Chapter 1644: The First Round of Impact

Dan nodded with difficulty. "That's the theory, but it's just a conservative estimate based on standard laboratory cycles. The actual user habits..."

"One year!" Musk interrupted again, his voice firm. "That's long enough for our software team to iterate and upgrade the BMS countless times based on real-world feedback data... optimize the algorithm, improve diagnostic accuracy, and even, if necessary, dynamically adjust the battery management strategy through over-the-air (OTA) before problems become serious."

He looked at Daen's still worried face and slowed down his tone, but the determination in his eyes did not diminish at all:

"I know this is risky. But the business world, especially disruptive innovation, has always been about moving forward with controllable risks! We can't stop at the starting line forever because we're afraid of falling."

He paused and offered a compromise, "If you insist that risks need to be managed, we can set some temporary safety boundaries."

Dahn's heart tightened, knowing that this was Musk's biggest concession, and now he had to grasp this straw:

"At least, at least two things!"

He opened his notebook and wrote down a few key words:

"First, before the BMS algorithm is upgraded, the peak charge and discharge current of these batteries must be strictly limited! In particular, the fast charge power must be significantly reduced! This can effectively slow the rate of voltage degradation and give us a time window to upgrade the BMS!"

"Secondly, every batch of battery packs delivered for installation must undergo a complete, high-standard factory safety test before leaving the factory, including but not limited to full charge and discharge cycles, simulated vibration, high-temperature storage, and insulation withstand voltage... absolutely no omissions are allowed!"

Musk nodded without hesitation. "Current limit, sure! EOL testing is a must! But the process needs to be streamlined! Efficiency needs to be improved! Use parallel testing and add more people! I want to see the car roll off the assembly line as quickly as possible while ensuring basic safety!"

Then he glanced at the date on the computer screen:

"Jeff, time is everything. Adjust the plan immediately. Prioritize one thing: get the car with the new battery out the door as quickly and safely as possible! I want the specific charge and discharge limit parameters and simplified EOL test plan on my desk tomorrow morning. Any questions?"

At this time, the leader seems to be asking you.

But obviously, there can be no second answer.

All the technical advice about the chemical nature of materials, the complexity of systems, and long-term reliability ultimately turned into an almost inaudible sigh in the throat.

Dan knew that there was no turning back from this technological gamble.

"Understood, Elon." He lowered his eyelids. "The plan will be delivered on time tomorrow morning."

……

Under the huge dome of Tesla's Gigafactory, an unprecedented production frenzy is sweeping every corner like a literal heat wave.

The production line was adjusted to the maximum speed, and the trajectory of the robotic arms' swinging movements almost became a blurred band of light.

Precision equipment originally used to produce different batches and models of batteries was forcibly reconfigured to standard parameters, simply to expedite the production of battery modules utilizing the new LMFP-NMC system. Engineers in white cleanroom suits hurried along, their faces a mixture of fatigue and a high-pressure-fueled excitement.

Under Musk's highest order of "safe but must be fast", the charging and discharging current limits proposed by Dahn's team were strictly implemented - the fast charging power was halved, and the peak discharge current was put under heavy shackles.

It will definitely affect performance, but there are no competitive products on the market anyway.

At the same time, the "optimized" factory safety test (EOL) list is like a forcibly compressed spring. Although it retains key "hard indicators" such as high-temperature storage and insulation voltage resistance, the deep charge and discharge cycle test that originally took several days to complete has been simplified to only a few symbolic rounds, and the demanding project of simulating complex road vibrations has been directly cut.

On the PAD in the quality inspector's hand, the green check mark indicating the test passed lights up at an unsettling frequency.

The first batch of new products equipped with "breakthrough" batteries rolled off the production line amidst a frenzy of media publicity and the expectations of investors, and were delivered to the first batch of users in North America and Europe who were willing to try them out.

Tesla's stock price rose in response.

The haze seemed to be dispelled briefly.

The first few weeks were uneventful, with user forums filled with initial praise for the new battery, saying it had "solid battery life" and that "charging seemed a little slower than advertised, but acceptable."

Musk's tense nerves seemed to relax a little, and he even forwarded several users' positive feedback on social platforms.

However, he largely underestimated the enthusiasm of his fans.

The turning point of fate came in the fifth week.

On a cold afternoon, at the Tesla service center in the suburbs of Seattle, the shrill sound of an alarm suddenly tore through the tranquility.

A new SUV that had traveled over 2,500 miles and completed more than 20 charging cycles was quietly parked in the owner's garage less than ten minutes after the owner finished a fast charge. Suddenly, thick white smoke with a pungent and sweet smell came out from under the car.

The smoke alarm in the garage wailed shrilly, and the terrified car owner and the firefighters who rushed to the scene witnessed a horrifying scene: white smoke quickly turned into flames, the flames greedily licking the expensive car body and quickly igniting nearby debris!

Although the fire department finally put out the fire, the luxury car worth nearly $100,000 and half of the garage were reduced to charred ruins.

The photos of the scene and the video of the car owner in shock instantly went viral on the Internet.

The public relations team rushed to put out the fire as quickly as possible, trying to characterize the incident as an "isolated electrical failure" or "a problem with the user's charging device."

However, this is just the prelude to a black symphony.

Week 6, Toronto. After a quick charge at a public charging station at a shopping mall, a brand-new SUV of the same model drove onto the highway. Just ten minutes later, a bright red warning popped up on the car's central control screen: "Battery Failure, Stop Safely Immediately!" Immediately, the car lost power and skidded to a halt in the emergency lane.

A tow truck towed it back to the service center, and after disassembly and inspection, it was found that multiple battery cells in a module within the battery pack had severely expanded and deformed. Internal monitoring data pointed to local overheating caused by consistency loss of control.

In the seventh week, Los Angeles, Berlin, Sydney... like dominoes being pushed down, similar accident reports came one after another from different corners of the world.

The symptoms are surprisingly similar: after dozens to more than a hundred charging cycles (most of which are far from reaching the critical point of 150 times predicted by the laboratory), the vehicle may smoke when it is stationary after charging, or suddenly report serious faults, power interruption, or even catch fire while driving!

The investigation is directed, without exception, at the battery packs that were hastily launched and adopted the new LMFP-NMC system!

Panic spread like a plague, with topics like "BatteryFire" and "LMFPWarning" quickly becoming trending searches on social media.

User rights groups have sprung up like mushrooms after rain. Authoritative automotive media and battery safety experts have begun to intervene. The initial analysis report is like a cold dagger, pointing directly to the core.

The voltage consistency of the battery cells within the battery pack deteriorates catastrophically after a relatively small number of cycles, far exceeding the results of laboratory simulations. However, the vehicle's current BMS system, faced with the complex multi-discharge platform characteristics of the LMFP material, has a fatal blind spot in its diagnostic algorithm, failing to promptly issue an early warning and isolate the faulty cell, ultimately leading to loss of control.

Wall Street's reaction was most brutal. Tesla's stock price plummeted like an avalanche, wiping out tens of billions of dollars in market value in just a few days. It wiped out many times the gains it had made on the "on-time delivery" announcement and slammed through key support levels.

Investor confidence suffered a devastating blow.

What is even more fatal is that LG Chem, as a core battery supplier, has also suffered a cliff-like plunge in its stock price. The market has serious doubts about its technical capabilities and quality control, and the risk of a broken capital chain has rapidly shifted from rumors to reality.

However, for the entire market.

This is just the beginning.