Energy’s strong demand

Responding to an investor question about Tesla’s energy backlog, Snyder said demand for Megapack and Powerwall continues to be “really strong” into next year. He also noted positive customer feedback for the company’s new Megablock product, which is expected to start shipping from Houston in 2026.

“We’re seeing remarkable growth in the demand for AI and data center applications as hyperscalers and utilities have seen the versatility of the Megapack product. It increases reliability and relieves grid constraints,” he said.

Snyder also highlighted a “surge in residential solar demand in the US,” attributing the spike to recent policy changes that incentivize home installations. Tesla expects this trend to continue into 2026, helped by the rollout of a new solar lease product that makes adoption more affordable for homeowners.

Possible Solar Roof revival?

Perhaps the most intriguing part of Snyder’s remarks, however, was Tesla’s move to begin production of its “residential solar panel” in Buffalo, New York. He described the new panels as having “industry-leading aesthetics” and shape performance, language Tesla has used to market its Solar Roof tiles in the past.

“We also began production of our Tesla residential solar panel in our Buffalo factory, and we will be shipping that to customers starting Q1. The panel has industry-leading aesthetics and shape performance and demonstrates our continued commitment to US manufacturing,” Snyder said during the Q3 2025 earnings call.

Snyder did not explicitly name the product, though his reference to aesthetics has fueled speculation that Tesla may finally be preparing a large-scale and serious rollout of its Solar Roof line.

Originally unveiled in 2016, the Solar Roof was intended to transform rooftops into clean energy generators without compromising on design. However, despite early enthusiasm, production and installation volumes have remained limited for years. In 2023, a report from Wood Mackenzie claimed that there were only 3,000 operational Solar Roof installations across the United States at the time, far below forecasts. In response, the official Tesla Energy account on X stated that the report was “incorrect by a large margin.”