Featured Tesla Aluminum Battery Chemistry

Google tells me:

No credible evidence suggests Elon Musk has touted a specific aluminum battery chemistry or that Tesla is planning to commercialize one in the near future. The widespread rumors originate from unverified YouTube videos and blogs that combine speculation with sensationalized headlines.
What is known about aluminum battery rumors
Rumor mill, not official channels.

Claims about a "game-changing" aluminum-ion or aluminum-air battery for an upcoming Tesla Model 2 appear almost exclusively in unofficial media. Reputable fact-checking sites found no official confirmation from either Tesla or Musk.

Tesla's focus remains lithium-ion. The company's confirmed battery development is focused on improving its existing lithium-ion technology, specifically the 4680 cell, and securing the supply chain for materials.

Conflated with other company's work. Some reports may be confused with the work of other companies, such as Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG), which is developing graphene aluminum-ion batteries that are not associated with Tesla.

The allure of aluminum-ion. Rechargeable aluminum-ion batteries are a real field of research, separate from Tesla. Researchers are exploring them for potential benefits like low cost, reduced flammability, and high capacity. However, they face significant technical challenges that prevent their mass-market adoption.

"Aluminum" batteries in existing Teslas. Tesla's premium vehicles already use a Nickel-Cobalt-Aluminum (NCA) cathode chemistry, but this is a standard form of lithium-ion battery technology, not the rumored aluminum-ion or aluminum-air battery.

Why are aluminum battery claims so persistent?
The persistent circulation of these rumors is largely driven by a combination of factors:
Clickbait sensationalism: Claims of a revolutionary, "lithium-killing" battery are powerful clickbait and generate significant online traffic.
Plausible speculation: As aluminum-ion battery research is a legitimate field, it provides a plausible-sounding basis for speculation. The element's high abundance and recyclability also make for a compelling narrative.
Ambiguity and hype: Some creators of these videos openly admit to mixing fact with speculation and creative interpretation, leading to a confusing blend of credible research and baseless ​

There are aluminum primary batteries used on salt water craft. The sacrificial aluminum goes away while providing a protective voltage so other, less reactive metals are not corroded. Metallic aluminum has a high energy content used for rock engines and thermite. But this remains a one-way trip as converting the reacted aluminum by-products task special, reactive cells.

Metal-air batteries are primary cells, discharge only. But if a swappable battery pack existed that retained the expired by-products, they might make a reasonable EV system. The high energy content would work for aviation with the conformal, structural battery packs being swapped on the ground. It would be a nice solution for very large, multi-ton, vehicles.

I had once thought about an iron-air battery that would release the rust on the road. A fairly benign compound, it would 'gravity collect' in culverts, streams, creeks, and rivers in a form that might be economical to harvest and recycle.

Bob Wilson