Tesla Pickup Features: Vehicle To Have Maxwell Batteries?

It’s been a few months already since Tesla released the first teaser image of the elusive Tesla pickup and even up to now, there’s hardly any new details of the upcoming vehicle.

What we do know so far is that it will be extraordinary in terms of looks and performance, with Tesla CEO Elon Musk describing the pickup as having a “cyberpunk” appearance that won’t feel alien in the movie “Blade Runner.”

The truck is also expected to be quite popular and reliable like the classic Ford F-150 and as fast a Porsche sportscar. New information has revealed that the Tesla pickup could actually be powered by Maxwell batteries.

According to a report, Maxwell batteries stand out because of their manufacturing process. The batteries can be used with existing chemistries. This means that Tesla or Maxwell can actually manufacture their own batteries and eliminate the usual time-consuming process and even the use of expensive machinery often associated with the utilization of solvent-based electrode coating machine.

If this process is applied to Tesla’s pickup, then it would make sense why the vehicle is pegged at a fairly low price of $50,000, which Musk projected himself. Because of its size, the Tesla pickup will need a larger battery cell that could inevitably increase the retail price in the long run but by using Maxwell batteries, the pickup’s market price can significantly be controlled.

Per the report, analyst Keith Ritter created an analysis of the cost both the Tesla Semi and the Tesla pickup could incur with each vehicle’s respective power consumption. It was revealed that Semi would incur $140 per kilowatt-hour for a 900-kWh battery pack, which is considered too costly. The same can be said of the Tesla pickup, which is projected to have a battery that’s similar to the 200 kilowatts Rivian.

If Musk plans to appeal to a market that is fiercely loyal to pickup brands they grew up with, then the EV company needs to seriously adjust to specific factors including the price. In hindsight, the cost of power consumption for a 200-kilowatt battery should be close to that of the 100-kilowatt battery of the Model S.

A deal with Maxwell batteries could help in this aspect.