Starting in December, LG Energy Solution will mass-produce ‘4680 (diameter 46 mm, height 80 mm)’, which is attracting attention as a next-generation electric vehicle battery. Tesla, a customer, has ordered 4680 batteries and mass production has been confirmed. The next-generation battery industry, which has been delayed by the global economic downturn and sluggish demand for electric vehicles, is expected to finally get back on track.
According to the industry on the 6th, LG Energy Solution plans to produce 4680 batteries at its Ochang factory in North Chungcheong Province starting in December. The company sent a message to its product and parts partners asking them to provide products that will be incorporated into the 4680 starting this month without disruption.
LG Energy Solution has been developing the 4680 battery and testing it for production in Ochang, but they have now decided to mass produce it.
Usually, the battery industry starts production only when customer orders are confirmed. Mass production of the LG Energy Solution in December means Tesla’s orders have been confirmed.
A business official said, “The reason for the mass production of the 4680 is that coordination with the customer has been completed. There may be changes in sizes in the future, but I understand that the production schedule itself confirmed. ”
LG Energy Solution cylinder battery. (Photo = LG Energy Solution)
4680 is the battery that Tesla first announced plans for commercialization in 2020. Compared to the cylindrical battery 2170 (diameter 21 mm, height 70 mm), the energy capacity has been improved 5 times and the result 6 times. It has attracted attention as the next generation battery as productivity has been increased through performance and process improvements.
The adoption of electric vehicles, led by Tesla, was expected to accelerate, but the warming has been delayed due to the industry slowdown. As vehicle sales decline due to the pursuit of the electric vehicle (stagnation in demand), there is a trend towards using or improving existing products rather than adopting new batteries. The 4680’s high production difficulty was also an obstacle.
This also affected LG Energy Solution, whose plan for mass production from August was canceled one after another. At a performance briefing held in July, the company announced the delay, saying, “We tried to expedite the mass production schedule (4680) internally, but due to internal maintenance and consultation with customer records, we will start mass production at the end. of the 3rd quarter to the beginning of the 4th quarter.”
The reason Tesla confirmed is that the delayed order is interpreted as a new strategy. They also plan to expand deliveries of the Cybertruck with an increased driving range for the Chasm electric vehicle, and are also preparing to ship the Model Y Juniper, which is expected to be released in early next year, so it is explained that he is on. asked LG Energy Solution to produce the 4680. Panasonic, Tesla’s battery partner, also announced that they are ready to complete mass production of the 4680.
While the battery industry has contracted due to slow demand for electric vehicles, the focus is on whether Tesla’s 4680 orders can be a factor in the market’s rebound. An official from LG Energy Solutions said, “We cannot disclose specific supply details, but we plan to start producing 4680 batteries in the fourth quarter.”
Reporter Lee Ho-gil [email protected]
2024-10-08 07:45:14
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