The internet is a strange and mysterious place. Once upon a time, if a company had a new product, it would issue a press release and trumpet the news to the skies and beyond. Tesla, as we all know, does things differently. It shuns sharing news beyond what is included in a tweet from Elon Musk. Luckily there are people online like Reddit user u/space_s3x who saw a change on the Tesla Megapack webpage.
Until recently, every mega suit was listed with 2.6 MWh of energy storage capacity. Now, without fanfare, that page says that each Megapack has a storage capacity of 3.9 MWh – an increase of almost 50%. How did that happen? According to Tesmanian, the new Megapack units are larger and heavier than before. At 33,000 pounds, they weigh 64% more. They are also 6 feet longer, 2 inches wider and 1 foot longer than their predecessors.
Last year, Tesla broke ground for a new Megapack factory in Lathrop, California. At the time, there was speculation on the internet that the units produced there would be larger and use LFP battery cells from CATL. At the time, Musk said, “However, stationary storage, the energy density is not that important because it just stays on the ground, and so I think the vast majority of stationary storage are iron-based lithium-ion cells with an iron-phosphate cathode, technically. But the phosphate part is not necessary. It is really just the iron or nickel.”
With the cost of nickel soaring, the focus is probably now on iron, which is still plentiful and readily available. Perhaps the best source is all the old iron engine blocks and cylinder heads from internal combustion engines that are thrown away in car recycling yards around the world.
Lithium-ion battery cells made with nickel, manganese and/or cobalt have a higher energy density than iron-based batteries, so more LFP cells are needed to get the same energy storage capacity. If a battery pack goes into a truck or a car, that’s a problem. Heavier vehicles require heavier frames, heavier suspension and steering components, and heavier brakes. However, when it comes to a grid-scale energy storage system, all it takes is to ensure that the concrete foundation it rests on is designed to handle the extra weight.
Passed with the pass Inflation Reduction Act When the renewable energy sector takes effect in the United States, the number of installed wind and solar farms is likely to increase significantly. Battery storage is often an important part of those installations, which is likely to increase demand for Tesla Megapacks as well. Elon Musk has said the company’s energy storage business could one day match or exceed its auto manufacturing business. Thanks to the new tax credits that are part of the IRA, that day may be closer than ever.
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