Energy
New Tesla patent points to safer battery packs with damage-isolating energy system
Details from Tesla’s new patent suggests that the company is coming up with a way to make its battery packs safer. Using what the electric car and energy company describes as an “Energy Storage System,” Tesla would be able to isolate damages caused by failed battery cells, saving functional cells in the battery pack.
The patent, which was published today, listed an international filing date on January 10, 2018. Tesla noted in its patent that battery cells generate heat during both charging and discharging. When cells fail, the individual units typically release hot gases that could negatively affect the integrity of nearby cells. This usually results in functional cells being damaged as well. Tesla’s patent describes the use of two interconnects that would be positioned over the multiple battery cells. Multiple first cell connectors connect the positive terminal of the battery cells to the first interconnect, while multiple second cell connectors connect the negative terminal of the battery cells to the second interconnect. A top plate with an interior and an exterior side is placed over the first and second interconnect. An illustration of this could be found below.
An exploded view of the energy storage system, according to certain embodiments of the invention. [Credit: Tesla]
This top plate includes one or more weak areas above one or more battery cells. These weak areas are designed to rupture when failed battery cells release heat and build up pressure. Tesla’s patent notes that these weak areas could be chemically weaker when exposed to the caustic gases released by failed battery cells. By adopting this system, Tesla would be able to contain the damage from failed cells to a specific section of the battery pack, saving the integrity of functional battery cells. Tesla elaborates on this process in its patent.
“During operation of the energy storage system, the battery cells generate heat. The system may include features or material to thermally insulate the battery cells from the heat generated by other cells (and/or other electrical components), such as a polymer-based insulating material or another type of insulating material. The system may also include features, such as a cold plate or heat pipes, to remove heat generated by the battery cells during operation of the energy storage system. The features or material to perform this electrical insulation may include the interstitial material or a sleeve, as further described below. In alternate embodiments, an air gap may provide the necessary electrical isolation.
“Further, the battery cells may fail and discharge its contents as hot gases that are caustic to the other battery cells and other portions of the system. The energy storage system may include features or material for directing the hot-gas discharge during failure of a battery cell. In certain embodiments, the features or material for insulating the battery cells from heat generated by other battery cells (and/or other electrical components) and the feature or material that directs the discharge of the hot gases during battery cell failure may be the same. In other embodiments, separate features or materials may both insulate a battery cell from the other battery cells and also direct the discharge of any hot gases.”
Tesla’s new patent is yet another sign that the electric car maker is pushing innovation despite the company’s lead in battery technology. Tesla’s 2170 cells, which are fitted on the Model 3’s battery pack, have garnered widespread acclaim from industry experts such as Sandy Munro of Munro & Associates, who dubbed the cells as the best batteries in the world to date. In his conclusion to a thorough teardown and analysis of the Model 3, Munro noted that he was impressed with Tesla’s new 2170 batteries. Munro further stated that after tearing down the electric car, he now believes that Tesla is far above other battery manufacturers such as Samsung and LG in terms of technology.
“This is the new cell. This is called the 2170. It’s a little bit bigger; 20% bigger than the old one. It has new chemistry, and quite frankly, it gives you 50% more power. Twenty percent bigger but 50% more power. I’m pretty happy with that,” Munro said.
Battery packs are at the core of Tesla’s business, with batteries powering both the company’s electric car and energy storage systems. With Tesla ramping its efforts on both fronts, it is imperative for the company to ensure its lead in the battery industry. With safer battery packs, Tesla can continue saturating both the auto and energy market with the added assurance that its batteries are as safe as they can be.
Tesla’s new patent for its Energy Storage System could be accessed in full here.
In a notable intersection of Big Tech powerhouses, Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has partnered with Canadian energy infrastructure giant Enbridge on a significant renewable energy initiative that will rely on battery technology from Elon Musk’s Tesla.
The project, which was announced this week, marks another step in Meta’s aggressive push to power its expanding data center operations with clean energy, dispelling many of the complaints people have about them.
This new development is located near Cheyenne, Wyoming, and will feature a 365-megawatt (MW) solar farm paired with a 200 MW/1,600 megawatt-hour (MWh) battery energy storage system, also known as BESS. Tesla is providing the batteries for the project, valued at roughly $200 million.
The story was originally reported by Utility Dive.
This Wyoming project represents the first phase of Enbridge and Meta’s joint “Cowboy Project.” Once operational, it will deliver power to Meta’s regional data centers through Cheyenne Light, Fuel, and Power under Wyoming’s Large Power Contract Service tariff.
This tariff, originally developed in collaboration with Microsoft and Black Hills Energy, is designed specifically for large loads like data centers. It ensures that the renewable supply serves hyperscale customers without impacting retail electricity rates for other users.
The battery system will operate under a long-term tolling agreement, providing dispatchable capacity that enhances grid reliability. During periods of high demand, the utility can access the backup generation, addressing one of the key challenges of integrating large-scale renewables with the explosive growth of data center electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence.
This latest collaboration builds on prior joint efforts between Enbridge and Meta in Texas, including the 600 MW Clear Fork Solar, 152 MW Easter Wind, and 300 MW Cone Wind projects. Together with the Wyoming initiative, the companies have now partnered on roughly 1.6 gigawatts (GW) of combined solar, wind, and storage capacity.
The deal highlights the intensifying demand for reliable, low-carbon power from technology giants. Meta has committed to supporting its data center growth with renewable energy, joining peers like Microsoft and Google in seeking large-scale solutions. Enbridge’s Allen Capps described the project as “one of the larger utility-scale battery installations supporting U.S. data center operations and growth.”
The involvement of Tesla’s battery technology adds an intriguing layer, linking two of the world’s most prominent tech leaders—Zuckerberg and Musk—in the clean energy transition.
As data centers continue to drive unprecedented electricity load growth across the United States, projects like this one illustrate how hyperscalers are turning to strategic partnerships with traditional energy players and innovative storage solutions to meet both sustainability goals and reliability needs.
Elon Musk
Why SpaceX just made a $60 billion bet on AI coding ahead of historic IPO
SpaceX has secured an option to acquire Cursor AI for $60 billion ahead of its historic IPO.
SpaceX announced today it has struck a deal with AI coding startup Cursor, securing the option to acquire the company outright for $60 billion later this year, while committing $10 billion for joint development work in the interim. The announcement described the partnership as building “the world’s best coding and knowledge work AI,” and comes just days after Cursor was separately reported to be raising $2 billion at a valuation above $50 billion.
The move makes strategic sense given where each company currently stands. Cursor currently pays retail prices to Anthropic and OpenAI to the same companies competing directly against it with Claude Code and Codex. That means every dollar of revenue Cursor earns partially funds its own competition. With SpaceX bringing computational infrastructure to the Cursor platform, that could reduce Cursor’s dependence on OpenAI and Anthropic’s Claude AI as its providers. Access to SpaceX’s Colossus supercomputer, with compute equivalent to one million Nvidia H100 chips, gives Cursor the infrastructure to run and train its own models at a scale it could never afford independently. That one change restructures the entire unit economics of the business.
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Cursor’s $2 billion in annualized revenue and enterprise reach across more than half of Fortune 500 companies gives SpaceX something its xAI subsidiary currently lacks, which is a proven, fast-growing software business with real enterprise distribution.
For Cursor, SpaceX’s $10 billion in joint development funding is transformational. Cursor raised $3.3 billion across all of 2025 to reach that $2 billion in revenue. A single $10 billion commitment from SpaceX, even as a development payment rather than an acquisition, dwarfs everything Cursor has raised in its entire existence. That capital accelerates product development, enterprise sales infrastructure, and proprietary model training simultaneously.
The timing is deliberate. SpaceX filed confidentially with the SEC on April 1, 2026, targeting a June listing at a $1.75 trillion valuation, in what would be the largest public offering in history. The company is expected to begin its roadshow the week of June 8, with Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, and Morgan Stanley serving as underwriters. Adding Cursor to the portfolio before that roadshow gives IPO investors a concrete enterprise software revenue story to price in, alongside rockets and satellite internet.
The deal also addresses a weakness that became visible after February’s xAI merger. Several xAI co-founders departed following that acquisition, and SpaceX had already hired two Cursor engineers, signaling where its AI talent strategy was heading. Cursor, for its part, faces a pricing disadvantage competing against Anthropic’s Claude Code.
Whether SpaceX exercises the full acquisition option before its IPO or after remains the open question. Either way, this deal reshapes what investors will be buying into when SpaceX goes public.
Elon Musk
Tesla Supercharger for Business exposes jaw-dropping ROI gap between best and worst locations
Tesla’s new Supercharger for Business calculator reveals an eye-opening all-in cost and location-based ROI projections.
Tesla has launched an online calculator for its Supercharger for Business program, giving property owners their first transparent look at what it really costs to install Superchargers on site and what kind of return they can expect.
The program itself launched in September 2025, allowing businesses to purchase and operate Supercharger hardware on their own property while Tesla handles installation, maintenance, software, and 24/7 driver support. As Teslarati reported at launch, hosts also get their logo placed on the chargers and their location integrated into Tesla’s in-car navigation, meaning drivers are actively routed there. The stalls are open to all EVs, not just Teslas.
We launched Supercharger for Business in 2025 to help companies get charging right. We found simplicity and transparency to be a problem in this industry.
We’re now sharing pricing and a financial calculator to help make informed decisions. The goal is to accelerate investments,…
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) April 8, 2026
The new online calculator, announced by Tesla on Wednesday with the note that “simplicity and transparency” have been a problem in the industry, lets any business enter a U.S. address and get a real cost and revenue model. A standard 8-stall V4 Supercharger site runs approximately $500,000 in hardware and $55,000 per post for installation, bringing an all-in price just shy of $1 million. Tesla charges a flat $0.10 per kWh fee to cover software, billing, and network operations. Businesses set their own retail price and keep the margin above that fee.
Taking a look at Tesla’s Supercharger for Business online calculator, we can see that ROI is not uniform, and the gap between a strong location and a poor one can stretch the breakeven point by several years.
The biggest driver is foot traffic and how long people stay. A busy rest station, hotel, or outlet mall brings in repeat visitors who need to charge while they’re already stopped, pushing utilization numbers higher and shortening payback time.
Tesla Supercharger for Business ROI calculator
Local electricity rates matter just as much on the cost side. Markets like California carry some of the highest commercial electricity rates in the country, which eats into the margin between what a host pays per kWh and what they charge drivers. At the same time, dense urban areas with high EV adoption tend to support higher retail charging prices, which can offset that cost if demand is strong enough. Weather also plays a role. Cold climates reduce battery efficiency and increase charging frequency, but they can also suppress utilization in winter months if drivers avoid stopping in exposed outdoor locations. Suburban and rural sites face a different problem: lower baseline EV traffic, which means a site with cheaper power and lower operating costs can still take longer to pay back simply because the stalls sit idle more often. Tesla’s calculator uses real fleet data to pre-fill utilization estimates by ZIP code, so businesses can run their specific address against these variables rather than relying on averages.
The program has seen real adoption. Wawa, already the largest host of Tesla Superchargers with over 2,100 stalls across 223 locations, opened its first fully owned and branded site in Alachua, Florida earlier this year. Francis Energy of Oklahoma and the city of Alpharetta, Georgia have also deployed branded stations through the program, as Teslarati covered in January.
Tesla now exceeds 80,000 Supercharger stalls worldwide, and the calculator makes the economic case for accelerating that number through private investment rather than company-owned sites alone.
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