Tesla, the well known electric vehicle and energy company, led by controversial Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk. He recently led their annual shareholder, battery, and powertrain day. The Battery Day attracted virtual and (distanced) in-person crowds. When Ms. Lucy Taylor, Class of 2021, was asked about the event, she noted, “I was unable to stream the event live, but I rewatched it after, it is truly incredible the effects this will bring in the years, and decades to come. It is always helpful to listen to the industry leaders, and Tesla is no exception to that.” The reason that Tesla drew so much attention is because they are currently around 5 years ahead of any “competitors” according to both business and automotive analysts like Sandy Munro, Cathay Wood, Baillie Gifford, and more. When one of the most technologically advanced companies in the world has something to say, people listen.

Of course, the most important part of the presentation is the progress in battery technology that has been made. One of simplest, and most important, developments was the transition to tabless batteries and larger batteries. These advancements will allow Tesla to build cheaper factories to build batteries so that they may then build cheaper batteries that are even more efficient than before. When Mr. Alex Saville, Class of 2021 was asked about his thoughts on the development of Electric Vehicles and their batteries, he stated, “I really love Electric Vehicles. They are the future, and companies, primarily Tesla, make amazing Electric Vehicles.” The big question that many have is if/when Tesla and Musk would be able to achieve these ambitious goals. The answer is months ago, as Tesla has already started to produce the batteries on a smaller scale. Scaling the batteries from 5 to 2,000 gwh will be a challenge that Musk has mentioned will be a challenge in the next 10 years. 

Speaking of production, Tesla has decided to start producing their own batteries. They realized that in order to fulfill their current and future battery needs, they would need to manufacture their own in addition to buying even more from CATL and Panasonic. When Ms. Leila Mulveny, Class of 2021, was asked her thoughts on battery production she noted, “I think production, and the ramp up to production is crucial for the success of Tesla, and the death of the classic automotive corporations. I strongly believe that them manufacturing their own batteries is a crucial stepping stone in that said process. This is one step for Tesla, one giant leap for mankind” Leila’s quote really helps to summarize how critical production is for Tesla and the change to sustainable energy.

At “Battery Day,” Tesla nailed the coffin for the Internal Combustion Engine manufacturers by announcing that they are producing, and able to produce even more, cheap and efficient batteries. With these new batteries, Tesla will make gas cars outdated by 2030 at the latest.By then, the battery and automotive capacity of Tesla will swallow up any other car manufacturer as due to their new Battery Day revelations, leaving  other companies unable to produce similar efficiency cars for a reasonable price.