A recent study concludes that the Panasonic batteries used in Tesla cars, which are manufactured in the USA, last longer than the LG “Made in China” batteries used by the American manufacturer. EV Clinic tested the batteries of Model 3, Model Y, and other models from the Palo Alto company, and also concluded that durability and reliability are quite variable, with very significant differences recorded among them.
In a post on the social network X, the Croatian company, specialized in diagnostics and repairs of electric vehicles, questions the good reputation of batteries manufactured in China, at least in the cases of the Tesla Model 3 or Model Y that it tested. EV Clinic did not compare all available batteries but examined the NMC811, manufactured by LG in Nanjing, China, and the NCA produced by Panasonic in the USA.
The comparison yielded very interesting results. The LG battery showed more failures and a shorter lifespan (EV Clinic estimated it at about 250,000 km, compared to 400,000 km for the Panasonic). According to the company, and considering all the services performed on customers’ vehicles, in more than 90% of operations, repairs of the LG battery cells were unfeasible, as the degree of degradation exceeded the capacity for renewal. Moreover, almost always, the problems affected various complete modules, not isolated cells. Therefore, even replacing the defective item with a compatible used cell, the problems persisted. Thus, the specialist advises against repairs (which are costly).
On the other hand, EV Clinic praises the performance of the Panasonic battery. After 250,000 km, typically only one cell was malfunctioning, unlike what happened with the LG battery, and the repair, both technically and financially, was deemed feasible.
