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Tesla taps another Canadian startup for battery developments…for $3

Credit: Tesla/YouTube

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Tesla has once again tapped another Canadian battery startup in efforts to develop and manufacture high-quality, dependable, and long-lasting electric vehicle batteries. Documents of the transaction suggest Tesla acquired three separate patent applications from Canada’s Springpower International for only $3.00.

Tesla reportedly purchased several patent applications from Springpower International, a small, Canadian company that was established in 2010. The company’s website has gone nearly blank after the reports, only giving information to those who inquire through Springpower’s email.

Interestingly, Tesla purchased the patents just two weeks before the Battery Day event that was held in September 2020, TechCrunch reports. The site found the patent transaction records, which show that Tesla purchased several applications for a total of $3. The document states, “Therefore, for $3.00 and good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows…” The preceding words outline the transfer of patents from Springpower International Inc. to Tesla, Inc.

The three patents that were transferred to Tesla are “Innovative Process to Produce Cathode Materials for Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries” (US 62/899,677), “Process for Recovering Materials from Spent Rechargeable Lithium Batteries” (US 62/951,735), and “Method to Produce Cathode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries” (US 62/652,516). The patents are similar to the processes CEO Elon Musk, and Senior VP of Engineering Drew Baglino outlined during the Battery Day event and could translate to Tesla’s future methods for battery manufacturing.

Tesla unveiled the new 4680 battery cell at Battery Day. Tesla plans to make the cell in-house, but it will also be produced by several of the automaker’s suppliers, like LG Chem and Panasonic. The new cells offer exponentially more energy, six times the power, and more range as Tesla attempts to expand its production efforts to help EVs reach price parity with gas-powered cars.

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Tesla debuts new 4680 battery cell: 500% more energy, 6X power, range increase

Additionally, it seems that several Springpower employees have also transitioned to roles with Tesla. One is Yang Liu, a Senior Research Engineer for Tesla, who previously worked for Springpower as a Research and Development Chemist. He made the switch to Tesla in September when the Battery Day event took place. Amrit Bhogan, a Cell Engineering Technician at Tesla, also transitioned to the Silicon Valley-based electric carmaker in September after previously working for Springpower as a Chemical Technologist.

Tesla has previously used Canadian battery companies to advance its lithium-ion cell technology. Tesla acquired Hibar Systems, a company that was based in Ontario and produced battery cells. The acquisition of Hibar by Tesla followed the automaker’s purchase of Maxwell Technologies, a California-based producer of ultracapacitors and batteries, in May 2019.

Tesla has also utilized the expertise of Jeff Dahn, a battery researcher at Canada’s Dalhousie University, along with his cell research team at the institution. Dahn and Tesla recently extended their partnership in a five-year extension.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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SpaceX to invest $2 billion in Elon Musk’s xAI: report

The $2 billion injection is reportedly part of a broader $5 billion equity raise for xAI announced by Morgan Stanley last month.

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Credit: xAI/X

SpaceX is investing $2 billion into Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence startup, xAI, marking one of the private space company’s largest-ever financial commitments to another firm. 

News of the investment was initially posted by The Wall Street Journal.

xAI integration

The $2 billion investment is reportedly part of a broader $5 billion equity raise for xAI announced by Morgan Stanley last month. As per investors reportedly familiar with the matter, this is SpaceX’s first known investment in xAI. The AI startup was recently merged with X, Musk’s social media platform, in a deal that valued the combined entity at $113 billion.

Musk has mobilized several of his companies to support xAI’s growth. In addition to Grok being embedded in X, it now powers support functions for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, the WSJ noted. Tesla has also started integrating Grok on its new vehicles. Musk has stated that Grok will be used with Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus, as well. 

SpaceX investments

The investment highlights Musk’s ambitions to position xAI as a major competitor to rivals such as OpenAI. Grok 4, launched earlier this week, received strong benchmarking scores, with Musk calling it the “world’s smartest artificial intelligence.” So far, xAI’s performance boost with Grok 4 has earned praise from AI-benchmarking firms, such as Artificial Analysis.

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SpaceX, which had more than $3 billion in cash as per a previous WSJ report, is typically very conservative with external investments. One of its few past acquisitions was a $524 million deal for Swarm Technologies, a satellite-communications firm, in 2021. Musk has also tapped into SpaceX resources to support his other ventures, including Tesla and The Boring Company. 

In a recent comment on X, Elon Musk acknowledged that it would be great if Tesla could invest in xAI as well, though doing so would be subject to Board and shareholder approval.

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SpaceX’s Crew-11 mission targets July 31 launch amid tight ISS schedule

The flight will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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(Credit: SpaceX)

NASA and SpaceX are targeting July 31 for the launch of Crew-11, the next crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The flight will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, using the Crew Dragon Endeavour and a Falcon 9 booster.

Crew Dragon Endeavour returns

Crew-11 will be the sixth flight for Endeavour, making it SpaceX’s most experienced crew vehicle to date. According to SpaceX’s director of Dragon mission management, Sarah Walker, Endeavour has already carried 18 astronauts representing eight countries since its first mission with NASA’s Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in 2020, as noted in an MSN report.

“This Dragon spacecraft has successfully flown 18 crew members representing eight countries to space already, starting with (NASA astronauts) Bob (Behnken) and Doug (Hurley) in 2020, when it returned human spaceflight capabilities to the United States for the first time since the shuttle retired in July of 2011,” Walker said.

For this mission, Endeavour will debut SpaceX’s upgraded drogue 3.1 parachutes, designed to further enhance reentry safety. The parachutes are part of SpaceX’s ongoing improvements to its human-rated spacecraft, and Crew-11 will serve as their first operational test.

The Falcon 9 booster supporting this launch is core B1094, which has launched in two previous Starlink missions, as well as the private Ax-4 mission on June 25, as noted in a Space.com report.

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The four-members of Crew-11 are NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, as well as Japan’s Kimiya Yui and Russia’s Oleg Platonov.

Tight launch timing

Crew-11 is slated to arrive at the ISS just as NASA coordinates a sequence of missions, including the departure of Crew-10 and the arrival of SpaceX’s CRS-33 mission. NASA’s Bill Spetch emphasized the need for careful planning amid limited launch resources, noting the importance of maintaining station altitude and resupply cadence.

“Providing multiple methods for us to maintain the station altitude is critically important as we continue to operate and get the most use out of our limited launch resources that we do have. We’re really looking forward to demonstrating that capability with (CRS-33) showing up after we get through the Crew-11 and Crew-10 handover,” Spetch stated.

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EV fans urge Tesla to acquire Unplugged Performance for edge in fleet and security industry

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles.

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Credit: Unplugged Performance

A growing number of Tesla enthusiasts and longtime community voices are calling on the electric vehicle maker to acquire Unplugged Performance, a California-based aftermarket company best known for tuning Tesla vehicles and developing specialized government fleet solutions under its UP.FIT division.

The idea was once considered a niche proposal among EV fans, but it is now gaining serious attention not just as a performance play but as a strategic move to deepen Tesla’s roots in the fleet and security industry. 

A strategic fit

Unplugged Performance has built a name for itself by producing performance upgrades for Tesla vehicles, from track-optimized components to visual and aerodynamic upgrades. But in recent years, its UP.FIT division has pivoted toward a more functional future by outfitting Tesla vehicles like Model Ys for police, military, and government use.

That work has sparked growing calls for closer collaboration with Tesla, especially as the EV maker increasingly leans into autonomy, AI, and fleet services as core components of its next chapter.

“I posted this four years ago, but I think it’s more true now than ever,” wrote Whole Mars Catalog, a well-known Tesla investor and FSD Beta tester, on X. “Tesla should buy Unplugged. But not just as a Performance division. What they are doing with UP.FIT unlocks large government and commercial fleet purchases that can improve utilization.”

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Tesla fans such as shareholder Sawyer Merritt echoed the sentiment, calling Unplugged a “great fit within Tesla.” adding, “They are literally located directly next to Tesla’s design studio in Hawthorne.”

Enabling the next wave

Supporters of the idea noted that integrating Unplugged into Tesla’s corporate structure could help accelerate the adoption of autonomous technologies in government sectors. With UP.FIT patrol cars already in use across some U.S. police departments, Tesla fans envisioned a future where self-driving Teslas could potentially revolutionize law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and public service logistics.

“Just imagine how autonomous patrol cars could transform policing and bring us into a safer future,” the veteran FSD tester wrote.

The benefits could also extend to Tesla’s existing consumer base. “They also have some incredible products in the works that I think will appeal to many ordinary Tesla drivers — not just those looking for performance or mods. Stuff that’s so good it should have come straight from the design studio next door,” Whole Mars Catalog noted.

Unplugged Performance, founded in 2013, shares not just a product vision with Tesla, but also geography. Its Hawthorne headquarters sits directly adjacent to Tesla’s design studio, and the two companies have maintained a close working relationship over the years. The aftermarket firm has long positioned itself as a “mission-aligned” partner to Tesla.

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In response to the recent calls for acquisition, Unplugged Performance acknowledged the support from the community. “Our very existence is to support the Tesla mission with @UpfitTesla and @UnpluggedTesla,” Unplugged CEO Ben Schaffer posted on X. “We love working with Tesla and are grateful for the community’s support since 2013!”

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