March 10 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc is pioneering a
new battery manufacturing process called dry electrode coating
that it is applying to its new 4680 battery cells.
The dry process, which Tesla obtained via its 2019
acquisition of California startup Maxwell Technologies, replaces
a traditional, complicated step of battery manufacturing that
involves coating the electrode foil with a wet, chemical slurry.
The coated foil needs to go through a lengthy drying process
before final assembly, and the toxic solvents used in the slurry
need to be recovered and disposed of.
The electric vehicle maker has said the dry coating process
has the potential to dramatically reduce the size, cost, energy
consumption and production cycle time of battery manufacturing
plants, while boosting the energy density and power of battery
cells.
Besides Maxwell, other companies working on dry coating
include California-based LiCap Technologies and
Massachusetts-based AM Batteries.
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Tesla taps Asian partners to address 4680 battery concerns ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>
(Reporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit
Editing by Matthew Lewis)
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