In all EV batteries, a thin layer of copper foil serves as a current collector for the anode and a layer of aluminium foil for the cathode. A tab is joined to each of these current collectors and serves as the battery’s connection to the outside world. But these tabs hobble the performance of the cells and make them more difficult to produce. Manufacturers must use a specialised welding technique to connect them to the foil current collectors, which results in wasted time and material. Even worse, the tabs reduce the battery’s efficiency, because electric current must travel the full length of the electrode to reach each tab. One of the major innovations in Tesla’s new battery is that it is tabless.
These new tabless cells, which Tesla is calling 4860 cells, will give the company's EV batteries five times more energy capacity, make them six times more powerful, and enable a 16 percent range increase for Tesla's vehicles.
Tesla laser-patterned existing foil current collectors in its new battery so that they can have dozens of connections to the electrode materials. The result is a current collector that the company described as a 'shingled spiral' that looks a bit like a curled-up, copper-plated armadillo. See photo in Tweet above.
But with battery technology still evolving and solutions varying in the raw materials required (lithium, cobalt, nickel, manganese) for the battery chemistry, the way to play the electrification theme going forward is via investing in copper.
Note that copper is present in all EV batteries in the image below.
All the charging stations, and the EVs themselves, require a lot more copper. So copper is probably a safer bet.
Kalkaroo has the potential to provide significant leverage to anticipated future improved copper prices.
Cheers
These are only my thoughts and it does not constitute investment advice. Before acting on any information you read and before making any financial or investment decisions, you should always consult your advisor(s) or other relevant professional experts.
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