Tesla will use CATL’s M3P battery in its vehicles, according to a new report. At the moment, the batteries are at the development and testing stage, and the exact timing of the start of their use is not yet clear.
Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited’s (CATL) M3P battery is expected to be installed in Tesla vehicles. At the moment, it is already installed in a model jointly developed by Chery and Huawei, according to a local media report. In response to investor questions on February 28, CATL confirmed that its M3P batteries are already being used in a car developed by Chery in partnership with Huawei. Additionally, the giant said it is moving forward with other clients, according to a report.
CATL is still in the process of developing and testing the battery with Tesla, according to a report by The Paper (via CnEVPost). However, the exact timing of its implementation is not yet known. The report references information from industry sources.
M3P batteries are CATL batteries based on a new material system with higher energy density than lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries. At the same time, their cost is lower than ternary batteries. In mid-2022, CATL’s chief scientist Wu Kai stated at a presentation that mass production of the M3P battery would begin in 2023. According to him, the M3P battery is primarily aimed at vehicles with a range of more than 700 kilometers (435 miles).
As early as August 2022, local media reported that CATL would begin supplying Tesla with M3P batteries. According to the information, deliveries were expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2022 for use in the new Model Y, which was expected to go on sale in early 2023. A few days later, Chinese media reported that Tesla would release an updated Model 3 with CATL M3P batteries. However, there was no further update of information.
