Gary Zhou 
Tesla is pretty open to other companies using any of its inventions, that back in 2014 CEO Elon Musk declared in a blog post that the electric car manufacturer is open to any other business who wishes to use them in good conscience to acquire their patents. But even in the midst of these programs, certain parts of Tesla’s company remain very mysterious. The secret sauce of its industry-leading cars is among these: the batteries.
Tesla had high expectations on Model 3 even before the vehicle was launched. Facing criticism, the company went ahead and started constructing a Gigafactory in Nevada, which would be dedicated to the development of the all-electric sedan’s 2170 battery cells and powertrains. What happens inside Nevada’s Gigafactory has been largely hidden, with only glimpses of online disclosure of the factory’s operations.
The Science Channel was able to obtain access to Gigafactory Nevada, and the network decided to feature a deep dive into the operations of the huge battery factory in a recent episode of its show Super Factories. The 10-minute segment featured some fascinating tidbits about the site’s ongoing operations such as its adaptive cooling system, which is designed for sustainability.
The Super Factories series has also highlighted exclusive footage of the battery cell manufacturing process. It includes the large, complex conveyor systems that the company uses for its development of battery cells. The feature also included a look at batteries being installed for a Powerwall. Surprisingly enough, the segment also said that Gigafactory Nevada would generate about 13 million cells a day.
What is especially noteworthy is that the production line for Tesla’s battery in Gigafactory Nevada does not yet reflect the best the company is looking to deliver. The honor belongs to the Fremont Roadrunner Project, which is currently undergoing an expansion for a pilot production line. Unlike the 2170 cells produced in partnership with Panasonic at Giga Nevada, Tesla designs and manufactures the Roadrunner cells completely custom-made.
Expectations are very large for the company’s custom cells, with speculations suggesting the batteries could last in electric cars for a million miles and in energy storage systems for decades. Ultimately, the shared Gigafactory Nevada footage in the Super Factories segment will likely provide a strong contrast to Tesla’s Roadrunner Plan, which is scheduled to be unveiled and discussed in detail this September at the upcoming Battery Day event.
Watch Super Factories’ segment on Tesla’s Gigafactory Nevada in the video below.
Reported by Teslarati.
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