CATL Chairman Zeng Yuqun: Musk Doesn't Understand Batteries, Tesla's Bet on Cylindrical Batteries is Doomed to Fail

Tech 2024-11-13 18:47:38 Source: Network

CATL Chairman Zeng Yuqun: Musk Doesn't Understand Batteries, Tesla's Bet on Cylindrical Batteries is Doomed to FailZeng Yuqun, founder and chairman of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd

CATL Chairman Zeng Yuqun: Musk Doesn't Understand Batteries, Tesla's Bet on Cylindrical Batteries is Doomed to Fail

Zeng Yuqun, founder and chairman of Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), recently expressed his candid views on Tesla CEO Elon Musk and his bet on cylindrical batteries in an interview with Reuters. He believes that Musk doesn't understand how to make batteries and that Tesla's bet on cylindrical batteries is destined to fail.

Zeng Yuqun stated that he had directly told Musk that his bet on cylindrical batteries (specifically the 4680 battery) "will fail, it will never succeed." He pointed out that Musk is good at chips, software, hardware, and mechanics, but lacks understanding of the field of electrochemistry.

CATL Chairman Zeng Yuqun: Musk Doesn

"We had a very heated debate, and I showed him (why cylindrical batteries wouldn't work)," Zeng Yuqun said. "He was silent then. He doesn't know how to make batteries. It's a question of electrochemistry."

Zeng Yuqun also criticized Musk's tendency to set unrealistic timelines for new Tesla vehicles or technologies. He believes that Musk overpromises and compresses a five-year goal into two years to motivate employees.

"His problem is that he overpromises, and I've talked to him about it," Zeng Yuqun said. "Maybe something needs five years, but he says two years. Of course, I asked him why, and he told me he wants to motivate his employees."

Despite expressing doubts about Musk's battery strategy and timeline management, Zeng Yuqun acknowledges Musk's strategic vision in autonomous driving technology. He said that he agrees with Musk's views on the potential of AI-powered autonomous driving technology.

"He's going all-in on the autonomous driving strategy, and I think that direction is good," Zeng Yuqun said.

In fact, Tesla and CATL have a technology licensing partnership. Tesla's battery production project in Nevada is expected to launch in 2025, utilizing a technology licensing agreement with CATL.

CATL, as the primary supplier for Tesla's Shanghai factory, maintains a close relationship with Tesla. Zeng Yuqun met with Musk in April this year when Musk visited Beijing and frequently interacts with him.

It is worth noting that the partnership between Tesla and CATL has also been subject to some controversy. Some analysts believe that the partnership between Tesla and CATL is not purely cooperative, but a strategy adopted by Tesla to reduce its costs.

Tesla is currently actively exploring and developing 4680 battery technology, which it sees as a key for its future development. However, CATL and some industry experts are not optimistic about the prospects of cylindrical batteries, believing that prismatic batteries offer advantages in energy density, safety, and other areas.

The future of Tesla's partnership with CATL and the success of cylindrical batteries in the market will be a focus of continuous industry attention.

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