Automotive

Tesla's Gigafactory to significantly reduce Li-ion battery production costs by 2020

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Projected figures show the Gigafactory producing 500,000 units per year by 2020, with expected battery cell output of 35 GWh/yr and battery pack output figures of 50 GWh/yr
Tesla reports that economies of scale associated with the Gigafactory project could reduce the cost per /kWh of a battery pack by 30 percent
Current global output of lithium-ion batteries sits at just under 35 GWh/yr, but with the Gigafactory Tesla proposes a total output exceeding this figure by 2020
Projected figures show the Gigafactory producing 500,000 units per year by 2020, with expected battery cell output of 35 GWh/yr and battery pack output figures of 50 GWh/yr
Tesla is currently exploring various US states as possible locations for the Gigafactory
Total space requirement for the factory itself is projected to be 10M ft2 and house up to 6,500 employees.
By working with various technology and battery partners on the Gigafactory project, Tesla hopes to reduce production costs by achieving optimal economies of scale
Space requirements for the factory, and its supplemental wind and solar stations, is reported to be between 500-1000 acres.
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As Tesla’s Supercharger network expands and Model S sales continue to grow, so too does the company’s need to find a more economical battery solution. A proposed technology amalgamation in the form of the Gigafactory could theoretically reduce per kWh and lithium-ion costs by over 30 percent by 2020.

Pitched as a "forward looking project," Tesla’s proposed Gigafactory will, if successful, produce the same number of lithium-ion batteries by the year 2020 as the entire world’s output in 2013. According to Tesla, by working with various technology and battery partners on this large scale project, the company could significantly reduce production costs by achieving optimal economies of scale.

The basic business concept behind the Gigafactory is to reduce overall costs associated with logistical waste by having manufacturing and similar processes all located in the same place.

Projected figures from Tesla show the gigantic factory producing 500,000 units per year by 2020, with expected battery cell output of 35 GWh/yr and battery pack output figures of 50 GWh/yr. Current global battery output, from a variety of manufacturers, sits at just under 35 GWh/yr.

Tesla reports that by the end of its first full production year, the Gigafactory could reduce the cost per kWh of a battery pack by around a third.

Though the project is still hypothetical, Tesla is already looking for real estate to house the Gigafactory in one of four southern US states. Space requirements for the factory, and its supplemental wind and solar stations, are reported to be between 500 and 1000 acres (up to 400 hectares). Total space requirement for the factory itself is projected to be 10 million square feet (929,000 sq m), housing up to 6,500 employees.

Source: Tesla

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11 comments
livin_the_dream
When are they going to reduce battery cost by progressing the Lithium -air solution that has 10 times capacity of current cells? Surely that would be far more economical?
Derek Howe
@ livin_the_dream - Lithium air is great...on paper, since that is the only place it exists. Tesla isn't going to sit on their hands and wait (at least) 15 years for this tech to mature to the point of being ready for an electric car.
Dekarate
any body want to take a bet as to how successful the effort will be many have tried - all have failed bigger factory may end up just being bigger losses
BeWalt
Yes, let's all just sit back and bet against it, since it makes so much more sense to assume we will never run out of fossil fuels.
Mark C
@Dekarate - Elon Musk has been successful at: Setting up an electric car company (Tesla) Setting up a dot com giant (Paypal) Setting up a spacecraft company (SpaceX) Setting up a solar power generating company (Solar City)
All against the predictions of negative people like you. So I'll definitely take up your bet.
Onihikage
Lithium-air has higher capacity, but is much more difficult to recharge. Experimental versions are close to solving the recharging issue, but more testing is needed before Tesla would ever be willing to begin producing those.
t__
Dekarate,
You are very wrong at this. As in everything - many have tried, but as in everything - many have been sucessful. The idea of the "gigafactory" is deffinitely not new and deffinitely so many gigafactories do exist today. The important thing for Tesla will be to bet on the right technology or technologies. And that the gigafactory can do things cheaper, because of economies of scale is almost a sure thing.
apprenticeearthwiz
The biggest bet is that lithium battery technology is the tech of the future. Huge respect to Elon Musk, one of the smartest people on the planet, but I note he hasn't actually committed to this yet and I doubt he will.
StWils
OK, Let's Beat On Dekarate some more, The first really big "Gigafactorys" were places like the Ruhr steelworks built by the Krupp family, or Henry Ford's giant River Rouge plant. Literally in each place raw materials flowed in one end and either finished steel or cars rolled out the other. Both of these giant plants were fairly successful in their day. And None of the owners were rigidly wedded to only one solution to any given problem. And neither is Elon Musk. Eventually air-lithium might work out well and maybe also a lengthy list of other great ideas that right now are just ideas or maybe lab toys. Why wait until some future possibility? Best to start building some useful future right now and continue to change along the way.
kmccune
How about sending the production plant here @ Bath County ,Va,we have land availible shouldnt be too hard to get the wind and solar acess,we have around 545 sq miles with a population of around 5K people here and we need a good green industry here-Kevin