Tesla: A Carmaker Or Grid-Storage Company?

cartechboy (2660665) writes "Let's be real, the three Detroit automakers were skeptical of Tesla Motors, and rightfully so. But at this point, it's pretty hard to deny the impact this Silicon Valley automaker is having on the industry. Now there's a new question buzzing around: Is Tesla Motors actually a carmaker, or is it really just a grid-storage company? If you think about it, the company's stock price is too high for Toyota or Daimler to just buy it outright. So maybe Tesla's gigafactory will not only make batteries for its own electric cars, but it could also sell battery packs to electric utilities and others. In reality, the gigafactory could become its own separate company and just sell the battery packs to Tesla, and others."

Comments

Re:There is already a Tesla home battery pack

[bferrell]

Having investigated this scenario, here's how it works:

Solarcity installs a system (panels, storage, chargers/inverters) on your premises at zero cost to you. They get the tax subsidy offered for the installation. You roof is now occupied by solarcity. They sell you electricity AND what you don't use, they sell to your local utility. You have now switched energy providers and are STILL paying power bills.

I fully recognize they they take on what maintenance there is on this plant... But there isn't much and they are completely unregulated. They charge the home owner whatever they please, just so it's below the regulated utility.

It doesn't sit well with me and I won't do business that way.

Probably not

[Animats]

Batteries for grid storage have different properties than batteries for cars.

• Weight doesn't matter for grid storage.
• Recharge time need not be faster than discharge rate.
• Grid storage batteries should last a decade or two. Car storage batteries only need a working life of a few thousand hours.
• Efficiency over a charge/discharge cycle matters more for grid storage.

So grid storage tends to use different battery technologies than vehicles.

Re:Panasonic

[AmiMoJo]

In 15 to 20 years time when "worn out" Model S battery packs start to become available I expect one of the main applications will be storage for domestic solar installations that can tolerate having only 70% capacity remaining. Tesla have said they estimate a 250,000 mile lifespan for their packs (down to 80% capacity), and offer an 8 year unlimited mileage warranty that seems to back that up (averaging 15k/year for 8 years is 120k miles, but some people do double that).

Japanese manufacturers already offer this.