Introduction: Tesla’s replacement of lead-acid batteries with lithium-ion batteries is undoubtedly not an isolated case. The strong potential it has generated in the new energy vehicle industry will be the strongest signal for lithium-ion batteries to eliminate lead-acid batteries in the past 160 years.
Over a month ago, Song Yongtao of Tesla told me, “Do you know where Tesla’s most powerful point lies? Actually, it’s not software, but engineering development capabilities.”
As someone who came from a background in new energy engineering, I deeply understood what he meant at that moment, because the moment his words fell, a series of engineering images such as Tesla’s die-cast body, and Elon Musk sleeping in the workshop to solve the Model 3 production capacity problem flashed in my mind.
Now, Tesla’s outstanding engineering development capabilities have once again been demonstrated, corroborating Song Yongtao’s words.
On the evening of June 10th, US time, the Model S Plaid, the modified version of Tesla Model S, was officially launched and delivered. Although the appearance of the new car has not changed much from the current model, its performance and technology are absolutely groundbreaking.
According to teslarati, a media outlet focused on reporting Tesla, “one of the subtlest but most important improvements” made to the Model S Plaid was replacing the 12V lead-acid battery with a lithium-ion battery.
Mike Land, who is familiar with Tesla, also expressed his approval. He also expressed his admiration for Tesla’s technological prowess on Twitter:
“On the new Tesla Plaid Model s, the 12v battery is designed for the LIFE OF THE CAR! Who else engineers cars to this level? Nobody!”
What is interesting is that this tweet from Mike Land received a like from Musk himself.
So why did Tesla replace the 12V lead-acid battery with the lithium-ion battery, which has a century-long history? Which company is the star behind the lithium-ion battery that has received so much attention? Also, will replacing lead-acid batteries with lithium-ion batteries become a trend?
The Trend
According to Liu Guanglin’s “Introduction to Lead-Acid Battery Technology”, lead-acid batteries were invented by Gaston Planté in 1859 and have undergone a series of improvements and evolutions over the past 162 years.
Today, lead-acid batteries rank first in terms of output and production value among various chemical and physical energy sources worldwide. According to data released by Global Market Insights, the global lead-acid battery market size reached $57.8 billion in 2019, a year-on-year increase of 6.8%.Lead-acid batteries are widely used in starting internal combustion engines in cars and aircraft, as well as in the power batteries of electric two-wheelers, and so on. Since the electrical architecture of current electric vehicles derives from that of internal combustion engine vehicles, the starter battery for almost all new energy vehicles is still a lead-acid battery.
However, as smart electric vehicles develop, the addition of various sensors and chips makes the original electrical architecture increasingly inadequate, with the 12V power supply being the first to suffer because of the increased power consumption, which severely reduces the battery’s lifespan.
The design lifespan of a general lead-acid battery is 5-8 years, but in actual use, replacement after 1-2 years is common. Some electric vehicle owners even complain that they have to replace their battery as many as three times a year.
Whether it is 1-2 years or 5-8 years, the lifespan of lead-acid batteries is not long, which is also a world problem that humans have been unable to solve in the past 162 years – the “irreversible sulfation” of lead-acid batteries.
Data shows that the cycle life of a general lead-acid battery is 300-500 times, which is far lower than that of lithium batteries in new energy vehicles. The latter is generally above 2,000 cycles, with the highest lasting around 5,000 cycles.
On the one hand, the lifespan of lead-acid batteries is no match for lithium batteries, and on the other hand, the demand for low-voltage electricity in smart electric vehicles has increased, making the replacement of lead-acid batteries with lithium batteries in smart electric vehicles a real trend in the new energy industry.
However, even though the door to the new century is within reach, it is still Tesla, which is renowned for its engineering development, that bravely pushes it open.
In addition to the aforementioned Model S Plaid, new Tesla vehicles such as the new Model X and upcoming Model 3/Y will replace lead-acid batteries with lithium batteries.
Musk has also confirmed that Tesla is currently developing a lightweight 48V subsystem for its vehicles. It is reported that the new architecture will be used in all low-voltage demand vehicles and will be more cost-effective than the current system.
“The Mysterious Power of the East”
Returning to the lithium battery that the Model S Plaid is equipped with, many foreign media have reported and commented on this revolutionary technological improvement.
According to InsideEVs, the world’s largest vertical media for new energy, “Compared to a standard 12V lead-acid battery, this new battery looks very small and much lighter. We believe its performance will be much better than a standard lead-acid battery, which often dies too frequently in many cases (and many models).”
In the eyes of InsideEVs, “the 12V lithium battery has many advantages in electric vehicles because it saves space, weight, has higher cycle life and calendar life, and is more suitable for applications. Lead-acid batteries are suitable for starting engines with high currents, which is completely unnecessary in electric vehicles.”The lithium battery in this Model S Plaid is approximately 80% lighter (-10kg) and 60% smaller than the lead-acid battery, which is equivalent to shrinking from half a box of mineral water in size and weight to two bottles of mineral water. Although there is no conclusion on the lifespan of the new lithium battery carried by the Model S Plaid, theoretically it shouldn’t be short. According to Mike Land’s statement at the beginning of the article, the battery should have the same lifespan as the car, and this statement was endorsed by Musk, implying surprises in lifespan.
From the pictures released by foreign media, the capacity of this lithium battery is 6.9Ah, the battery cell arrangement is 1P4S, and the rated output power is 99Wh. I obtained the voltage of the battery from the user manual of Model S Plaid, which is 15.5V.
Despite the various discussions from the outside world, Tesla’s core intention of replacing lead-acid batteries with lithium batteries is to improve the life cycle of low-voltage batteries, further save the daily operating costs of electric cars, and improve the convenience of car owners.
Of course, there are also those who explore this change from a performance perspective, believing that the density of lithium batteries is more advantageous than that of lead-acid batteries. While achieving the same functions, the weight of the former has an advantage, which further improves the endurance and acceleration performance.
Regarding the performance improvement brought about by the adoption of lighter lithium batteries, Musk made a black joke, “If you want to build a great car, you should first make sure Newton is on your side.”
As for which company provides Tesla with this lithium battery, there is a lot of attention from everyone. I communicated with Tesla China staff, and they expressed that they are not sure which company it came from. They said it could be Panasonic, LG New Energy, or CATL, as these three are currently Tesla’s battery suppliers.
Senior professionals in the new energy industry, Zhu Yulong, discussed this, but he only mentioned a “mysterious force in the East,” and all three suppliers are in the East, making it difficult to distinguish. Then he said that he has had conversations with engineers from these companies and added, “As battery technology in China continues to iterate, it is estimated that after five years, China will dominate the design of components for many of the world’s top vehicles.”
Therefore, the conclusion is roughly that it is CATL.
Actually, this battery has been exposed online before. From the pictures posted by a netizen who visited the exhibition hall of CATL headquarters, the battery is very similar in appearance to the lithium battery in the Model S Plaid, which undoubtedly proves that it was provided by CATL.## A Surprise from Ningde Era
Overall, it’s not entirely unexpected that Ningde Era has supplied low-voltage batteries for Tesla. However, it was unknown that Ningde Era had such a product before the battery was installed in the Model S Plaid. Since Tesla began cooperating with Ningde Era in early 2020, the two companies have had a harmonious and sweet relationship. The Model 3, equipped with the company’s lithium iron phosphate battery, had a monthly sales breakthrough of 30,000 vehicles. The Model Y soon joined the lithium iron phosphate camp. As leaders in the field of new energy in China and the US, the two giants have a mutual understanding.
Opening Up a New Market
Last summer, I bought a handheld fan on Taobao. To my surprise, the fan was powered by a 2170 lithium battery. This was the first time I’d seen a rechargeable lithium battery in a household appliance, and it made me realize that I would never have to buy a bunch of dry batteries again.
On April 21st of this year, Camel Group, a domestic lead-acid battery industry leader, revealed to investors that “the company’s new energy sector has entered the field of lithium-ion energy storage, and the company will promote the development of related businesses.”
On June 2nd of this year, the world’s largest lead smelting company, Yuguang Gold and Lead said, “Lithium batteries have a certain impact on lead-acid batteries. The large-scale substitution of lead-acid batteries by lithium batteries will be limited in the short term, and there will be no major conflict. The company believes that there will be a situation of the coexistence of the two products in the short term.”
The moral of these three stories is that, following the conquest of the new energy vehicle market, lithium batteries are accelerating their penetration into other markets. In the electric two-wheel market, for example, since the advent of lithium-ion batteries in 2010, the market share of lithium-ion two-wheelers had reached 13.2% by 2019.
It’s premature to say whether lithium batteries will replace lead-acid batteries as the start-up batteries for cars. Although ternary lithium batteries outperform lead-acid batteries in all respects, cost is still a major hindrance. According to estimates, for batteries of equal capacity, lead-acid batteries are about 800-1,000 yuan cheaper than lithium-ion batteries in electric bicycles. Of course, for car start-up batteries that require less energy, the price difference should not be so great.
Since Tesla has already equipped their vehicles with them and plans to swap all their models to lithium batteries, it’s apparent that the conditions for lithium batteries to replace lead-acid batteries in the luxury electric vehicle market, where cost constraints are smaller, is mature. It’s not difficult to predict that other electric vehicle brands will consider replacing lead-acid batteries with lithium-ion batteries, driven by Tesla’s strong pull.
A new market is once again being opened.
This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.