Back in September, Tesla announced with a lot of fan-fare that its new generation of tabless batteries dubbed the 4680 will transform its EVs. But now these batteries are being produced at LG's facilities in Korea as a part of a pilot production run. Earlier, Tesla had stated that it would produce these batteries on its own. When Tesla had announced this - it said these batteries will be in a bigger format and have all new chemistry. However, people had misunderstood that Tesla wasn't reinventing the wheel with the core battery cell - which has now been revealed to be coming from LG.
"The reason Tesla is doing its own cell production is in order to accelerate the growth. It is not to make less use of our cell suppliers. In fact, I want to be really clear Tesla wants to increase purchases from cell suppliers. And we've been very clear with our cell suppliers, whether it be CATL or Panasonic or LG, that we will take as many batteries as they can produce, so - and we urge them to increase their production and we will buy as much as they can send to us.," said Elon Musk at the time.
LG Energy Solutions is the largest manufacturer of batteries for EVs
It's just not LG, but also Panasonic is also making the battery cell of the 4680 battery -- that too on its facilities within the gigafactory. LG Chem, which is now known as LG Energy Solutions had also hinted at developing such a battery cell. Initially, it seemed like all the battery manufacturers were copying Tesla, but now it has been revealed that they are manufacturing them on behalf of Tesla using their chemistry.
"LG energy solutions has recently begun to build a pilot production line for Tesla 4680 batteries, according to the elec, a South Korean media report. It is currently transforming some production lines in its change plant, and the assembly and electroplating equipment has been installed. LG is likely to invest millions of dollars in the line, a figure comparable to rival Panasonic, which is also preparing pilot production for Tesla's Suminoe plant in Osaka, according to people familiar with the matter. LG aims to complete the pilot line before Panasonic starts mass production of batteries," said a report by Korean publication EQUALOCEAN.
