Elon Musknsays larger batteries on the way

mknewman writes: ving a friendly chat with a group of Tesla owners in Norway, brand CEO Elon Musk intimated that more-powerful batteries could be on the way for the Model S. The most potent battery pack currently offered in the Model S holds 85 kWh of juice, or enough for 265 miles of driving.

Musk wasnâ(TM)t terribly specific, however: âoeThere is the potential for bigger battery packs in the future, but it would probably be maybe next year or something like that. The main focus is . . . how do we reduce the cost per kWh of storage in the battery pack?â In other words, Musk seems less concerned with stronger battery packs than making cheaper battery packs for the upcoming mid-size sedan, which is expected to be unveiled at the 2015 Detroit auto show.

âoeOur goal is to drop the cost per kWh by 30 percent to 40 percent.â And for that, Tesla would need to build more production capacity in the form of a âoegigafactory,â capable of churning out 30 gigawatt-hours annuallyâ"which Musk claims is more than the entire worldâ(TM)s lithium-ion factory production in 2012.