4680

Frankenblob

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The new 4680 batteries, will they still be 3.2v or 3.7v with 2.2ish amps?

I know Elon said 6x the power but he did not say 6x the STORAGE capacity (i.e 100 amps does not become 600 amps).

Any info or insight?
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ajdelange

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A battery doesn't have a voltage. It has a voltage range. When fully charged the voltage is high and when fully discharged it is low. "Fully charged" and "fully discharged" voltages are somewhat arbitrarily chosen by the manufacturer. A battery that is "fully charged" can be charged further but this will result in damage to it. Similarly, a fully discharged battery still has charge in it but if that charge is taken it will be damaged. Thus the manufacturer chooses the definitions of empty and full to trade the maximum range you can get against battery longevity. The new batteries will be based on Lithium and so will use voltages in the 3 - 4 volt range. Will the range be the same as in the current cars? Probably slightly different.

When it comes to current batteries are not rated by the current they can supply but by the amount of charge they hold. Thus a battery that requires 2 amperes of current flowing into it over a 2 hour period to raise its voltage from the "empty" voltage to the "full" voltage is rated as having capacity 4 Ampere-hours. As the new cells have volume many times that of the current cells their capacities will be many times that of the current cells.

There is a limitation, of course, on how fast you want to charge or discharge a cell. A 2 ampere-hour battery discharged at 1 ampere is said to be charging at 0.5C. Discharges at 2 amperes that 1C etc. As C for the newer cells will be many times more than it is for the current ones a given rate, such as 2C, will correspond to a much higher current.
 
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