Tesla’s new ‘2170’ battery cell is the most important product Tesla is bringing to market this year, even more so than the Model 3 which it is enabling. Batteries can be perceived as a boring commodity and it’s definitely not as exciting as Tesla’s consumer products, but the cost, energy density and other differentiating factors are the basis for those consumer products and therefore, its production is highly critical to the company’s short-term success.
Beyond significantly reducing the cost of li-ion batteries, Gigafactory batteries will also have a less obvious benefit of making Tesla’s vehicles “more American”.
The Kogod School of Business at American University in Washington, D.C. calculated the percentage of what makes a car “made in America” based on how many parts were made in the U.S., how much labor was done in the U.S., and how much research and development were done in America.
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