Tesla took delivery of large quantities of battery cells from Samsung

While Panasonic has been Tesla’s longtime partner for battery cell supply, the automaker confirmed last year that for the first time it approved a cell from another manufacturer, LG Chem, but only for a small contract for its Roadster 3.0 upgrade. Now we learn that Tesla started taking delivery of much larger quantities of battery cells from yet another supplier: Samsung SDI. A bill of lading between Tesla Motors and Samsung SDI at the Oakland port shows that the automaker took delivery of over 120 tons of Samsung SDI 18650 battery cells – the same format Tesla sources from Panasonic. We contacted Tesla representatives and asked if the company was able to confirm what the cells will be use for as the quantity appears to be excessive for testing (enough for over 100 cars) or a project like the Roadster battery pack upgrade (though not impossible). We will update when we have more information. The battery cells could also be used in Tesla Energy products, like Powerpacks and Powerwalls. Click to read the rest of the article