4680 batteries: further optimize energy, battery life, power and cost. The 4680 cell adopts a larger 46mm cell diameter and electrodeless technology in the design, and optimizes and improves the battery capacity, energy, cruising range, power and cost. In the use of battery materials, the new silicon material used in the anode further reduces the cost of the battery; the cathode material is diversified, and the characteristics of different cathode materials are adapted to different models of vehicles. And it simplifies the production process of the cathode material, and further reduces the battery composition cost. We believe that 4680 batteries are likely to be applied in the form of standardized products, and may affect the future pattern of power batteries by virtue of their faster charging capabilities than square-shell batteries.
CTC technology: The battery is both an energy device and the structure itself. CTC technology is inspired by the wings of airplanes to achieve innovation at the physical level. Canceling the Pack design, the battery pack is not only an energy device, but also as a part of the body structure, connecting two large body castings front and rear, and using the battery pack upper cover as the cockpit floor of the body. The application of CTC package packaging technology will help further unitize the structure of vehicles, thereby reducing vehicle manufacturing costs. Tesla’s Berlin plant will use CTC technology to produce Model Y. We believe that the CTC solution is an important development direction for the battery pack technology of electric vehicles in the future.
Integrated die-casting technology: reduce weight, reduce parts, and reduce costs. Model Y will adopt a one-piece die-cast floor assembly, which can reduce the number of parts and reduce manufacturing costs compared to the original. In the next step, Tesla will use 2-3 large die-casting parts to replace the entire lower car body assembly to further reduce weight, reduce parts, and reduce costs. The Giga Press die-casting machine jointly customized by Tesla and die-casting machine manufacturers, and Tesla’s exclusive aluminum alloy formula are the main barriers to Tesla’s integrated die-casting technology. We believe that Tesla may achieve a one-time die-casting of the body-in-white in the future, thereby completely eliminating the assembly line.