Shulou(Shulou.com)11/24 Report--

CTOnews.com, May 16 (Reuters)-Tesla has applied to regulators to expand its Shanghai plant and plans to produce soft-package battery units (pouch-type battery cell) for the first time, but in small quantities.

The expansion plan will increase the annual powertrain production capacity of Tesla's Shanghai super factory from the current 1.25 million to 1.75 million, according to an undated announcement. The announcement was posted on the website of the factory's district, but did not say whether Tesla had decided to expand or was just seeking approval for potential future capacity.

The announcement shows that Tesla is also seeking permission to produce soft-package battery units, with an initial annual production capacity of 20,000 ampere-hour battery units, the equivalent of a Model Y battery pack. It is not clear how Tesla will use the soft-pack battery, a type of battery Tesla has never used in his electric car before. Unlike Tesla's battery units for electric vehicles, soft-pack batteries put the battery assembly in a more flexible metal bag rather than a rigid cylinder. Some carmakers, such as General Motors (General Motors), use soft-pack batteries.

Tesla also plans to build new facilities in the plant to recycle chemicals used in wastewater treatment at the plant. Tesla is soliciting public views on the possible environmental impact of potential expansion, and the deadline is Wednesday, the announcement said.

Tesla's Shanghai plant is the world's largest, producing about 726000 Model 3 and Model Y cars in 2022, accounting for more than half of the carmaker's global sales. Tesla also seeks to increase production of cylindrical 4680 battery units in China and introduce new suppliers to reduce costs, Reuters reported earlier. Elon Musk, chief executive, has said he would prefer the battery surplus to be used directly in the company's energy storage business rather than a shortage, which means "factory shutdowns".

Tesla also said last month that he would build a factory in Shanghai to produce its commercial energy storage unit, the Megapack, which can be used to store electricity from renewable sources such as solar energy, each of which costs about $1.9 million before installation. (CTOnews.com Note: currently about 13.224 million yuan).

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