Tesla’s battery could power Toyota’s comeback

Toyota’s recent deal with Tesla proved that the automaker was interested in becoming a force in the electric car market. They could blend Tesla’s battery pack technology with their knowledge of mass production and create a car to challenge Nissan’s Leaf. Toyota revealed today that they are testing a battery pack from Tesla in a new prototype.

One of the reasons Toyota went ahead with the Tesla deal was that they were in dire need of a shakeup. Their massive recalls as well as the buzz surrounding the Leaf and Volt put the once mighty Prius out of the minds of many consumers. Tesla had the technology and a startup mindset that could dig them out of their hole, so they inked a deal less than a month after their two CEOs met in the US.

Unlike a lot of EV batteries, Tesla’s is lighter due to its reliance on lithium-ion batteries that are commonly found in laptops. The battery used in their 2011 Roadster packs 6,831 of them into a single unit. In comparison, Toyota’s batteries are made via a partnership with Panasonic and use heavier large-format lithium-ion batteries that weigh down cars unlike Tesla’s 990 lb battery.

According to Toyota’s executive vice president Shinichi Sasaki, the higher number of cells also comes with a higher chance of failure. He said that even though battery failure is a risk they’re still going ahead with Tesla’s technology due to its simplicity.

Toyota’s announcement may result in a new entry in the electric car market but nothing is guaranteed. Tesla may boast about the range that their batteries supply, but they’ve only been exposed to a tiny market of 1,000 owners. A mass market plug-in from the duo would have to be tested in a multitude of climates and traffic conditions.

On top of the battery performance, their SEC filings show that nothing is concrete between Toyota and Tesla when it comes to an electric car. They may have touted their partnership in a number of press conferences, but their filings reveal that they have no formal agreement to jointly develop a car.