Tesla signs lithium supply agreement with China-based company 

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Tesla signed a lithium supply agreement with a subsidiary of China-based Yahua Group on June 19, 2024. 

Tesla specifically signed a deal with Yahua Lithium Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Yahua Group. According to local media outlets, the agreement states Tesla will purchase lithium carbonate products from Yahua from 2025 to 2027. The two companies have yet to decide the price for the lithium products. 

Yahua also supplies lithium hydroxide to Tesla. The pair have an ongoing contract for lithium hydroxide from 2021 to 2025 worth RMB 5.6 billion. Under the contract, Tesla will receive a lithium hydroxide supply of 301,000 tonnes from 2023 to 2030. 

Tesla’s lithium supply agreement with Yahua will likely support Giga Shanghai production and cars that won’t be sold in the U.S. market. The American automaker has been strengthening its global supply chain to support localized production. In the United States, Tesla teamed up with Piedmont Lithium, which received approval to set up mining operations in North Carolina earlier this year. 

For electric vehicles (EVs) sold in the U.S. market, the source of battery minerals has become essential to qualifying for the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) EV subsidies, which range from $3,750 to $7,500. The United States has labeled China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and other countries as nations of concern. So, Tesla would not qualify for the IRA’s EV tax credits if it used minerals from China in its batteries. 

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Tesla signs lithium supply agreement with China-based company 





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Tesla removes feature that old-school gamers probably loved

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Tesla has removed the Atari games that were featured in the Tesla arcade in a recent Software Update, striking a blow to the old-school gamers who probably loved them.

It also added an ‘Explicit Content Filter’ for TIDAL, one of its music streaming platforms, to make things more safe for kids and easier for parents.

The changes are part of Software Update 2024.20.3 and were first noticed by Not a Tesla App. The update, which was mostly related to bug fixes, also made these two changes, which were categorized as “Undocumented.”

Atari Games go Bye-Bye

Tesla featured several popular Atari titles in its Arcade, which were most commonly used to kill time during lengthy stops for anything from Supercharging to a break in driving. The Atari titles included in the Tesla Arcade included Gravitar, Tempest, Millipede, Missile Command, Lunar Lander, Super Breakout, and Asteroids.

The Atari titles were the first games introduced with the Tesla Arcade several years back and gave early adopters the opportunity to do something other than twiddle their thumbs while waiting for a charge.

(Photo: Teslarati)

However, Tesla has bolstered a more robust entertainment system in its vehicles that features newer, higher-quality titles with better graphics and a more refined gaming experience.

This change only impacts vehicles with the AMD Ryzen processor, so if your vehicle is without that, you’ll still be able to play the Atari titles.

Tesla scaled back its gaming efforts recently in other vehicles, as it warned customers that new cars would not have Steam Gaming support.

TIDAL Gets a Parental Control

There is a new “Explicit Content Filter” for TIDAL, the music streaming app. It is accessible through Audio Settings > Options, and will help get rid of things that some passengers do not need to hear.

Tesla has already implemented the same feature with Apple Music, and it was added earlier this year.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Tesla removes Atari games, adds content filter for TIDAL in update





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Tesla launches the Powerwall 3 in two European countries back to back

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Tesla has performed back-to-back launches of the next-generation Powerwall 3 home battery, now debuting the hardware in a second European country.

Just minutes after Tesla officially announced the arrival of the Powerwall 3 in the UK on Monday, the company’s Energy account on X shared that the equipment is also now available in Germany. In both countries, Tesla says the Powerwall 3 is available with zero value-added tax (VAT), now becoming the fourth country to get the next-generation energy storage product.

Tesla’s Powerwall 3 was first spotted being quitely installed around the U.S. last year, and Elon Musk in September finally publicly addressed the wave of next-gen Powerwall installations. He pointed out at the time that the new Powerwall was optimized for easy installations and high power, meaning that it works as a source of uninterrupted power in most cases.

Although Tesla began listing specs for the Powerwall 3 on its website later that month, the company didn’t officially launch the product in the U.S. until February. Last month, Tesla debuted the Powerwall 3 in Canada, becoming the second country to get access to the next-gen product.

Today, those in most markets can still only buy the Powerwall 2, though Tesla has also deployed some software updates to improve the home battery device over the years.

One of the differences between the Powerwall 2 and 3 include the addition of a built-in solar inverter and system controller in the next-gen version. In addition, Musk highlighted the importance of the Powerwall 3’s increased peak power in a post on X, just following its official launch.

“What matters most about Powerwall 3 is that it can handle peak power of ~30kW, which is enough to handle dryers & air-conditioners,” Musk wrote. “This means that a single Powerwall is now enough for most homes.”

SunPower announces addition of Tesla Powerwall 3 to its portfolio

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Tesla launches Powerwall 3 in Germany, following the UK





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