The loss of battery capacity during operation is one of the problems of electric vehicles, despite the fact that this process is the norm for any devices equipped with lithium-ion batteries. However, Plug-in America experts have found that the electric car is an exception in this regard.
Yes, they did independent study, which showed that the loss of power in the Model S battery even during long runs is small. In particular, the battery pack of this car loses an average of 5% of its power after overcoming the mark of 50,000 miles (80,000 km), and at a run of more than 100,000 miles (160,000 km) - less than 8% at all . The study was conducted based on data from 500 electric cars Tesla Model S with a total mileage of more than 12 million miles (20 million km).
In addition, Plug-in America conducted another study, which showed that in the four years (since the Tesla Model S entered the market), the number of calls to Tesla service stations due to problems with the battery, electric motor or charger has been significantly reduced. device.
Battery capacity may vary depending on several factors, such as how often the capacity is fully charged, periods of time spent in an uncharged state, and the number of quick charges. Plugin America data also shows that replacement rates for major components have improved significantly:
Such data is encouraging, but despite this, Tesla continues to work on improving its battery and cell technology. The company began a scientific collaboration with the Jeff Dahn Research Group at Dalhousie University. This department specializes in extending the life of Lithium-ion battery cells, and its goal is to maximize battery life with little loss of power.
Note that the Tesla Model S battery, as well as the car itself since 2014, has an 8-year warranty and no mileage restrictions. Then the head of Tesla, Elon Musk, explained the adoption of such a decision as follows: “If we really believe that electric motors are much more reliable than engines internal combustion, with fewer moving parts… then our warranty policy should reflect that.”
New generation of Tesla batteries being developed in a secret area
Alexander Klimnov, photo Tesla and Teslarati.com
Today Tesla Inc. working very hard on the next generation of his own batteries. They must store significantly more energy and at the same time become much cheaper.
New batteries can start to be used on a promising Tesla pickup truck
The Californians were the ones who created the first usable series production electric vehicles with energy-intensive lithium-ion batteries, thus dramatically increasing their range. At that time, the batteries of the Tesla Roadster model, the firstborn of the Tesla brand, consisted of thousands of ordinary AA batteries for laptops, now lithium-ion batteries are specially created for electric vehicles. Now they are produced by many manufacturers, but Tesla's advanced technology still allows it to remain a leader in the energy-hungry battery segment. However, the first information about the next even more powerful generation of Tesla batteries began to leak into the world media.
Technological breakthrough through business acquisition
A revolutionary leap forward in terms of Tesla battery design is likely to come from the acquisition of Tesla Inc. Maxwell Technologies of San Diego. Maxwell manufactures supercapacitors (ionisters) and is actively researching solid state (dry) electrode technology. According to Maxwell, when using this technology, energy consumption of 300 Wh / kg has already been achieved on battery prototypes. The challenge for the future is to break through to an energy intensity level of more than 500 Wh/kg. In addition, the production cost of solid-state batteries should be 10-20% lower than those currently used by Tesla with liquid electrolyte. The California-based company also announced another bonus - a projected doubling of battery life. In this way, Tesla will be able to achieve the coveted 400-mile (643.6 km) range of its electric vehicles and achieve full price competitiveness with conventional cars. 
New 2020 Tesla Roadster supercar will only be able to reach its claimed range of 640 km on brand new batteries
Tesla has planned its own production of batteries?The German website of the magazine Auto motor und sport reports persistent rumors about the rollout of Tesla's own production of batteries. So far, battery cells (cells) have been supplied to Californians Japanese manufacturer Panasonic - for Model S and Model X they are imported directly from Japan, and for Model 3 cells are manufactured at Gigafactory 1 in the US state of Nevada. Production at Gigafactory 1 is jointly managed by Panasonic and Tesla. However, this has led to huge controversy lately, as Panasonic was apparently disappointed with Tesla's sales figures, and also feared that the Californians would not expand this battery business in the future.
The intrigue of the launch of the compact Tesla Model Y in 2020 was the source of the batteries
In particular, the rhythmic supply of batteries for the Model Y announced already for the fall of 2020 has been called into question by Panasonic CEO Kazuhiro Tsuga. Panasonic has now stopped its investment in Gigafactory 1 altogether. Perhaps Tesla wants to become independent from the Japanese by developing its own production of battery cells.
Tesla is now the leader in high-capacity battery technology for electric vehicles, and the Californians are determined to defend this fundamental competitive advantage. The purchase of Maxwell Technologies may be the decisive step, but it depends on how the San Diego specialists actually make progress in bringing the revolutionary solid-state battery technology to market. 
If the revolutionary solid-state battery technology really takes place, then it is possible that the Tesla Semi electric tractor will become a bestseller in the truck market, like the Model 3 in the passenger car.
So far, many automakers are setting up their own production of battery cells. Tesla also seems to want to become more independent of its supplier Panasonic and is therefore also doing research in this area.
With enough revolutionary high-energy solid-state batteries, Tesla will have a decisive market advantage and finally release the really cheap and long-range electric vehicles long promised by its owner, Elon Muskov, which will cause an avalanche growth of the BEV market.
According to CNBC sources, Tesla's secret lab is located in a separate building near Tesla's Fremont plant (screenshot photo). Previously, there were reports of a closed "zone-laboratory", located on the second floor of the enterprise. Probably the current battery division is the successor to that former laboratory, but even more classified. 
Real breakthrough on automotive market Tesla will only be able to achieve if its line of models becomes even more “long-range” with a significant price reduction.
According to IHS Markit analysts, the most expensive element of a modern electric car is the battery, but not Tesla, but Panasonic receives most of the money for them.
Insiders are not yet able to report on the real achievements of Tesla's secret laboratory. It is assumed that Elon Musk will share it at the end of the year during the traditional conference call with investors.
Earlier it was reported that Tesla plans to sell 1,000 Tesla Model 3 electric vehicles per day. Tesla's current monthly record for Model 3 deliveries is 90,700 electric vehicles. If the company manages to deliver the planned number of electric vehicles in June, then this record can be broken.
In the spring of 2015, Tesla showed the public a new battery for the home. In its essence, it represents a new stage in the development of the corporation. This battery is the next step towards creating a smart home that will not depend on external communications.
History of creation
Production and consumption of electrical energy in the 21st century is one of the most important problems. The prospects of all mankind largely depend on it. Traditionally, electricity is generated in two ways:
- commercial (processing of coal, oil, gas, nuclear energy, use of water and solar energy);
- non-commercial (processing of industrial waste, firewood, use of muscle strength).
Moreover, commercial sources account for more than 90% of all electricity production. This trend has been observed for decades, despite the significant crisis of fuel resources and air pollution. If we do not begin to correct the situation, then either an energy crisis or a global environmental catastrophe may occur. Therefore, Tesla decided to contribute to the improvement of energy production and use systems by developing an innovative battery.
The project to create this unique Tesla battery was led by Elon Musk himself, who can be considered a revolutionary in the field of information technology. Indeed, even 10 years ago, almost no one believed in the success of electric vehicles. However, through the efforts of Elon Musk, it was possible to create a popular high-quality Tesla Model S electric car that every motorist wants to buy. It turned out that despite the monopoly of internal combustion engines, an alternative to liquid fuel was found a long time ago. It's just that no one dared to change the established traditions. Following the success of electric vehicles, Tesla decided to develop a household battery.
The decision on this was presented on April 30 by Elon Musk himself. Such a revolutionary development should not only have a positive impact on the environment, but also on the economy as a whole. New battery named Tesla Powerwall. It will allow you to reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and significantly reduce energy costs. That is, in fact, the Tesla company has taken up the continuation of the idea of \u200b\u200bautonomous provision of houses, which is no longer something unique. Already today, many owners of country houses are covering the roofs of their homes with solar panels that feed lead-acid batteries. Tesla's new battery should be much more efficient and cost effective.
Characteristics of Powerwall batteries
The Powerwall battery can take energy from both solar panels and other energy sources. The system can have a capacity of 7 and 10 kW. Accordingly, the first option is suitable for daily use, and the second for creating energy reserves. According to experts, the average American family living in a separate house with three bedrooms, which will operate a Tesla battery, consumes approximately 3200 kW per hour. Therefore, a fully charged battery can provide such a house for about 4-5 hours.
It is assumed that the installation of Tesla batteries will be carried out jointly with Solar City. This company is engaged in the manufacture and installation of solar panels, and the brilliant Elon Musk is also its largest shareholder. In the future, it is planned to involve other partners who will participate in the development of the project. According to financial experts, the sale of new batteries could bring Tesla almost $ 4.5 billion. This is due to the fact that many large firms will be able to use new batteries for their own purposes. It is for them that the Powerpack system will be developed, which will include a whole set of battery packs with a capacity of 100 kW per hour. For industrial purposes, these batteries can be combined into a common system with a capacity of 10 MW per hour or even more. Tesla has already announced that the equipment has already begun testing at US firms Walmart and Cargill.
Benefits of the Tesla Powerwall Battery
Application of lithium-ion battery cells
The use of lithium-ion batteries is an important innovation that was taken as the basis for the creation of the Powerwall battery. This battery is far superior in many respects to traditional lead-acid batteries. So, a lead-acid battery has no more than 800 discharge and charge cycles. At the same time, a lithium-ion battery has 1000-1200 charge and discharge cycles. In addition, a lithium-ion battery is several times better than a lead battery in terms of weight and capacity.
Nice design
It is thanks to its small size that the Tesla battery received a beautiful and stylish design. Tesla Powerwall developers decided that this product should create a pleasant first impression, which in the end can become decisive. This product features rounded edges and relatively thin thickness compared to competitors. In addition, for these batteries, the creators offer a wide variety of colors. Therefore, even without considering specifications, Tesla Powerwall is sure to grab your attention. This device can be mounted directly on the wall, where it will occupy a minimum of space.
Holistic Ecostructure
The new Powerwall battery is presented in two versions, each of which has a capacity of 7 and 10 kW per hour. Their cost is 3 thousand and 3.5 thousand dollars, respectively. In principle, if for some reason the consumer does not have enough capacity, then he can add several more batteries to the system, increasing the total capacity to 90 kW per hour. That is, you can connect up to 9 batteries as much as possible. In order to connect these batteries, you do not need to thoroughly study the principles of building electrical networks. Here you can solve all problems with one cable.
An effective solution for business and industry
In parallel with Powerwall, another system was presented, which is intended to provide electricity to industrial facilities. This novelty is called Tesla Powerpack. The peculiarity of this battery is the possibility of an infinite increase in potential capacity, reaching several gigawatts per hour. This battery was created under the leadership of Elon Musk, who is used to thinking big. Therefore, this battery was presented not so much for individual users, but for the entire electrification system as a whole. In order to provide the entire planet with energy, Tesla is going to create more than 900 million Powerpack batteries.
This system will take care of the environment, which will completely abandon the industrial generation of electricity using fossil resources. All this will reduce the release of external substances into the environment. In addition, the Tesla Powerpack battery will allow you to achieve complete autonomy of any industrial facility.
Payback calculation in Russia
Before you buy a Tesla battery, you should understand whether it will be beneficial for you. If we take the amount of energy consumed per day as 10 kW per hour, then this will be equal to using the full capacity of the battery per day. The price of the Tesla Powerwall battery is 3.5 thousand, which is approximately 175 thousand rubles at the current rate. In addition, do not forget about the need to purchase an inverter, which by modern standards costs 1.5 thousand dollars. Also, one should not forget about the losses that may occur in an electrical circuit consisting of a battery, a current converter and an inverter. At the same time, the total efficiency of the Tesla battery is approximately 87%. Therefore, the user does not receive all 10 kWh, but only 8.7 kWh.
With two-zone billing, the daily energy consumption is 5 kWh, which is 57% of the maximum resource of the Tesla Powerwall equipment. The rest of the energy goes to evening consumption. With this calculation, the cost per day of using the power grid for the year will be approximately 22 thousand rubles a year in the United States and more than a third less in Russia. Further, it should be taken into account that a conventional lithium-ion battery traditionally loses about 6% of its original capacity within a year. Therefore, over time, the battery capacity will gradually decrease, and after a few you will not be able to cope with one Tesla Powerwall battery.
It turns out that, taking into account all the costs, the Tesla Powerwall battery in our country does not pay for itself even in 15 years. The total cost of equipment, even without solar panels, is approximately 250 thousand rubles.
Reflections on the topic
According to many experts, the new development of the company is an interesting option to achieve energy independence. This device will allow us to look forward to a future free of harmful emissions with the constant depletion of natural resources. However, today the cost of this equipment is too high to be profitable in our country. In addition, if you add the price of the converter, inverter and solar panels to the cost, then the situation will be even less rosy. At the same time, many are ready to invest in their future now in order to create a green planet in this way. For this purpose, the Tesla Powerwall is the best fit. In addition, you can count on a further reduction in the cost of Tesla batteries in the future.
Of course, Elon Musk's idea is not completely innovative, as there are many options for home batteries in the world today. However, according to Musk, all these batteries are too expensive, inconvenient and not very reliable. Therefore, Tesla's main goal is to popularize these batteries and reduce their prices.
Families and businesses that already have rooftop solar panels will love the new Powerwall batteries, experts say. Musk himself believes that in California alone there are at least 300 private homes that are equipped with solar systems. Therefore, all of them can be safely equipped with Tesla batteries. Also, such batteries will become great option for buildings that need constant uninterrupted power supply. This applies to hospitals, military organizations and so on. Thanks to the accumulation of solar energy, solar panels can be made more efficient and in demand. For example, if earlier many people refused solar panels, since they only worked in bright sunlight, now the situation may change. Thanks to the use of batteries, energy can be stored during the day and used in the evening, which is more efficient.
Flaws
The key disadvantage of the Tesla battery is its high cost. In addition, you will have to pay an additional several thousand dollars for installing a battery. Agree that not every family can afford such a luxury. Therefore, according to Elon Musk, you need to show people that with the help of this device you can save a lot. To do this, it is supposed to reduce the initial cost of the device by about 30%. This will become possible when the construction of the new Tesla plant in Nevada is completed. In general, the experts are optimistic, because, in their opinion, over the past few decades, the cost of electricity has generally been falling and there are no prerequisites for an increase in this price in the near future. That is why Tesla's development in the form of a unique home battery will soon become really popular and in demand.
Tesla Motors is the creator of truly revolutionary eco-cars, which are not only mass-produced, but also have unique characteristics that allow their use literally on a daily basis. Today we take a look inside the battery of the Tesla Model S electric car, find out how it works and reveal the magic of this battery's success.
According to the North American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Model S only needs a single charge of 85 kWh batteries to cover more than 400 km, which is the most significant indicator among similar cars on the specialized market. To accelerate to 100 km / h, the electric car needs only 4.4 seconds.
The key to the success of this model is the presence of lithium-ion batteries, the main components of which are supplied to Tesla by Panasonic. Tesla batteries are covered in legends. And so one of the owners of such a battery decided to violate its integrity and find out what it is like inside. By the way, the cost of such a battery is 45,000 USD.
The battery is located at the bottom, thanks to which Tesla has a low center of gravity and excellent handling. It is attached to the body by means of brackets.
Tesla battery. Parsing
The battery compartment is formed by 16 blocks, which are connected in parallel and protected from the environment by means of metal plates, as well as a plastic lining that prevents water from entering.
Before completely disassembling it, the electrical voltage was measured, which confirmed the working condition of the battery.
The assembly of batteries is characterized by high density and precision fitting of parts. The entire picking process takes place in a completely sterile room, using robots.
Each block consists of 74 elements, which are very similar in appearance to simple finger batteries (Panasonic lithium-ion cells), divided into 6 groups. At the same time, it is almost impossible to find out the scheme of their placement and operation - this is a big secret, which means that it will be extremely difficult to make a replica of this battery. We are unlikely to see a Chinese analogue of the Tesla Model S battery!
Graphite serves as the positive electrode, and nickel, cobalt and aluminum oxide serve as the negative electrode. .
The most powerful battery available (its volume is 85 kWh) consists of 7104 such batteries. And it weighs about 540 kg, and its parameters are 210 cm long, 150 cm wide and 15 cm thick. The amount of energy generated by just one unit of 16 is equal to the amount produced by a hundred batteries from laptop computers.
When assembling their batteries, Tesla uses elements made in various countries, such as India, China, Mexico, but the final refinement and packaging are made in the United States. The company provides warranty service of their products for up to 8 years.
Thus, you learned what the Tesla Model S battery consists of and how it works. We thank you for your attention!