South Korean battery maker LG Energy Solution, which recently broke away from LG Chem, will make cells in Tesla’s new 4680 battery format, sources have said.
The 4680 battery size (which stands for 46mm diameter and 80mm length) was revealed at Tesla’s Battery Day in September 2020.
Although at the time the 4680 battery reveal was somewhat of an anti-climax – due to expectations the EV maker would reveal a “million-mile battery” – the new size will enable less wasted space between the cylindrical cells and hence more kilowatt-hours capacity in the same space.
Also, the introduction of Tesla’s patented tabless electrode technology which reduces the need for cooling in turn means equates to reduction in the cost of making batteries.
While EV-Volumes says that it will be pouch-style batteries (the kind you find in a mobile phone) that will dominate the EV market by 2025, Tesla’s preference for cylindrical batteries stems from its early deal with Panasonic to use its 18650, and later 21700 cells.
Nevertheless, Tesla has been piloting a line for its 4680 battery at its Kato Road facility in Fremont, California, which it will make at its Texas and Berlin gigafactories.
Reuters now reports that information from two separate sources indicate LG may also make the 4680 batteries in the US and Europe.
According to the news agency, a Korean supplier to the battery maker has supplied it with 4680 samples, which may then be made at a planned US factory that LG revealed to Korean media last week.
A European factory is also apparently in the pipeline, with Spain pegged as a possible location.
“LG plans to produce 4680 cells at its new U.S. factory. They plan to build a new 4680 cell line to supply Tesla’s Giga Berlin in Europe,” Reuters reported one fo the sources said.
LG declined to confirm the news with Reuters and Tesla was not immediately available for comment, and the source said a deal was not yet secured between the two companies.
News that LG may make 4680 large-format batteries come as South Korean carmaker Hyundai confirmed it will replace 82,000 LG batteries used in its Kona and Ioniq electric cars.
Reports of Hyundai EV fires in Korea were linked to the LG batteries, at which time Hyundai said it would fix the issue via a software update. However, in late February it confirmed it would replace the batteries, and it will reportedly instead use SK Innovation batteries in the recently revealed Ioniq 5.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.