News
Tesla’s zero-cobalt battery goes beyond price parity, it’s a strike to gas cars’ jugular
It is no secret that Tesla is pursuing a million-mile battery. This battery will be so advanced, it would be able to stand the most stressful conditions for electric vehicles without compromising its quality and longevity; and when used for energy storage devices, it could last decades with regular use. If recent reports are any indication, it appears that Tesla’s million-mile battery could very well be the factor that would allow sustainable transportation to go for fossil fuels’ jugular.
One key factor that is still blocking the electric vehicle movement is the price of batteries. For the longest time, it has been widely speculated that reducing battery production costs to $100/kWh is the key to EVs reaching price parity with their petrol-powered counterparts. A recent report from Reuters, citing individuals familiar with Tesla’s battery efforts, has noted that the cost of Tesla’s batteries could fall even lower than $100/kWh.
Tesla is reportedly poised to start using batteries that it developed with China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd. (CATL) in the near future, with some reports speculating that the new cells could be rolled out to the Made-in-China Model 3 later this year. This battery, which will be cobalt-free, is reportedly a solid step towards a full rollout of Tesla’s million-mile battery. These batteries are still set to be improved as well, with the cells’ energy density and storage capacity being optimized over time.
Estimates indicate that CATL’s cobalt-free lithium iron phosphate battery packs for Tesla have fallen to $80/kWh, with the cost of the battery cells themselves dropping to about $60/kWh. Provided that these estimates are accurate, Tesla’s electric cars will not only be able to meet the $100/kWh target and meet price parity with gas powered cars, the company’s vehicles could actually become cheaper than their petrol-powered counterparts in the future.
Battery expert Shirley Meng, a professor at the University of California San Diego, noted that these costs, even for more expensive NMC cells, would drop even further when battery recycling comes into the picture. Fortunately for Tesla, there are signs that a serious effort to recycle batteries is underway. Reports indicate that the electric car maker is working steadily to recycle and recover key materials in its batteries, such as nickel, cobalt, and lithium.
Tesla’s efforts at recycling its batteries have been known for some time, considering the company’s focus on sustainability. These efforts are being pushed through Redwood Materials, a firm that’s focused on recovering vital battery components. Interestingly enough, Redwood Materials is headed by JB Straubel, a co-founder and longtime Chief Technology Officer of Tesla. Straubel is an authority in batteries, as evidenced by the fact that Elon Musk was already sponsoring his battery research even before both of them joined Tesla.
If Tesla can master battery recycling, and if it can reduce its battery costs to $80/kWh and below, the company’s electric vehicles could become even more competitive in the auto market. As it is, Teslas are still quite expensive compared to their gas-powered counterparts due to their batteries’ costs, and yet, some of the company’s vehicles like the Model 3 are already dominating established gas-powered cars like the BMW M3 on the market. One can only imagine how far Tesla could go with a vehicle like the Model Y, which caters to the hyper-popular crossover market, and a million-mile battery whose costs are down to less than $100/kWh.
-->With Teslas reaching or even exceeding price parity with gas powered rivals, there will be very little incentive for car buyers to purchase petrol-powered cars over electric vehicles. Premium EVs, after all, are cheaper to run, more powerful, and far cleaner. The million-mile battery may only be one of the things that Tesla is working on to optimize its vehicles, but it goes a long way towards the company’s fight for sustainability.
News
Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
Tesla will expand its factory shuttle service in Germany beginning January 4, adding direct rail trips from Berlin Ostbahnhof to Giga Berlin-Brandenburg in Grünheide.
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
New shuttle route
As noted in a report from rbb24, the updated service, which will start January 4, will run between the Berlin Ostbahnhof East Station and the Erkner Station at the Gigafactory Berlin complex. Tesla stated that the timetable mirrors shift changes for the facility’s employees, and similar to before, the service will be completely free. The train will offer six direct trips per day as well.
“The service includes six daily trips, which also cover our shift times. The trains will run between Berlin Ostbahnhof (with a stop at Ostkreuz) and Erkner station to the Gigafactory,” Tesla Germany stated.
Even with construction continuing at Fangschleuse and Köpenick stations, the company said the route has been optimized to maintain a predictable 35-minute travel time. The update follows earlier phases of Tesla’s “Giga Train” program, which initially connected Erkner to the factory grounds before expanding to Berlin-Lichtenberg.
-->Tesla pushes for majority rail commuting
Tesla began production at Grünheide in March 2022, and the factory’s workforce has since grown to around 11,500 employees, with an estimated 60% commuting from Berlin. The facility produces the Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, for both Germany and other territories.
The company has repeatedly emphasized its goal of having more than half its staff use public transportation rather than cars, positioning the shuttle as a key part of that initiative. In keeping with the factory’s sustainability focus, Tesla continues to allow even non-employees to ride the shuttle free of charge, making it a broader mobility option for the area.
News
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominate China’s real-world efficiency tests
The Tesla Model 3 posted 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y followed closely at 21.8 kWh/100 km.
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y once again led the field in a new real-world energy-consumption test conducted by China’s Autohome, outperforming numerous rival electric vehicles in controlled conditions.
The results, which placed both Teslas in the top two spots, prompted Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun to acknowledge Tesla’s efficiency advantage while noting that his company’s vehicles will continue refining its own models to close the gap.
Tesla secures top efficiency results
Autohome’s evaluation placed all vehicles under identical conditions, such as a full 375-kg load, cabin temperature fixed at 24°C on automatic climate control, and a steady cruising speed of 120 km/h. In this environment, the Tesla Model 3 posted 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y followed closely at 21.8 kWh/100 km, as noted in a Sina News report.
These figures positioned Tesla’s vehicles firmly at the top of the ranking and highlighted their continued leadership in long-range efficiency. The test also highlighted how drivetrain optimization, software management, and aerodynamic profiles remain key differentiators in high-speed, cold-weather scenarios where many electric cars struggle to maintain low consumption.
Xiaomi’s Lei Jun pledges to continue learning from Tesla
Following the results, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun noted that the Xiaomi SU7 actually performed well overall but naturally consumed more energy due to its larger C-segment footprint and higher specification. He reiterated that factors such as size and weight contributed to the difference in real-world consumption compared to Tesla. Still, the executive noted that Xiaomi will continue to learn from the veteran EV maker.
“The Xiaomi SU7’s energy consumption performance is also very good; you can take a closer look. The fact that its test results are weaker than Tesla’s is partly due to objective reasons: the Xiaomi SU7 is a C-segment car, larger and with higher specifications, making it heavier and naturally increasing energy consumption. Of course, we will continue to learn from Tesla and further optimize its energy consumption performance!” Lei Jun wrote in a post on Weibo.
-->Lei Jun has repeatedly described Tesla as the global benchmark for EV efficiency, previously stating that Xiaomi may require three to five years to match its leadership. He has also been very supportive of FSD, even testing the system in the United States.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk reveals what will make Optimus’ ridiculous production targets feasible
Musk recent post suggests that Tesla has a plan to attain Optimus’ production goals.
Elon Musk subtly teased Tesla’s strategy to achieve Optimus’ insane production volume targets. The CEO has shared his predictions about Optimus’ volume, and they are so ambitious that one would mistake them for science fiction.
Musk’s recent post on X, however, suggests that Tesla has a plan to attain Optimus’ production goals.
The highest volume product
Elon Musk has been pretty clear about the idea of Optimus being Tesla’s highest-volume product. During the Tesla 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk stated that the humanoid robot will see “the fastest production ramp of any product of any large complex manufactured product ever,” starting with a one-million-per-year line at the Fremont Factory.
Following this, Musk stated that Giga Texas will receive a 10 million-per-year unit Optimus line. But even at this level, the Optimus ramp is just beginning, as the production of the humanoid robot will only accelerate from there. At some point, the CEO stated that a Mars location could even have a 100 million-unit-per-year production line, resulting in up to a billion Optimus robots being produced per year.
Self-replication is key
During the weekend, Musk posted a short message that hinted at Tesla’s Optimus strategy. “Optimus will be the Von Neumann probe,” the CEO wrote in his post. This short comment suggests that Tesla will not be relying on traditional production systems to make Optimus. The company probably won’t even hire humans to produce the humanoid robot at one point. Instead, Optimus robots could simply produce other Optimus robots, allowing them to self-replicate.
-->The Von Neumann is a hypothetical self-replicating spacecraft proposed by the mathematician and physicist John von Neumann in the 1940s–1950s. The hypothetical machine in the concept would be able to travel to a new star system or location, land, mine, and extract raw materials from planets, asteroids, and moons as needed, use those materials to manufacture copies of itself, and launch the new copies toward other star systems.
If Optimus could pull off this ambitious target, the humanoid robot would indeed be the highest volume product ever created. It could, as Musk predicted, really change the world.
Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominate China’s real-world efficiency tests
