Gary Zhou 
Tesla’s Roadrunner project will usher in a new generation of batteries that will widen the gap in the EV industry between the electric car manufacturer and its rivals. To accomplish this goal, Tesla has acquired companies whose technology will allow it to create and manufacture the best batteries on the market, bar none. One of these firms, SilLion, could very well have developed innovations that would make Teslas, and in turn, EVs, inevitable.
Last month Elon Musk stated on Twitter that cathode and anode material are what really matters in batteries. Musk added that while various options are possible, nickel cathodes and anodes of carbon silicon really do work well. It is precisely in line with the function of SilLion. Back in 2017, the company described the results of its battery testing, which focuses on high-loading silicon anodes and nickel-rich cathodes.
According to SilLion, it has developed early 2.5 Ah prototypes of its battery cells capable of achieving more than 300 Wh / kg, a requirement for ensuring that the company’s tech can be put into the markets. Furthermore, SilLion’s cell technology is estimated to be 30 percent less costly than state-of-the-art and industry-leading lithium ion batteries using lower cost materials and manufacturing capabilities.
Tesla has not revealed the reasons behind SilLion’s purchase, but it is not difficult to believe that the battery breakthroughs of the company may be a key factor attracting the electric car manufacturer. After all, Tesla’s endgame is developing vehicles and energy storage products with high-energy batteries which are also cost-effective for production. If Tesla will do this, the price parity with gas-powered vehicles could be met and surpassed, and maybe even more. For such a success, Tesla will make sure that in the car industry, EVs have become inevitable.
As noted by Tesla owner enthusiast Sean Mitchell in a recent video, SilLion’s tech, if integrated with the work of other companies like Maxwell that the electric car maker has acquired over the years, could make Elon Musk’s statements about “mind blowing” innovations on Battery Day accurate. The development of these next-generation cells is, of course, a completely different story. Fortunately, Project Roadrunner seems to be tackling such a challenge, at least up to a point.
Considering the potential performance of Project Roadrunner, Tesla’s next-generation batteries will possibly be a good fit for the future Plaid Model S and Model X. Both cars were revealed last year by Elon Musk, and both are supposed to be fitted with Tesla’s latest battery and powertrain tech. Model S and Model X are, after all, relatively low-volume vehicles compared to Model 3 and Model Y, which should allow the Roadrunner line to produce adequate batteries for the flagship EVs.
Watch Sean Mitchell’s recent feature on Tesla’s SilLion acquisition in the video below.
Reported by Teslarati.
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