NEWS: Tesla’s shift to LFP cells for Megapack batteries heralds an energy storage revolution

[Steve_S]

Tesla’s shift to LFP cells for Megapack batteries heralds an energy storage revolution​

BySimon Alvarez
Posted on May 4, 2021

Canaccord Genuity analyst Jed Dorsheimer recently noted that Tesla has shifted to cobalt-free lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for its flagship energy storage product, the Megapack. Such a change may seem minor, but the advantages presented by LFP batteries for the Megapack are notable, so much so that it may very well trigger an energy storage revolution of sorts.
“Tesla announced that Megapack will be using LFP cathode batteries, similar to the entry-level Made-in-China Model 3/Ys. This is significant, as Tesla ramps up their grid-scale energy storage product without drawing further on an already supply-constrained nickel-based battery production capacity used in 2170s,” the analyst wrote

It took Tesla some time before it decided to use LFP batteries for its vehicles. LFP batteries are typically cheaper to produce, and the fact that they use no cobalt makes them one of the least controversial batteries on the market. However, LFP batteries also tend to be less energy-dense than the nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cells used by Tesla in its flagship electric vehicles.

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Tesla’s shift to LFP cells for Megapack batteries heralds an energy storage revolution

Canaccord Genuity analyst Jed Dorsheimer recently noted that Tesla has shifted to cobalt-free lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries for its flagship energy storage product, the Megapack. Such a change may seem minor, but the advantages presented by LFP batteries for the Megapack are notable, so...

www.teslarati.com

 

[curiouscarbon]

tried to read article but was bombarded with ads about some sort of dodgycoin?

exciting to see LFP gaining traction

 

[NMNeil]

tried to read article but was bombarded with ads about some sort of dodgycoin?

exciting to see LFP gaining traction

I use the Firefox browser with uBlock and it blocked 24 ads!!
Checked my Pi hole log and there was a long list of attempted connections to both advertisers servers and also tracking sites. (Pi Hole blocks them at the router)
But I wonder if this will make the shortage of LiFePo4 cells even worse.

 

[curiouscarbon]

haha and we worried about other forum members clogging the order queue

 

[Steve_S]

Hmm sorry folks, I do not get ANY popups from them.
Using Win-10, Edge and no special blockers or junk.
I do however have CC-Cleaner running & watching but that's it.

LFP production is being Ramped up. New Factories to specifically produce LFP in North America have not been announced by anyone YET. This type of production will likely be "on the side" of other cell production BUT that is an assumption.

There IS a crunch on LFP and it is getting worse. Home Energy Storage Sales are increasing exponentially world wide. The demand is not being met and is not likely to be met for several years without new increased production.

 

[Q-Dog]

There IS a crunch on LFP and it is getting worse. Home Energy Storage Sales are increasing exponentially world wide. The demand is not being met and is not likely to be met for several years without new increased production.

Is it because the prices have finally become reasonable for common folks? Or is it because the idea of not being able to charge a phone sends some people into a legitimate panic?

 

[NMNeil]

Is it because the prices have finally become reasonable for common folks? Or is it because the idea of not being able to charge a phone sends some people into a legitimate panic?

Price isn't the issue; it's the time between parting with your money and the cells arriving on your doorstep. That's where we're having the most problems.

 

[Steve_S]

Is it because the prices have finally become reasonable for common folks? Or is it because the idea of not being able to charge a phone sends some people into a legitimate panic?

Prices are down considerably.
Demand is climbing exponentially.
Each & Every grid failure, shutdown etc pushes more people towards battery backed up systems. Happening World Wide.
Many Regions without Grid Power or Centralised Power are now leaping headfirst into Solar/Wind + Battery Storage. There are Solar Powered COMMUNITIES coming online around the world, even in the most impoverished places. Micro to Mini grids are popping up in many places.

Even Tesla with their Virtual Power Plant tech using the Powerwalls & Grid interconnections (being done in Ozland) is taking things into new bigger directions.

 

[JMc]

Tesla using LFP in vehicles? That won’t fly unless they’ve made a big advancement in energy density.

 

[Steve_S]

Tesla has had LFP in Model 3's for quite some time now and zero issues.
Many other EV Makers also use LFP as well (think BYD for one).

 

[Bob B]

Maybe they are tired of the videos of their car getting in an accident and then burning for hours out of control.
That last one where the first responders said no one was driving the car .... and Tesla arguing that it was not operating in a driverless mode .... got a lot of press.

 

[curiouscarbon]

Tesla using LFP in vehicles? That won’t fly unless they’ve made a big advancement in energy density.

only in china CATL partnership
range is reduced due to density as you mention

i still lust after an LFP model 3… holy h*ck the cycle life on that pack has got to be insane. true EV grade LFP matched cells in those cars you can bet on that. as you probably know the model 3 has a heat pump which can cool down coolant going into the battery pack, and it can also heat up the pack with coolant(warmant?). LFP likes thermal management. oh my god thermal management thermal management is so cool!!!!

most people just say “keep it under 0.5C and passive thermal management is enough” and that’s fantastic to simplify builds. but it ain’t enough to scoot! need 2-20C for that! resistive losses in the cells during the scoot create heat which kills lifetime but oh no! coolant to the rescue, the heat goes away and the cell lives to see another day ?