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BYD Executive Confirms Tesla Will Put Blade Batteries in Its Cars

In August 2021, we told our readers that Tesla was allegedly buying Blade Batteries from BYD. CLS later wrote in October that Tesla had purchased 10 GWh in these LFP cells for future vehicles in China. It took quite a while for an official confirmation to emerge, but it did in the most public way possible in that country.
BYD will indeed sell its Blade Batteries to Tesla 13 photos
Photo: National Geographic/BYD/edited by autoevolution
Tesla's rendering for an entry-level EV that is now postponedTesla's entry-level EV was supposed to have LFP cells such as the ones it will purchase from BYDBYD's Blade BatteryBYD DolphinBYD DolphinBYD DolphinBYD e-platform 3.0BYD e-platform 3.0BYD e-platform 3.0BYD Dolphin (EA1)BYD X Dream Concept CarBYD X Dream Concept Car
Lian Yubo, BYDs executive vice president, was in an interview for CGTN, one of the leading state-owned channels in China. According to CNEVPost, the host Kui Yingchun asked him how he rated BYD’s vehicles compared to Tesla and brought up how Elon Musk bashed the Chinese EV maker in November 2011. She also dismissed that by saying that it does not matter anymore: BYD is the largest EV company in China.

Lian answered that as any respectable executive would: politely. He said BYD is friends with Tesla and Elon Musk and that the American EV maker is a source of inspiration. Lian also said that BYD “will soon supply him with batteries.” CNEVPost published the video, and we embedded it below for our Chinese-speaking readers.

Although it seems that BYD has no hard feelings, it must be savoring revenge as a cold dish. And what a moment it is for BYD to sell Tesla batteries: the American competitor promised a revolutionary battery and is yet to deliver it as promised. Peter Rawlinson already said that considering 4680 cells as a breakthrough is a fantasy. A Bosch specialist also raised concerns about heat issues with them. Above all, BYD is much closer to producing 1 TWh in batteries than Tesla – and it was the American company that promised to have Terafactories.

BYD’s Blade Batteries are not prone to thermal runaway and have gone through nail tests without any problems. The only reported fire involving them was allegedly caused by the wrong coolant two days after a crash test in July 2021. Although they have lower energy density than ternary lithium-ion cells, they are cheaper and do not depend on scarce and expensive raw materials.

While it is evident that Tesla must ensure it gets all the batteries that it can purchase, buying them from an EV competitor must be a hard pill to swallow. Perhaps it would not look so bad should Musk just have shown some respect – even if that was not for real – for BYD in 2011. If the Chinese EV maker is having revenge for lunch, Musk is watching while eating his hat.

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Editor's note: The gallery has images of the Blade Battery and BYD vehicles that use it. It also includes the rendering of what could be the new entry-level Tesla, which Musk said was suspended because the company already had too much on its plate.

About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
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