Tesla is ramping up production of its "Megapack," a powerful battery that can store massive amounts of clean energy.
It's big news for the power grid as more solar, wind, and tidal farms are opening around the country. Storing the intermittent, natural energy produced by these sources is a crucial part of providing reliable power to homes.
A planned Tesla factory in China will be capable of making 10,000 lithium-ion Megapacks a year, Reuters reports.
"Tesla [is] opening Megapack factory in Shanghai to supplement output of Megapack factory in California," Tesla owner Elon Musk said in a tweet on April 9.
Tesla opening Megapack factory in Shanghai to supplement output of Megapack factory in California https://t.co/hDpqoyNeOx
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 9, 2023
The plant is scheduled to start making Megapacks by the second quarter of 2024, Reuters reports.
A Lathrop, California, plant also makes about 10,000 Megapacks a year. Each of these units can power about 3,600 homes for an hour, according to Tesla.
Clean energy use is a growing part of the grid. Globally, wind and solar set a record in 2021, making up 10% of the world's energy — up from just 1.7% about a decade earlier.
Tesla Megapack systems are already online in Texas, Alaska, and Australia. They consist of rows of large, white rectangular units that Tesla supports with a 20-year warranty. The company said they are safe and have undergone extensive fire tests. Fires and explosions are typically a concern with lithium-ion batteries, CNN reports.
Tesla noted on its website that the packs provide protection from outages during severe weather, reduce reliance on gas turbines, and provide backup power to cities. It's an important step to "stabilize the grid and prevent outages," according to information on Tesla's website.
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