The founder of the largest battery manufacturer for CATL electric vehicles, Robin Zen, has raised concerns about the future of Tesla’s technology using cylindrical cells 4680. In a statement reported by Reuters, Zen, who leads the Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology (Catl), believes that Elon Musk’s focus on these batteries may not be successful. Zen mentioned that during Musk’s visit to China, they had detailed discussions on this topic, but Zen felt that Tesla’s CEO was unprepared for a constructive dialogue on battery technologies.
Tesla has been promoting its new “contactless” 4680 cells, claiming they offer five times more energy density compared to previous models. The company has reportedly already produced over 100 million of these cells, using them in products like the Cybertruck. However, challenges related to high costs and other issues have prompted Musk to assign a team to work on addressing these concerns by the end of the year.
While Tesla has been focusing on cylindrical cells, CATL’s batteries, especially the lithium iron phosphate (LFP) variety, are being used in several Tesla models and Ford electric vehicles like the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. Despite offering lower energy density compared to cylindrical cells, these batteries are preferred for their reliability and cost-effectiveness.
Zen acknowledged Musk’s expertise in microcircuits, software, and mechanics but criticized Musk’s habit of setting overly ambitious timelines for technological projects. Zen highlighted that Musk often sets aggressive deadlines to motivate employees, but in reality, the implementation of projects can take much longer than initially promised.