Tesla's New Nickel-Based Battery Tech Allows 90% Daily Charging, Boosts Longevity

Sep 8,2025,By lan

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   Tesla's VP of Vehicle Engineering, Lars Moravy, revealed in September 2025 that new nickel-based battery technology significantly improves durability. 

   The daily charging recommendation will increase from 80% to 90%, thanks to material science breakthroughs.

1. Battery Background: LFP vs. Nickel-Based

Tesla currently offers two battery types: LFP and nickel-based (NMC/NCA).

Battery Type Strengths Limitations
LFP Charge to 100% daily, better durability Temperature sensitive, lower energy density
Nickel-based Higher energy density, better performance Previously limited to 80% daily charging

Moravy stated the new technology "halves the convenience gap" between battery types.

2. Technical Breakthrough: Cathode Doping

   The improvement comes from patent US20240383770A1: "Doped Cathode Active Materials and Methods Thereof."

Key achievements:

  • Precise doping with trace metal elements
  • Reduces capacity fade during cycling
  • 91% capacity retention vs. 83% in previous batteries
  • 5% capacity loss vs. 20% in non-doped batteries
Metric Traditional Batteries New Doped Batteries
Capacity Loss ~20% <5%
Capacity Retention 83% 91%
Degradation Rate Standard 4x lower

3. Market Impact & US Implications

This development is particularly important for the US market where:

  • All current Tesla models use nickel-based batteries
  • LFP battery versions suspended due to supply chain issues
  • LFP vehicles cannot receive federal tax credits
  • High tariffs on Chinese LFP batteries increase costs

The new technology makes nickel-based batteries more competitive with LFP for daily usability while maintaining their performance advantages.