On news of the potential Tesla-Samsung SDI deal, Deutsche Bank raised speculation that Tesla will source from all three leading EV battery suppliers – Panasonic, Samsung SDI and LG Chem – to support its production volume.
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Samsung SDI’s shares plunged 8 per cent after Mr Musk’s comments, while Panasonic’s rallied almost 4 per cent, adding $US800 million ($1.07 billion) to its market value.
Asked in a tweet whether Samsung batteries might be used in Tesla Energy, he responded, “yes”.
Tesla initially offered its Model S in three different configurations – the 40, 60 and 85 – with the numbers signifying the size of the battery pack in kilowatt-hours.
The source said Tesla planned to initially use Panasonic as the sole supplier for Model 3 and might add Samsung SDI if and when Tesla’s battery plant is unable to meet demand.
Did a Tesla Model X crash into an Irvine, California, shopping plaza because its driver accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake, or did the car’s autopilot take over and ram itself into the wall of a nail salon?
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has promised fixes for the problematic falcon wing doors on the Tesla Model X crossover via impending over-the-air (OTA) software updates. The unit provides stationary batteries for homes, known as the Powerwall, and for businesses and utilities, known as the Powerpack.
According to the owner’s version of the story, his wife was pulling into a parking space when the vehicle “suddenly and unexpectedly accelerated at high speed on its own, climbing over 39 feet of planters and crashing into a building”.
Panasonic also plans to contribute $1.6 billion (1,4 billion euros) to Tesla’s billion (4.4 billion euros) Gigafactory in phases over the next few years.
But Tesla has now reviewed the vehicle’s logs, and says Autopilot or cruise control was never activated, and that the accelerator was pushed.
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By 2018, Tesla expects to build 500,000 annually, with most of those being the Model 3, which is set to go on sale late next year with a base price of $35,000.
