An Early Peek At Tesla's Roadrunner EV Battery?

Ahead of its Battery Day, photos of Tesla Inc's TSLA new battery cell appear to have been revealed.

What Happened: Electrek shared photos it obtained from a source that shows the new battery cells produced in house by Tesla as part of its secret “Roadrunner” project.

The diameter of the new battery cell is twice as big as current cells used in Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y. Doubling the diameter will result in four times the volume in the cell, according to Electrek. This results in capacity gains for the cell.

If anyone has seen this battery cell before or if you some information about them, please reach out. DM are open or email fred@electrek.co wickr: fredev pic.twitter.com/YxgCYY16fP

— Fred Lambert (@FredericLambert) September 15, 2020

Why It’s Important: The new battery cells are designed to increase production volume and help Tesla reduce costs.

The new cell format could help reduce the number of cells per pack from thousands to less than 1,000 per pack.

The design also shows the cell being tables, which confirms a patent Tesla filed earlier for a new design. Having no tab helps simplify manufacturing for the cell and also reduce costs.

See Also: What Tesla App Downloads Say About EV Maker's Q3 Deliveries

Electrek unveiled a first look at Tesla’s “Roadrunner” project in February. Tesla is working on a goal of breaking the $100 kWh price point. This is said to be the “holy grail” for electric vehicles. Producing at $100 per kWh at scale will help electric vehicles compete better with traditional automobiles that use gas, without current subsidies for electric vehicles.

Tesla has already reached industry-leading battery costs through a partnership with Panasonic. Tesla has been rumored to work on its own batteries to help further improve costs and scale.

What’s Next: Tesla is expected to unveil these battery cells and more details at its Battery Day on Tuesday, Sept. 22.