Why Tesla Switched To Tabless Batteries

Earlier this year Tesla CEO Elon Musk filed a patent for a new type of battery which would revolutionise the electric automotive industry by combatting some of the biggest fears belonging to skeptics – range anxiety, charging times, and so on. A little later into the year, he took to the stage on what became known as Battery Day, a day filled with more promises than finished products, but nonetheless, an exciting step in the right direction for the company.

Some of the day’s highlights included the discussion of Tesla’s top of the range Plaid edition for the Model S, a powertrain which would take the $140,000 saloon beyond 200 mph. The elimination of cobalt, a precious metal which has previously been used rather heavily in battery production, was key to the company’s green credentials, while a production line specifically geared towards manufacturing cathodes, that’s the negatively charged part, would help streamline, simplify and cut costs for the automaker.

But that’s not why you clicked on this video – you clicked on this video because you were interested in the new tabless battery design which had a patent filed for it in early 2020. Something which musk highlights is “way more important than it sounds” in a Tweet dated May 7, 2020.