► New Tesla ‘mega battery’ is here
► Built to smooth supply in Australia
► 100MW capacity for domestic use
If in doubt of Tesla’s ambition, check this out: the US electric car start-up has finished building the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery near Adelaide in Australia.
The so-called ‘mega battery’ will be used to smooth out power supply in South Australia, a rural area beset with electricity shortages and black-outs at times of peak demand. In September 2016, 1.7 million homes were left without power.
Its output of 100 megawatts is powerful enough to supply 30,000 homes for one hour, according to company chief Elon Musk (above).
And what’s the relevance of the mega battery to road cars?
Nothing. And everything… the move shows just how holistic Tesla is thinking with its battery tech. It is driving forwards with its mission to wean the world off fossil fuels – and domestic electricity use is another focus for the disruptive business.
Musk had promised the battery would be installed free of charge if it missed its 1 December 2017 deadline for completion. It will be fed with power from a giant wind farm nearby run by renewables energy specialist Neoen.
And – guess what – the learnings from the Hornsdale Wind Farm will be fed back into the road car project. Just don’t go expecting your Model S, Model 3 or Roadster supercar slayer to have a 129MWh of energy density…
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