Does anyone know where Aptera will source their batteries? I'm hoping it's not LG considering their issues with dendrites and battery failure (fire). This has occurred in their in home solar/power backup batteries as well as with EVs with the Chevy Bolt and Tesla being prime examples.
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In the following article from Cleantechnica.com it says: "The Bolt sources its pouch type cells from LG Chem, while the Tesla Model 3 uses cylindrical cells sourced from Panasonic. The pack construction, design, and cooling use distinctly different approaches, and the cell chemistries differ." The article is dated 2018 and I am sure LG is now also sourcing cells to Tesla. It looks like (no guarantee) the cylindrical cells that LG provides are Tesla cells.
Is any other vehicle manufacturer using cylindrical batteries or is Tesla the only one? If Tesla is the only company that LG is making cylindrical batteries for, then these would certainly be Tesla batteries. Holding the patents on batteries, Tesla would not let LG sell them to any other company without Tesla's blessing.
Thanks for making me realize that battery longevity is as much if not more a factor of software as it is brand/chemistry/construction/cooling.
I saw a Tesla quote that limiting the charge to 95% instead of 100% nearly doubled battery lifespan. This is similar for any Li-ion battery, & is the main reason why all EVs have a buffer like that, so they don't die rapidly like a cell phone. EVs also have a buffer at the low end.
Reportedly a big reason for 1st-gen Leaf's quick range loss is very small buffers, & with fairly low range, those limits are more likely to be reached, since it's much harder to keep it between 20% & 80% when you only have 73 mi range! eGolf has no liquid cooling, but its batt lasts fine with bigger buffers.
My 2013 500e software limits the charge to only about 85% of full capacity, & users are reporting only about 2.3% loss per 10,000 miles.
In other words, Aptera's battery source makes little difference compared to how its software is programmed. The best batteries would still die fast with bad software, & the worst ones would still live pretty long with good software.
I just watched a video from Munro Live where Sandy Munro and Cory Steuben summarize their road trip and interview with Elon Musk at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2yVZA3yDhA&ab_channel=MunroLive.
On this road trip they visited with Aptera (25:30). At 25:50 Cory Steuben says "they are working on a new battery design." I'm not an expert, but based on apparent size and honeycomb pack structure, doesn't that look like Tesla's new 4680 cell? Perhaps another hint, along with the charger selection, that Aptera might be working with Tesla? I would love to hear thoughts from any of you sharp-eyed engineers.
Here is a picture of the Aptera batteries and one of the interiors. I suspect the cells are bonded to the bottom through which cooling liiquid passes to carry away heat. (This is speculation)
Aptera has said the cells are 2170. Are there any other car companies that use 2170 cells or even cylindercal cells besides Tesla? I thought everyone else uses pouch cells.
Does Tesla (Panasonic) make all their cells or get some from other suppliers? If these are Tesla cells, it would have to be with the blessing of Tesla because I am sure Tesla has tight patents on them. However, anyone can make a cell of the same size.
By the time you can get an Aptera, all existing issues will have been resolved with LG, or any other brand Aptera chooses.
Also, Apera's high efficiency means 60% less power flow from the battery, 60% less discharge, less time charging at over 120V, & its low weight means 30% less regen power flowing in from that.
They have not said