There's now a Tesla Model Y being produced at Gigafactory Berlin that's fitted with battery cells from BYD. This likely won't matter to the masses, but it's well worth looking into.
Tesla and BYD are seen as rivals, though CEO Elon Musk has made it clear that the two competing companies are on positive terms. In fact, Musk has lots of respect for some of Tesla's China-based rivals, much like he has respect for Ford in the US, though he only sees China's brands as true competitors.
We reported some time ago that there might be Tesla Model Y crossovers produced in Berlin with BYD battery cells. While this may have come as a surprise to some folks, it makes enough sense. Tesla gets battery cells from multiple sources, and it has recently started using different battery chemistries in different versions of its various models.
Last year, it became known, or at least assumed, that Tesla was purchasing battery cells from BYD. Details were slim, but Electrek reported that Tesla may be using the BYD "Blade battery." It's an LFP cell that's in a longer format, much like a blade. Once it was established that Tesla was actually producing cars with some form of BYD battery cells, it piqued the interest of fans and experts.
As discovered on a German TFF forum, and previously reported by German publication Teslamag.de, the new BYD battery cells seem to stay at their peak charging rate for much longer than CATL's LFP battery cells. The two different cell brands and formats appear to have a comparable upper charging rate, however:
Nonetheless, the early assessments show that the BYD cells have a slightly higher upper charge rate, and can maintain it for a longer period of time over the higher state. In the end, this would suggest that the BYD battery cells will charge more quickly than the CATL cells.
If you've checked out any of our very long and detailed EV charging curve videos/articles, you likely know that this is a complex subject. There are many variables involved, and to get a real grasp on how the Model Y charges with the two different cells would require an entire charging curve analysis of each example in the same conditions.
Regardless, it's interesting to learn not only that Tesla is using the BYD cells, but also that they may have advantages that will appeal to owners. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. In the future, do you think car buyers will go so far as to choose an EV based on its battery cells?
