Quando si pensa a Tesla Motor si pensa a un’azienda automobilistica, ma Tesla dovrebbe essere considerata prima di tutto un produttore di batterie.

Per tre ragioni, secondo Jeremy Welch: per l’innovazione che hanno apportato proprio in questo campo, perché ciò gli permette di entrare in altri settori e mercati (vedi l’annuncio di ieri) e perché quando sei un produttore di veicoli elettrici  il componente più complesso con cui hai a che fare non è più il motore, ma la batteria della macchina:

In an ICE-centered automotive world, the engine is the most complicated and important component. As a result of the complexity of ICE engines, most modern car companies maintain ownership of engine design and manufacturing, marketing and branding, sales channels (via their own dealers), and final assembly, but outsource almost all other components of the car.

Electric motors are much simpler than their ICE counterparts. Some estimates place the number of components on an ICE engine at 200+ (including pistons, spark plugs, belts, coils and more), compared to less than 10 on a comparable electric motor. This comparison is a little over-simplified, but the point still stands: electric vehicles are much less complicated than their Internal Combustion Engine counterparts.

In an EV centered world, energy storage is the most complicated problem, and battery technology takes center stage. Tesla has developed significant expertise in the battery space while building their cars, and they can now leverage this expertise to enter other battery-dependent markets.