Tesla will soon have a partner producing 4680 battery cells. According to LG Energy Solutions (LGES) President and CEO Kim Dong-myung, the company plans to begin production as early as August.
Dong-myung made the comments before attending the Korea Battery Association Board of Directors meeting on Thursday. When asked by reporters if the company is expected to begin mass production of Tesla’s 4680 battery cells in June or July, the CEO said, “We will do it soon. I think it will be that much, but (the timing) will come and go for a month or two.” (via Naver)
LGES will first begin 4680 battery cell production at its Ochang facility in North Chungcheong Province in South Korea. The company also plans to mass produce the cells in the US at their factory in Arizona that is currently under construction, but that facility is not expected to be complete until 2025.
The South Korean company initially announced a $1.3 billion investment plan for the Arizona factory in June 2021, but stalled the project due to economic uncertainty, only restarting construction in March 2023.
LGES has been working on their 4680 production plans since Tesla first announced the new cylindrical cells at Battery Day in 2020. Nearly a year after the announcement LGES had already set up a pilot production line, with the company producing sample 4680 cells to ensure they meet Tesla’s high standards of quality.
The company was originally hoping to begin mass production of the 4680 cells in 2023.
LEGS will not be the only partner producing 4680 battery cells for Tesla. Panasonic has also been working for several years to mass produce the cells, and could beat LGES to the punch. Last year Panasonic said it plans to begin production between April and September 2024. There is also Samsung, which is building a production line with an initial capacity of 1GWh per year.
