Recently, there has been news of Tesla developing a technology that could revolutionize the manufacturing of car batteries, dubbed "Dry Electrode Coating." This technology has been applied to their new battery, known as the "4680."

The "Dry Electrode Coating" technology, acquired by Tesla in 2019 through its purchase of the California-based startup Maxwell, replaces the traditional complex methods of coating electrode sheets with a wet chemical slurry.

What sets this technology apart is its ability to significantly reduce size, cost, energy consumption, and production cycle time for battery manufacturing facilities. It also enhances energy density and battery cell strength.

It's worth noting that Tesla has partnered with Chinese company "Ningbo Ronbay New Energy" and "Suzhou Dongshan Precision Manufacturing" to help lower material costs while increasing production of the "4680" battery in the United States.

The "4680" battery, designed by Tesla, is essential for the company's future production plans and could be a key component in Elon Musk's vision to produce 20 million cars annually by 2030.

Additionally, the new battery is expected to play a significant role in the launch of the powerful "Cybertruck," manufactured from stainless steel, later this year. This marks the company's first new model in over three years, and although the previous version of the "4680" battery, based on iron phosphate lithium cells, could have been used, Tesla decided to wait until the "4680" batteries using the new technology were ready.

This decision comes after Musk first introduced the "4680" battery during Tesla's "Battery Day" event in September 2020. During that event, he promised a 50% reduction in battery costs through a series of innovations, sparking a competitive race among major companies to produce these batteries. Panasonic, for instance, is operating a pilot production line for "4680" batteries at its Wakayama plant in Japan and plans to start mass production later in the fiscal year ending in March 2024.

Last year, LG announced plans to open a new production line for "4680" batteries at its Ulsan plant in South Korea during the second half of 2023.

Musk is betting on Tesla acquiring a substantial number of these batteries this year, allowing the company to use them for energy storage systems sold to utilities and consumers.

The name "4680" comes from its external dimensions (46mm in diameter and 80mm in length).