Elon Musk, founder and CEO of Tesla, made some very important announcements at the so-called “Battery Day” conference. He revealed that in the next few years new batteries will be implemented on the company’s electric cars, more efficient and more powerful, which will also allow the launch of a cheaper car, for only $ 25,000. At the same time, the most expensive version of the Tesla Model S, the Plaid edition, with three electric motors, was announced, which managed to break records on the circuit.
The new batteries for Tesla cars will be stronger and cheaper
The most important announcement was that Tesla is preparing for the production of new batteries, which will be produced in its own factories. Thus, production costs for batteries will be reduced, bringing the prices of the company’s vehicles closer to those of gasoline cars. The new batteries will have a diameter of 46 mm and a height of 80 mm. These will provide improvements in several chapters. They will be able to store 5 times more energy and will have 6 times more power. These will be called model 4680 batteries and should provide 16% more autonomy just because of their size and shape.
Panasonic will remain a partner for Tesla, as will other suppliers such as LG Chem and other battery companies. Tesla also plans to build a new battery cathode factory that will no longer use cobalt, which will also reduce battery production costs. The new plant should also be environmentally friendly, being able to operate without producing contaminated water.
Tesla Model S Plaid
During the Battery Day event, the official price and specifications for a new edition of Tesla Model S were officially announced. This variant is called Plaid and was supposed to be launched this year. The plan is that now, the fastest Tesla will reach the market only towards the end of next year, in 2021. The new Model S Plaid comes with 1,100 horsepower and a capacity to reach 100 km / h in just two seconds. Also, the car was tested on the circuit and managed the performance of 1 minute and 30 seconds on Laguna Seca, after a year ago, the same model reached 1 minute and 36 seconds.
The new Model S comes with three electric motors, a range of 520 miles (836 km on a single charge), a top speed of 320 km / h and a price of 140,000 US dollars. This car seems to be trying to compete with Porsche alternatives like the Taycan Turbo, rather than with other electric cars, promising top performance.
Juana loves to cover the tech and gaming industry, she always stays on the first row of CES conference and reports live from there.
