Tesla in talks to use CATL's cobalt-free batteries in China-made cars

A China-made Tesla Model 3 vehicle at the Shanghai Gigafactory in Shanghai, China, December last year. — Reuters

BEIJING: Tesla is in advanced stages of talks to use batteries from CATL that contain no cobalt – one of the most expensive metals in electric vehicle (EV) batteries – in cars made at its China plant, people familiar with the matter said.

Adoption would mark the first time for the US automaker to include so-called lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in its lineup, as it seeks to lower production costs amid faltering overall EV sales in China.