“Maybe something needs five years,” Zeng said.
“But he says two years.
I definitely asked him why.
He told me he wanted to push people.”
Introduced in 2020, these cells were touted as a game-changer in EV battery technology.
The 4680 cells have already found their way into some Tesla vehicles, including the Cybertruck.
Zeng and Musk reportedly clashed over Tesla’s battery strategy during a heated debate in an April meeting.
According to Zeng, Musk was silent in the face of Zeng’s critique.
“He doesn’t know how to make a battery,” Zeng told Reuters.
Zeng believes Tesla lacks the expertise to successfully develop and manufacture the 4680 cells at scale.
Indeed, scaling up production of the 4680 cells has proven difficult.
Tesla has facedissueswith the cells collapsing in on themselves during use.
Other battery manufacturers like Panasonic have also cautioned about technical problems hindering mass production.
This technology was a cornerstone of Tesla’s vision for the 4680 cells but has posed significant implementation challenges.
Tesla and CATL maintain a complex and interdependent relationship.
CATL supplies batteries for Tesla’s vehicles produced in China, including models sold in North America.
