Tesla Motors is the creator of truly revolutionary eco-cars, which are not only mass-produced, but also have unique characteristics that allow them to be used literally every day. Today we take a look inside the battery of a 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 travel more than 400 km, which is the most significant indicator among similar vehicles on the specialized market. To accelerate to 100 km / h, the electric car takes only 4.4 seconds.

The key to the success of this model is the availability of lithium-ion batteries, the main components of which are supplied for Tesla by Panasonic. Tesla batteries are steeped in legends. And therefore one of the owners of such a battery decided to violate its integrity and find out what it is inside. By the way, the cost of such a battery is 45,000 USD.

The battery is located in the underbody, giving Tesla a low center of gravity and excellent handling. It is attached to the body by means of brackets.

Tesla battery. We disassemble

The battery compartment is formed by 16 blocks, which are connected in parallel and shielded from the environment by means of metal plates, as well as a plastic cover that prevents water ingress.

Before completely disassembling it, the electrical voltage was measured, confirming the working condition of the battery.

The battery assembly is characterized by high density and precise fit of parts. The entire picking process takes place in a completely clean room, using robots.

Each unit consists of 74 cells, very similar in appearance to simple finger-type 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!

The positive electrode is graphite, and the negative one is nickel, cobalt and aluminum oxide. ...

The most powerful battery available (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 out of 16 is equal to the amount produced by a hundred batteries from laptop computers.

When assembling its batteries, Tesla uses elements produced in various countries, such as India, China, Mexico, but the final revision and assembly are made in the United States. The company provides warranty service for its 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!

Let's take a look inside the battery of a Tesla Model S electric car and find out how it works.

According to the North American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Model S only needs a single charge of 85 kWh batteries to travel more than 400 km, which is the most significant indicator among similar vehicles on the specialized market. To accelerate to 100 km / h, the electric car takes only 4.4 seconds.

The key to the success of this model is the availability of lithium-ion batteries, the main components of which are supplied for Tesla by Panasonic. Tesla batteries are steeped in legends. And therefore one of the owners of such a battery decided to violate its integrity and find out what it is inside. By the way, the cost of such a battery is 45,000 USD.

The battery is located in the underbody, giving Tesla a low center of gravity and excellent handling. It is attached to the body by means of brackets.

We disassemble:

The battery compartment is formed by 16 blocks, which are connected in parallel and shielded from the environment by means of metal plates, as well as a plastic cover that prevents water ingress.

Before completely disassembling it, the electrical voltage was measured, confirming the working condition of the battery.

The battery assembly is characterized by high density and precise fit of parts. The entire picking process takes place in a completely clean room, using robots.

Each unit consists of 74 cells, very similar in appearance to simple finger-type 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.

The positive electrode is graphite, and the negative one is nickel, cobalt and aluminum oxide. The indicated amount of electrical voltage in the capsule is 3.6V.

The most powerful battery available (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 out of 16 is equal to the amount produced by a hundred batteries from laptop computers.

When assembling its batteries, Tesla uses elements produced in various countries, such as India, China, Mexico, but the final revision and assembly are made in the United States. The company provides warranty service for its products for up to 8 years.

Now you also know what the battery of the Tesla Model S electric car consists of.

The Tesla company is known, first of all, for its breakthrough in the field of electric cars. The concept of environmentally friendly transport has long been mastered by the largest auto giants, but American engineers managed to bring the idea closer to the real interests of the consumer. To a large extent, this was facilitated by the power supply systems, which were supposed to completely replace the traditional internal combustion engine. And the battery line for the Tesla Model S electric vehicle marked a new stage in the segment's development.

Battery Applications

The main motives for the development of fundamentally new batteries were caused by the tasks of increasing the performance of electric cars. Therefore, the basic line is focused on providing transport with an innovative energy supply system. In particular, the flagship lithium-ion battery versions are used for Tesla Model S models. Their feature is the exclusion of the so-called hybrid principle of battery operation, in which alternating power supply of the car from the battery pack and the internal combustion engine is allowed. The company strives to make the power supply of electric vehicles completely independent of traditional fuels.

However, the developers are not limited to power supply systems for vehicles. To date, several series have been formed with batteries intended for stationary household and commercial use. And if the Tesla battery for a car is focused on supporting the functionality of the chassis and on-board electronics, then the models of energy storage batteries can be considered as universal and autonomous power supply sources. The potential of these elements is sufficient to serve, for example, home appliances. The concept of accumulating solar energy is also developing, but so far there is no talk of widespread use of such systems.

Battery device

The batteries have a special structure and configuration of the arrangement of active elements. First of all, power supplies are based on a lithium-ion basis. Such elements have long been used as mobile devices and power tools, but the task of supplying power to vehicles for them was first discovered by the developers of the Tesla battery. For the car, a block consisting of 74 components is used, which outwardly resemble finger batteries. The whole block is divided into several segments (from 6 to 16 depending on the version). Graphite acts as a positive electrode, and a whole group of chemical fillers, including aluminum oxide, cobalt and nickel, gives a negative charge.

In terms of integration into the vehicle structure, the battery pack is attached to the underbody. By the way, it is this placement that provides electric cars with a lower center of gravity and, as a result, optimal handling. The fixation is carried out using the complete brackets.

Since there are only a few analogues of such solutions today, then, first of all, the idea of \u200b\u200bcomparing Tesla batteries with traditional batteries may come. And in this sense, the question logically arises about the safety, at least, of this method of placement. The task of providing protection is solved by a high-strength case, which contains the Tesla battery. The device of each block also provides for the presence of protective metal plates. Moreover, not the inner compartment itself is isolated, but each segment separately. To this should be added the presence of a plastic cover, which is specially designed to exclude the penetration of water under the body.

Specifications

The most powerful version of the battery for the Tesla electric car includes about 7104 mini-batteries, is 210 cm long, 15 cm thick and 150 cm wide. The voltage in the unit is 3.6 V. For comparison, the amount of energy generated by one battery section corresponds to the potential generated from the batteries of hundreds of laptop computers. But the weight of the Tesla battery is also quite impressive - about 540 kg.

What do these characteristics give an electric car? According to experts, a battery with a capacity of 85 kW * h (average in the manufacturer's lineup) allows you to drive about 400 km on a single charge. Again, for comparison, not so long ago the largest automakers in the "green" segment fought for the performance of 250-300 km of path, which could be covered without recharging. The high-speed dynamics are also impressive - 100 km / h are gained in just 4.4 seconds.

Of course, with such properties, the question arises about the durability of the battery, since high performance presupposes a corresponding rate of wear of the active elements. It should be noted right away that the manufacturer gives an 8-year warranty for their batteries. Probably, the actual life of the Tesla battery will be similar, but so far even the first owners of electric cars cannot confirm or deny this figure.

On the other hand, there are studies that show a moderate loss of battery power. On average, the block loses 5% of its capacity potential for 80 thousand km. There is another indicator indicating that the number of requests from users of Tesla electric cars due to malfunctions in the battery pack is decreasing as new modifications are released.

Battery capacity

With the assessment of the capacitive indicator of batteries, not everything is clear. With the development of the line, this characteristic has gone from 60 to 105 kWh, if we take the most noticeable versions. Accordingly, according to official data, at the moment the peak capacity of the Tesla battery is about 100 kW * h. However, according to the results of checking the first owners of electric cars with such equipment, it turned out that, for example, a modification of 85 kW * h actually has a volume of 77 kW * h.

There are also opposite examples in which an excess of volume is found. Thus, a 100 kWh battery model, upon detailed study, turned out to be endowed with a capacity of 102.4 kWh. Discrepancies in determining the amount of active nutrients are also revealed. In particular, there are discrepancies in the estimates of the number of battery cells. Experts attribute this to the fact that the Tesla battery is constantly being modernized, taking in new improvements and improvements. The company itself notes that every year new versions of the unit undergo changes in architecture, electronic components and cooling system. But in each case, the activities of the engineers are aimed at improving the performance of the product.

PowerWall modification

As already mentioned, in parallel with the line of car batteries, Tesla is also developing a segment of energy storage devices intended for household needs. One of the latest and most striking developments in this segment is also the PowerWall lithium-ion unit. It can be used both as a permanent source of energy to cover certain energy tasks and as a backup unit with the function of an autonomous generator. This Tesla battery is presented in different versions, which differ in capacity. So, the most popular models are 7 and 10 kWh.

With regard to performance, the power potential is 3.3 kW at a voltage of 350-450 V and a current of 9 A. The mass of the unit is 100 kg, so you can forget about the mobility of the battery. Although you should not dismiss the possibility of using the unit in the country during the seasonal time. There is no need to worry about damage to the battery during transportation, since the developers pay special attention to the physical protection of the case. The only thing that can upset a new user of this Tesla product is the battery charging time, which is about 10-18 hours, depending on the drive version.

PowerPack modification

This system is based on PowerWall elements, but is designed to serve enterprises. That is, we are talking about a commercial version of an energy storage device that is scalable and capable of delivering high performance to the target. Suffice it to say that the battery capacity is 100 kW, although this capacity is not the maximum. The developers have provided for a flexible system for combining several units with the ability to provide from 500 kW to 10 MW.

Moreover, the single PowerPack batteries are also improved in their performance. Not so long ago, it was announced the appearance of the second generation of Tesla commercial battery, the characteristics in terms of power have already reached 200 kW, and the efficiency is 99%. This reserve of energy storage differs in technological properties.

The engineers used a new inverter of the reversible type to ensure the possibility of expanding the volume. Thanks to this innovation, both the power and the productivity of the unit have increased. In the near future, the company plans to offer the concept of introducing PowerPack cells into the structure of auxiliary solar cells Solar Roof. This will make it possible to replenish the energy potential of the battery not through the main power supply lines, but through free solar energy in a continuous mode.

Where is the Tesla battery manufactured?

According to the manufacturer, the lithium-ion batteries are manufactured by its own factory, Gigafactory. Moreover, the assembly process itself is implemented jointly with Panasonic. By the way, the Japanese company also supplies accessories for battery segments. At the facilities of Gigafactory, in particular, the newest series of power supplies is produced for the third generation of Model electric cars. According to some calculations, the aggregate volume of produced batteries at the maximum production cycle should be 35 GWh per year. For comparison, this volume takes up half of all the capacities of batteries produced in the world. Such a high potential will be serviced by 6,500 employees of the enterprise, although in the future it is planned to create about 20 thousand more jobs.

It should be noted that the Tesla model S battery has a high degree of protection against burglary, which practically minimizes the risks of counterfeit analogues appearing on the market. In addition, the manufacturing process itself involves the participation of high-precision robotic units. It is obvious that only corporations of the same level as Tesla are capable of repeating the technology today. However, interested companies do not need this, since they are engaged in their own developments in this direction.

Battery cost

The prices for Tesla batteries also change regularly, which is associated with cheaper production technologies and the release of new components with higher performance characteristics. Until a few years ago, a Model S electric car battery could be purchased for $ 45,000. At the moment, the items cost $ 3,000-5,000. Similar prices apply to PowerWall home appliances. But the most expensive is the commercial Tesla battery, which costs $ 25,000. But this also applies only to the first generation version.

Analogues from competitors

As already noted, Tesla is not a monopoly in the segment. There are many similar offers on the market, which may be less known, but are quite competitive in terms of their characteristics. Thus, the Korean company LG, which developed the Chem RESU elements, offers an alternative to the PowerWall system. The unit with a capacity of 6.5 kWh is estimated at $ 4,000. Drives with a range of 6-23 kWh are offered by Sunverge. This product features charge monitoring and solar panel connectivity. Its cost varies on average from $ 10,000 to $ 20,000. ElectrIQ offers home energy storage with a capacity of 10 kWh. The unit costs $ 13,000, but this price also includes an inverter.

Other automobile manufacturers are also mastering the innovative direction, which are even more tightly squeezing the Tesla battery in various modifications on the market. Among the competitors of this link, Nissan and Mercedes are especially noted. In the first case, the XStorage battery line with a capacity of 4.2 kWh is offered. The features of these elements include a high degree of environmental safety, which fits into the requirements of the latest European standards for car production. In turn, Mercedes produces small 2.5 kWh units, but they can be combined into more efficient units, the power of which reaches 20 kWh.

Finally

Tesla is undoubtedly the most popular developer of innovative energy supply systems and ecological vehicles. But as it opens up new horizons in the world of technology, this firm faces major hurdles. In particular, Tesla Model S electric cars with lithium-ion batteries are regularly criticized by experts for insufficient safety in terms of protection against battery fires. Although in the latest versions, engineers have made significant improvements in this regard.

The problem of the inaccessibility of batteries for the mass consumer still remains. And if with household drives this situation is changing due to the cheaper elements, then the idea of \u200b\u200bpairing blocks with solar panels cannot yet be successful on the market due to the high cost. The possibilities of accumulating free energy are the most promising and beneficial for users, but the acquisition of such systems is beyond the power of most even interested consumers. The same applies to other areas in which the use of alternative energy sources is expected. The principle of their operation gives a lot of advantages, but they are achieved only through sophisticated high-tech equipment.

(the average: 4,83 out of 5)

Tesla Motors is the creator of truly revolutionary eco-cars, which are not only mass-produced, but also have unique characteristics that allow them to be used literally every day. Today we take a look inside the Tesla Model S battery, find out how it works, and reveal the magic of this battery's success.

1. According to the North American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Model S requires one charge of 85 kWh batteries to travel more than 400 km, which is the most significant indicator among similar vehicles on the specialized market. To accelerate to 100 km / h, the electric car takes only 4.4 seconds.

2. The key to the success of this model is the availability of lithium-ion batteries, the main components of which are supplied for Tesla by Panasonic. Tesla batteries are steeped in legends. And therefore one of the owners of such a battery decided to violate its integrity and find out what it is inside. By the way, the cost of such a battery is 45,000 USD.

The battery is located in the underbody, giving Tesla a low center of gravity and excellent handling. It is attached to the body by means of brackets.

Tesla battery. We disassemble

3. The battery compartment is formed by 16 blocks, which are connected in parallel and shielded from the environment by means of metal plates, as well as a plastic cover to prevent water ingress.

5. Before completely disassembling it, the voltage was measured, which confirmed the working condition of the battery.

The battery assembly is characterized by high density and precise fit of parts. The entire picking process takes place in a completely clean room, using robots.

6. Each block consists of 74 cells, very similar in appearance to simple finger-type 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!

The positive electrode is graphite, and the negative one is nickel, cobalt and aluminum oxide. The indicated amount of electrical voltage in the capsule is 3.6V.

7. Tesla battery cooling system.

8. The most powerful battery available (its capacity 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 out of 16 is equal to the amount produced by a hundred batteries from laptop computers.

9. When assembling its batteries, Tesla uses elements produced in various countries, such as India, China, Mexico, but the final revision and assembly are made in the United States. The company provides warranty service for its products for up to 8 years.

Tesla's new battery generation is being developed in a secret area

Alexander Klimnov, photo by Tesla and Teslarati.com

Today Tesla Inc. is working very hard on the next generation of its own batteries. They have to store significantly more energy and at the same time become much cheaper.

New batteries can begin to be used on a promising Tesla pickup (drawing of a possible pickup, which, according to other sources, may become more brutal, since the current bestseller of America Ford F-series will have to be swept away from the market)

The Californians were the ones who created the first high-power lithium-ion battery packs suitable for mass production of electric vehicles, thus dramatically increasing their range. Back then, Tesla's first-born Roadster consisted of thousands of conventional laptop batteries, now lithium-ion batteries are being created for electric vehicles. Many manufacturers now make them, but Tesla's cutting-edge technology continues to lead the way in the energy-intensive 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 acquisitions
The revolutionary leap in terms of Tesla's battery design is likely to come from the acquisition of Tesla Inc. by Maxwell Technologies of San Diego. Maxwell manufactures supercapacitors (ionisters) and is actively researching solid-state (dry) electrode technology. According to Maxwell, using this technology, an energy capacity of 300 Wh / kg has already been achieved on battery prototypes. The challenge for the future is a breakthrough to the 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 predicted doubling of battery life. Thus, Tesla will be able to achieve the coveted 400-mile (643.6 km) range of its electric vehicles and achieve full competitiveness with conventional cars for price.

The new supercar Tesla Roadster of 2020 will be able to reach the declared range of 640 km only on fundamentally new batteries

Tesla has planned its own battery production?
German website for Auto motor und sport magazine reports persistent rumors about Tesla's deployment of its own battery production. Until now, the Japanese manufacturer Panasonic supplied battery cells (cells) to Californians - for Model S and Model X they are imported directly from Japan, and for Model 3 cells are produced at Gigafactory 1 in the US state of Nevada. The production at Gigafactory 1 is jointly operated by Panasonic and Tesla. Recently, however, this has led to huge controversy, as Panasonic apparently was disappointed with Tesla's sales figures and also feared that the Californians would not expand this battery production in the future.

The intrigue of the launch of the compact Tesla Model Y in 2020 was the source of the battery supply

In particular, the rhythmic supply of batteries for the Model Y announced already in the fall of 2020 has been called into question by Panasonic CEO Kazuhiro Zuga. Currently, Panasonic has stopped its investment in Gigafactory 1 altogether. Tesla may want to become independent from the Japanese by developing its own production of battery cells.
Tesla is today the leader in high-capacity battery technology for electric vehicles, and Californians are determined to defend this fundamental competitive advantage. The acquisition of Maxwell Technologies may be the decisive step, but it depends on how far the San Diego technicians have actually moved towards bringing 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 unit will become a bestseller in the truck market, like the Model 3 in a passenger car.

So far, many automakers are setting up their own battery cell production. It seems that Tesla wants to become more independent from its supplier Panasonic and therefore is also conducting research in this area.
With the availability of a sufficient number of revolutionary high-energy solid-state batteries, Tesla will gain a decisive advantage in the market and, finally, release the really cheap and "long-range" electric vehicles promised by its owner Elon Muskov for a long time, which will cause an avalanche-like growth of the BEV market.
According to CNBC sources, the secret Tesla laboratory is located in a separate building near the Tesla factory in Fremont (photo behind the splash screen). Earlier, there were reports about a closed "laboratory zone" located on the second floor of the enterprise. Probably the current battery division is the successor to that former laboratory, but even more classified.

Tesla will only be able to achieve a real breakthrough in the automotive market if its line of models becomes even more "long-range" with a significant price reduction

According to analysts at IHS Markit, the most expensive element of a modern electric vehicle is the battery, but it is not Tesla that gets most of the money for it, but Panasonic.
Insiders are not yet able to report on the real achievements of the secret Tesla laboratory. Elon Musk is expected to share it at the end of the year during a 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 shipments is 90,700 EVs. If the company manages to deliver the planned number of electric vehicles in June, then this record could be broken.