It appears that Tesla will soon be receiving batteries from another supplier in China. During a recent interview with local media, a BYD executive stated that the Chinese car and battery maker would be supplying the American EV company with batteries.
Rumors about Tesla potentially getting batteries from BYD have been around for some time now. Tesla is aggressively ramping its operations in China, and so far, its battery supply has been primarily sourced from Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL), which has a battery module assembly plant close to Giga Shanghai.
Last August, rumors emerged that Tesla might also be looking to use BYD batteries for its locally-produced vehicles. Later reports suggested that BYD batteries may be fitted on Tesla’s locally-made vehicles sometime in 2022 and that the company had received an order for 10 GWh worth of LFP batteries from the American electric car maker.
Tesla is yet to confirm or deny whether it has inked a battery supply deal with BYD or not. However, Lian Yubo, BYD executive vice president and president of the company’s automotive engineering research institute, recently told state-owned media agency CGTN that BYD would be supplying batteries to Tesla soon. The BYD executive’s statements came as a response to a question about the intense competition in the EV industry.
“Tesla is a very successful company no matter what. BYD respects Tesla, and we admire Tesla. We are good friends with Elon Musk, and we will soon supply him with batteries. We are friends,” the BYD executive said, adding that Tesla adopts a “high-profile” strategy. Yubo also noted that some of China’s domestic carmakers are learning from Tesla as the company is a great example to learn from.
BYD is one of China’s most successful electric vehicle makers, with the company selling 114,943 new energy vehicles (NEV) in May. BYD has also made headlines for its focus on electric transportation, with the company halting the production and sales of conventional combustion-powered cars in March. BYD’s battery business has been thriving as well, with the company installing 4.27 GWh of batteries in China in April.
The BYD executive’s recent statements can be viewed below.
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