A Deep Dive into Battery Tech: LFP, NMC and New Solid-State Batteries and Their Advantages

August 10, 2024

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Samsung SDI, who already produces some of Tesla’s 4680 battery cells, has recently begun testing new solid-state batteries.

Solid-state batteries are expected to be smaller, lighter, cooler, and safer than current cell formats that are used in electric vehicles. There’s a lot of potential and possibilities in solid-state batteries.

Let’s dig into exactly what these new batteries are, and why everyone seems to fuss all over them on the big news channels every time a company makes an announcement.

Regular Batteries

The biggest thing to understand about solid state battery is how they’re different from regular batteries is terms of materials and design. We’ll dig into regular batteries first, and then get to solid state batteries.

Today, Tesla’s EVs – and EVs in general, use one of two types of batteries – LFP or NMC. LFP batteries are composed of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFP on the periodic table), while NMC is composed of Nickle Manganese Cobalt (NiMnCo). Tesla uses LFP batteries in its standard range vehicles, while their longer-range or performance siblings use NMC battery composition.

The biggest difference here is price and performance – LFP has a more stable chemistry and less degradation but also has a lower energy density. Meanwhile NMC performs better, outputs more energy, has a higher energy density, but isn’t as chemically stable and will degrade faster.

These chemical differences also aid with temperatures – NMC batteries perform better in more extreme weather conditions such as extreme cold or extreme heat – much better than their LFP siblings.

Both of these types of batteries also contain a liquid electrolyte – a wet medium that is electrically conductive and enables the movement of the ions in the battery pack, but won’t conduct electricity. So, with all that aside, let’s take a look at what solid state batteries bring to the table.

Solid State Batteries

Solid State Batteries don’t contain that liquid electrolyte. That’s already a huge change – because a large portion of the weight and density increases in regular battery packs actually originate from that heavy liquid. The replacement of that liquid is a stable, solid electrolyte, generally in the form of glass or ceramics.

Essentially, that frees up space and makes it easier to cool the batteries – so much so that solid state batteries today are used in smartwatches and other wearable devices – even pacemakers. In fact, that space saving is so large, that a solid-state equivalent of an LFP or NMC battery would use up 1/10^th of the space, with a similar reduction in weight.

Additionally, solid state batteries don’t need all the additional equipment for monitoring, controlling, and cooling the liquid electrolyte – the pack is a solid block that can be cooled similar to a PC part – like a CPU.

The removal of the liquid electrolyte can also improve vehicle safety. We’re sure you’ve been told never to puncture a battery pack – that’s because when the electrolyte is removed, LFP and NMC batteries can experience thermal runaway – they have no way to cool themselves, and this heat reaction spreads throughout the battery, leading to a fire. In addition, the electrolyte tends to be flammable and toxic – making battery fires a truly dangerous, but still rare, phenomenon.

The electrolyte liquid – even though it does the important job of moving the ions around – actually can and will do permanent damage to the components of the battery, causing corrosion or build up over exceptionally long times. That’s exactly how you get battery degradation!

A solid electrolyte solves all these problems. Mostly. Even the solid electrolyte can degrade over time but will last an exceptionally long time. That’s why many companies advertise 20-year lifespans, and with considerable energy density.

Samsung’s recent solid-state breakthrough has them mentioning a 20-year lifespan with 500Wh/kg. Tesla’s newest 4680 cell is 244 to 296Wh/kg right now. Samsung has also mentioned a massive charging speed improvement – 9 minutes. That’s probably a 20% to 80% number, rather than a 0% to 100% number – as charge speeds at the far end of the curve tend to slow down considerably to protect the battery, while exceptionally low states of charge are uncommon.

Where is the Solid State?

We did say we already use solid state batteries elsewhere, like in wearable devices. But why not cars? They’re expensive. In fact, very, very expensive to manufacture at the size and scale needed to power EVs. Tesla and its battery suppliers, including Samsung, CATL, and LG, have been prototyping and working on their own solid state battery projects over the years.

Once they figure out how to scale these up, we could see drastic improvements in vehicle range and longevity, alongside improved charging times. But I wouldn’t expect them to show up right around the corner – it may take several years for engineers and scientists to work everything out, and another few to figure out to mass produce it.

Tesla FSD in Europe: June Update

June 14, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

The road to bringing FSD to Europe has been a long and complex one and filled with regulatory and bureaucratic hurdles. Elon Musk, as well as other members of Tesla’s AI team, have previously voiced their grievances with the regulatory approval process on X.

However, it appears that there is finally some progress in getting things moving with recent changes to upcoming autonomy regulations, but the process still seems slow.

Waiting on the Dutch

Elon commented on X recently, stating that Tesla is waiting for approval from Dutch authorities and then the EU to start rolling out FSD in Europe. Tesla is focusing on acquiring approvals from the Dutch transportation authority, which will provide them with the platform they need to gain broader acceptance in Europe. Outside of the Netherlands, Tesla is also conducting testing in Norway, which provides a couple of avenues for them to obtain national-level approval.

The frustration has been ongoing, with multiple committee meetings bringing up autonomy regulation but always pulling back at the last second before approving anything. The last meeting on Regulation 157, which governs Automated Lane Keeping Systems, concluded with authorities from the UK and Spain requesting additional time to analyze the data before reaching a conclusion.

Tesla, as well as Elon, have motioned several times for owners to reach out to their elected representatives to move the process forward, as it seems that Tesla’s own efforts are being stymied.

This can seem odd, especially since Tesla has previously demoed FSD working exceptionally smoothly on European roads - and just did it again in Rome when they shared the video below on X.

FSD Supervised testing in Rome, Italy

Pending regulatory approval pic.twitter.com/TXh3uQIfrx
— Tesla Europe & Middle East (@teslaeurope) June 12, 2025

DCAS Phase 3

While the approval process has been slow, Kees Roelandschap pointed out that there may be a different regulatory step that could allow FSD to gain a foothold in Europe.

According to Kees, the European Commission is now taking a new approach to approving ADAS systems under the new DCAS Phase 3 regulations. The Commission is now seeking data from systems currently operational in the United States that can perform System-Initiated Maneuvers and don’t require hands-on intervention for every request.

This is key because those are two of the core functionalities that make FSD so usable, and it also means that there may not be a need to wait years for proper regulations to be written from scratch. Now, the Commission will be looking at real-world data based on existing, deployed technology, which could speed up the process immensely.

What This Means

This new, data-driven regulatory approach could be the path for Tesla to reach its previous target of September for European FSD. While the cogs of bureaucracy are ever slow, sometimes all it takes is a little data to have them turn a bit faster in this case.

Alongside specific countries granting approval for limited field testing with employees, there is some light at the end of the tunnel for FSD in Europe, and hopes are that a release will occur by the end of 2025. With Europe now looking to North America for how FSD is performing, Tesla’s Robotaxi results could also play a role.

Tesla Launches 'TeslaVision' Contest With Big Prizes — See Last Year’s Winner [VIDEO]

June 13, 2025

By Karan Singh

Not a Tesla App

Tesla’s marketing has always been relatively unconventional, relying on word-of-mouth rather than traditional advertising. The passion of the owner’s community is always massive, but it is especially high now with the launch of the Robotaxi network just around the corner.

Tesla is now tapping into that spring of fan creativity and announced the TeslaVision video contest, with some seriously impressive prizes up for grabs.

Announcing the TeslaVision fan video showcase

Tesla owners & supporters have always been able to see our products & mission for what they truly are.

Your word of mouth has made Tesla what it is today.

The OGs will remember that in 2017, we held our first video contest. 8 years… pic.twitter.com/6pPpkqmqOH
— Tesla (@Tesla) June 10, 2025

The Contest

The core of the contest is simple. Create a video that shows how your Tesla gives you more in life. Tesla is looking for submissions that highlight themes of freedom, safety, fun, and convenience.

Prizes

The prizes definitely make this contest worth entering if you’re good with a camera and have some basic video editing abilities.

For North America, the prizes include a brand new Model Y AWD Long Range, alongside an all-expenses-paid trip to Austin for a tour of Giga Texas. The grand prize winner will also be able to custom order their Model Y, allowing them to select their preferred wheels and color.

The two runners-up won’t get a Model Y, but they’ll also enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip to Giga Texas for a tour of the factory.

The travel and tour include lodging in Austin for 2 nights, as well as economy-class round-trip tickets from anywhere in North America. Tesla will also provide a vehicle for use during the trip.

Hopefully, these winners will also have the opportunity to experience the Robotaxi network while they’re in Austin, as it’s expected to be opened to the public later this month.

Project Loveday

For long-time followers of Tesla, this contest may feel familiar. The contest is a direct throwback to the 2017 Project Loveday contest, which was inspired by a letter to Tesla from a 10-year-old aspiring marketer. That contest was won by MKBHD, with his submission below:

How to Enter

If you’re ready to start filming, here are the key pieces of information you’ll need to know:

Video must be 90 seconds or less
Video must be uploaded to YouTube with a public URL
Make a post on X and Instagram tagging “@Tesla” and include the words “TeslaVision contest” in the post.
Provide links to both social media posts in your submission to Tesla’s form
Provide your personal details in the form
You have until July 17th, 2025, or until Tesla receives 10,000 entries, whichever comes first.

You can find the official submission form and all region-specific details on Tesla's website.