Tesla pushes investors for a gigafactory in Japan - Christian Science Monitor
But the country's battery-supply industry needs to take greater risks, Tesla director of battery technology Kurt Kelty said at an event in Osaka Friday. Once, when Tesla asked for a production increase from a Japanese supplier, the supplier countered that Tesla should slow down its plans for expansion, Kelty said. Panasonic is presently Tesla's battery-cell supplier, as well as a shareholder in the carmaker. That company will also oversee lithium-ion cell manufacturing at the Nevada Gigafactory, according to a joint agreement announced last year by Panasonic and Tesla. Kelty worked at Panasonic for over 14 years before joining Tesla in March 2006. He is the lead negotiator on the Tesla-Panasonic collaboration to build the gigafactory, according to his LinkedIn profile. Tesla expects the initial Nevada plant to produce 35 gigawatt-hours of cells and 50 GWh of battery packs each year by 2020. Much of the capacity will be dedicated to the 200-mile Tesla Model 3. Tesla has said it plans to put that car into... Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. Source: www.csmonitor.com
