According to recent reports, the new Tesla Model Y with BYD batteries has reportedly received approval from the European Union, paving the way for the vehicles to start their ramp in the Gigafactories Berlin, and it has reportedly already taken delivery of the first cells.
In 2020, BYD, a China-based electric vehicle and battery company, introduced and launched its new bladed battery cell. The new cells use LFP chemistry, but the new form factor, which looks like a blade, is the real innovation, enabling a safer cell and higher energy density at the pack level, according to the company.
While this feature obviously offers great safety advantages, it also delivers thermal management improvements, and BYD claims the form factor enables energy density improvements by eliminating the need for modules.
The new Model Y with BYD blade batteries was listed with a 55 kWh battery pack and a range of 440 kilometers, according to the publication. This would make it the shortest-range Model Y available in the country, as Tesla currently only offers the Model Y Long Range—which is listed with a range of 533 km—and the Model Y Performance—which has a listed range of 514 km—on its Netherlands order page.
It goes directly from cell to pack, not unlike Tesla’s structural battery pack technology.
While Tesla has yet to acknowledge its reported supply deal with BYD, the recent reports from Europe do have similarities with the company’s structural battery pack strategy in Giga, Texas. So far, Model Y with structural battery packs has been listed with a shorter range, though there is strong speculation that the Giga Texas-made vehicles are simply software-limited. The mention of a structural battery for the apparent Model Y with BYD batteries is interesting, however, as it suggests that Tesla may be looking to equip its vehicles with structural packs regardless of the type of cells being used.
