A few days ago, according to reports from teslamag.de, Tesla began production of the Model Y rear-drive model equipped with BYD batteries at its super factory in Berlin, Germany this week.
Although the report did not explicitly mention blade batteries, the lithium iron phosphate batteries currently produced by BYD’s battery factory are blade batteries independently developed by BYD. Although there is no further relevant information about the battery, Tesla will apply for EU-type approval from August 2022. At that time, Tesla registered a Model Y car equipped with BYD’s “structural” lithium iron phosphate battery with a battery capacity of 55kWh and a WLTP range of 440 kilometers. In comparison, a China-made Model Y equipped with CATL batteries has a capacity of 60kWh and a range of 455 kilometers.
According to Tesla’s original plan for the German Model Y, the front frame elements of this version will be produced in one piece with a gigapress. In the design of the Model Y four-wheel drive model that Tesla first produced at the Texas Gigafactory, the battery pack becomes part of the load-bearing structure, so it is also called the “structure.” Tesla CEO Elon Musk called it a revolution in car manufacturing. However, at present, the batteries of the German Model Y rear-drive version will not be produced by Tesla, but by BYD in China.
It is reported that the Tesla German factory has already produced the Model Y performance version and the long-range version. The Model Y rear-drive version equipped with BYD batteries may be offline within a month, which also means that Tesla will provide more options and price ranges in the European market.
In addition to Panasonic, LG and CATL, BYD will be Tesla’s fourth battery supplier. Previously, rumors about BYD joining hands with Tesla have been circulating for a long time, but the two parties have made no substantial progress.