After several months of formalities, Tesla announced on May 17 that it had officially "married" Maxwell. Two companies named after electrologists are finally coming together. Elon Musk also legitimately took away Maxwell’s battery technology. Earlier this year, Tesla announced the acquisition of supercapacitor and battery company Maxwell for more than $200 million. Follow-up news showed that the two companies had begun exploring the possibility of cooperation many years ago. But Tesla didn’t start seriously considering an acquisition until December last year. It is reported that although the two parties began to negotiate Maxwell's "selling price" a few months before Tesla formally proposed the acquisition invitation. However, some investors still can't get over the psychological hurdle, and even threatened to sue to prevent Musk from "getting involved" in Maxwell. Not long ago, Tesla issued a final acquisition invitation, and now it has officially swallowed Maxwell. At a press conference on May 17, Tesla announced that it had successfully completed the exchange of Maxwell’s issued common shares. In order to acquire Maxwell, Tesla gave up a total of US$235 million worth of stock. What is Tesla’s intention to acquire Maxwell? Tesla's purpose of acquiring Maxwell is very clear. What Musk needs is the company's intellectual property. Maxwell has always been a well-known supercapacitor manufacturer in the industry, and recently the dry electrode technology used in batteries has become their new signature. Maxwell’s report also shows that new dry electrode technology can significantly improve the performance of lithium battery cells. After completing the acquisition of Maxwell, this means that Tesla not only owns the supercapacitor business, but also obtained the "key" to the future - dry electrode technology. According to Maxwell, its dry electrode technology can increase the energy density of the battery core to more than 300Wh/kg, and may further increase to 500Wh/kg in the future. Compared with Tesla's existing battery cells, the 500Wh/kg result directly doubles the energy density. In addition, Maxwell also demonstrated an ultra-low loss rate: after 1,500 charge and discharge cycles, the battery cell can still retain nearly 90% of its capacity. And this is achieved at a higher discharge rate, far exceeding that of cells without dry electrode technology. What’s more interesting is that Maxwell said that dry electrode technology is easier to integrate into the production of existing lithium batteries and has less impact on costs. Perhaps this technology will be unveiled at a Tesla launch event soon. Recently, Musk also announced that Tesla will hold a special press conference at the end of this year or early next year to introduce its latest battery technology. Could all this be a "coincidence"? Electric vehicles have become an exciting battlefield. Interestingly, on the eve of Tesla's official acquisition of Maxwell, a "behemoth" entered the electric vehicle market. Volkswagen, which has been shrouded in the shadow of the emissions scandal for four years, has finally become the most enthusiastic manufacturer about electric vehicles. It is reported that Volkswagen will launch 70 electric models by 2028. To achieve this goal, Volkswagen will transform 16 factories to successfully complete production tasks. In addition, Volkswagen will also push its suppliers to expand battery production, and has now issued a huge order to suppliers for 15 million electric vehicles. You know, Volkswagen, which has always occupied the top three sales in the global automobile market, has an annual output of only 10 million units. However, Volkswagen’s exploration of electric vehicles has not been smooth sailing. Recent news shows that Audi will reduce production of 10,000 E-tron SUVs due to battery shortages. In order to ease the pressure on battery supply, Volkswagen announced on Monday that it will invest 1 billion euros to build its own battery production line near its German headquarters. Unlike other manufacturers that purchase battery packs or cells for assembly, Volkswagen is deeply involved in battery production in order to seize its fate. Of course, Volkswagen isn't Tesla's only rival in the electric vehicle market. Many manufacturers, including General Motors, Ford, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and other giants, plan to launch new electric models in the next few years. China's new car manufacturing capabilities are also full of stamina. As for the craziness of "making batteries", Tesla is no less generous. Last year, Tesla's Gigafactory reached new heights in battery production. If Musk can maintain efficient production, the batteries produced at the Nevada Gigafactory can equip 200,000 top-level 100kWh Tesla electric vehicles every year. At the same time, Shanghai's super factory is also getting ready for development.

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