While Tesla is perhaps best known for its electric cars, its solar panel, solar roof, and Powerwall product offerings make it a leader in advancing and commercializing distributed energy technologies. The key to its products is raw materials. Because batteries are a central part of the electric car revolution, Tesla has been working to optimize the design of its batteries to achieve high energy density at decreasing costs while maintaining safety, reliability, and increasing longevity. At the company’s Gigafactory in Nevada, Tesla works with suppliers to integrate battery material, cell, module, and battery pack production in one location. The company may scale up its factories using automated manufacturing processes to reduce labor costs and increase scale. While electric vehicles are in their infancy, improved battery technology could be key to increased customer adoption, much as improved battery technology helped expand the market for mobile communications.Read More >>