China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) founder Robin Zeng has expressed skepticism about Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s reliance on the 4680 cylindrical cell technology, saying it will ultimately fail. During a visit to China in April, Musk had a heated debate with Zeng over battery design, which left Musk visibly unimpressed.
Tesla’s tabless 4680 cells, touted for their high energy capacity, have reportedly been produced in large quantities, including 100 million units announced in September. However, CATL batteries, particularly those using lithium iron phosphate (LFP), are better suited for Tesla vehicles exported to North America.
Zeng believes Musk excels in areas such as chip development and software integration but struggles with battery design. The CATL founder also criticized Musk’s tendency to overpromise timelines, a trait he associates with Full Self-Driving technology. Musk had claimed a two-year timeline for the technology, while Zeng feels it requires five years of development.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/14/24296777/tesla-catl-ev-battery-maker-elon-musk-4860-cell