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Automakers Keen to Reduce Reliance on Cobalt-Powered EV Batteries

A worker walks on a road next to the new Tesla factory built in Shanghai on November 8, 2019. HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP

Rumors are buzzing within the Chinese auto industry that Tesla is trying for the first time to produce a car without a cobalt-powered battery. Tesla is reportedly considering the use of Chinese EV giant BYD’s LFP (Lithium iron phosphate) Blade battery.

The new batteries will be available by mid-2022, and only in Model 2s that are sold in China.

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