The cost of electric cars is one of the first and biggest obstacles to the purchase of this type of vehicle, with batteries having a decisive influence on this factor. About this Tesla has long intended to use cheaper accumulators for its models, effectively saving in the production phase and thus offering vehicles that may be more affordable for customers in the price list. To succeed, however, Tesla must be able to win the production of this type of batteries to its productions, especially those located in the United States. A feasible goal if the diplomatic crisis between the USA and China, the first producer of the so-called LFP batteries, the lithium-iron-phosphate, were not involved. In the Asian country, the first to adopt this type of technology, 95% of those assembled globally are produced but without an agreement between the two countries on intellectual property and duties, it is unlikely that Tesla will be able to convince Chinese companies to move the manufacturing in the United States. “Our goal is to locate all key vehicle parts on the continent“, said Drew Baglino, Tesla’s senior vice president of powertrain and energy engineering in his speech during the call with the shareholders which was also attended by Reuters journalists – “We are working internally with our suppliers to achieve this goal, and not just at the final assembly level, but as far upstream as possible”. Tesla currently uses LFP batteries from CATL (Chinese company) in some Model 3 and Model Y made in China, and in the United States has started selling entry-level Model 3 sedans with LFP. Being able to produce this type of accumulator near its main factories would be a way to optimize costs. #Tesla #cheap #batteries #peace #China
