Chapter 1647 I have a bold idea

China does not intend to respond quickly to the fluctuations in the U.S. stock market.

However, Co-C-hBN materials and new energy industries have been the top priorities of China's development in recent years.

Whether from the perspective of stabilizing domestic consumer confidence or seizing the advantage of international public opinion, we cannot remain silent.

Therefore, just one week later, the official website of the Lianhai Institute of Chemical Physics, its officially certified overseas social media account, and the world-renowned preprint science platform arXiv simultaneously released a bilingual Chinese and English video report with a striking title: "Comparative Test Report on Safety of Co-C-hBN Electrode Materials: Scientific Facts."

The video is well-produced and the data is presented professionally and clearly, like a global scientific trial.

The camera first scans the advanced battery testing laboratory with constant temperature and humidity.

Director Academician Zhang Tao was in charge personally, and in front of him were two rows of battery packs with their outer shells removed, their internal structures clearly visible.

The battery packs in the first row are from LG Chem, which were used in the Tesla Model 2015 that caused a global storm.

The other row is a battery pack produced by a leading battery manufacturer in China and using domestic Co-C-hBN positive electrode materials.

A globally broadcast, open and transparent comparative test is about to begin.

测试项目清单被投影在大屏幕上：过充（125% SOC）、过放（0% SOC）、外部短路、针刺（φ8mm钢针）、挤压（30%形变）、高温存储（85°C，48h）、以及模拟碰撞后的火烧试验。

Each test will monitor and record the voltage, current and temperature change curves of the battery pack in real time.

"Dear colleagues, friends from the media, and friends from the public,"

Zhang Tao faced the camera, his voice steady and powerful:

"Recently, new battery materials and safety incidents involving some brands of electric vehicles have sparked widespread attention and discussion, with much misunderstanding and confusion. As the developer of Co-C-hBN materials, the Lianhai Institute of Chemical Physics has a responsibility to address these issues in a scientific, objective, and open manner."

He did not directly name Tesla or LG, but the reference was self-evident.

"Today, we will conduct a series of rigorous and standardized safety tests on two mass-produced power battery packs with different technology routes. The focus will be on the safety boundaries of the material system itself and the overall performance of the battery system under extreme abuse conditions. Let the data speak for itself..."

"..."

After a series of armor stacking and disclaimers, the test officially began.

The process was tense and orderly, and each test was like a public trial.

Overcharge/Overdischarge: When the domestic Co-C-hBN battery pack exceeded the safety threshold, the BMS precisely shut down the circuit. Although the temperature rose, it quickly stabilized, preventing any fire or explosion. However, the LG battery pack experienced dramatic voltage fluctuations and cell temperatures soaring at the end of overcharge. While not catching fire, it showed noticeable swelling and deformation. After overdischarge, while standing still, one module spontaneously heated up to a critical temperature, triggering a safety valve to release pressure and release hot gas.

Needle puncture: The moment a steel needle penetrated a domestic battery pack cell, the voltage plummeted, the punctured cell quickly lost its isolation, and the pack temperature rose only slightly, with no heat spread. However, the needle's entry into the LG battery pack cell acted like a ignited fuse, causing the punctured cell to erupt violently in flames within seconds, igniting adjacent cells and rapidly spreading the fire throughout the entire module.

Crushing/Fire: Domestic battery packs maintained relative structural integrity under 30% crush deformation, showing no signs of internal short circuits. In simulated post-crash fire tests, the flames primarily burned the outer shell, while the internal temperature rose slowly and remained stable. LG battery packs experienced internal short circuits and ignition under crushing conditions. In fire tests, the fire quickly spread through the pack, causing a violent explosion.

……

The contrast in test results is shocking.

The high-definition camera faithfully recorded the scene of the LG battery pack burning violently and billowing thick smoke due to the needle puncture and fire, which formed a sharp contrast with the relatively "tolerant" performance of domestic battery packs under the same harsh conditions, causing the video comment area to explode instantly.

However, this is not just an act of taking advantage of LG Chem's misfortune.

Therefore, the video did not end immediately after the test.

Academician Zhang Tao stood in front of a screen covered with sensor data and made a key interpretation.

"The test results are very clear," he said, pointing to the temperature and voltage curves of the LG battery pack during various tests. "The problem is not with the LMFP or NMC materials themselves, nor is it an inherent defect in the electrode materials. The real core problem is the serious voltage inconsistency between the single cells in the battery pack, which is further amplified by the inadequate battery management system."

He called up the key charts extracted from the accident vehicle's background data and the data reproduced in the laboratory:

"Look, in this LG battery pack, even when the number of cycles is not high, the static open-circuit voltage difference between different cells can be as high as 47mV under certain conditions."

"This inconsistency is dramatically amplified during the charge and discharge process, causing some cells to overcharge and others to undercharge. Overcharged cells age faster, produce gas, and increase internal resistance, creating a vicious cycle. Their BMS appears to be unable to effectively identify and compensate for these subtle deviations based on material properties..."

"..."

What is a fancy slap in the face?

There was a problem with the LG battery pack installed in Tesla cars, and the reason was exposed by Lianhai Physical Chemistry, which was thousands of kilometers away.

This open and intuitive comparative test, as well as Academician Zhang Tao's authoritative interpretation, quickly spread around the world through the Internet and with the help of some stakeholders.

All previous technical excuses and prevarications by the two companies were shattered in an instant.

Major media outlets rushed to report the test results, and on self-media platforms, Voltage Imbalance and BMS Failure became key words for analyzing the cause of the accident.

……

"Elon, I warned you about the risks a long time ago..."

At Tesla's Advanced Battery Research and Development Center in Palo Alto, California, Jeff Dahn explained to Musk with a helpless look on his face the reason for the thermal runaway of the battery pack.

On the big screen in front of the two of them, the video released by Lian Haihuawu was already being played for the fourth time.

"In other words, the Chinese analysis is correct?"

At this point, Musk's mood is much more stable than before.

Jeff Dann nodded:

"At least judging by the current results, that's right."

Musk raised his eyebrows sharply and glanced at the laptop screen next to him.

There is a disassembly report provided by LG Chem on the battery packs produced by China Times.

"There's no significant difference between the two battery packs in terms of packaging and cell structure. So, apart from the BMS management system, the hardware difference lies in... the electrode material?"

Faced with this question, Dan hesitated.

“Standard testing procedures did not reveal significant differences between Co-C-hBN materials from different sources.”

He used a relatively euphemistic term:

"However, the battery cells that used the electrode materials imported from China did perform better in terms of voltage consistency and put much less pressure on the BMS system, but..."

The second half of the sentence is self-explanatory.

It is definitely impossible to purchase Co-C-hBN materials in large quantities from China now, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many troubles.

The office fell silent for a moment.

"Come to think of it," Musk suddenly said, "Apple's equipment produced in China doesn't seem to be affected?"

This sudden change of subject left Dane a little confused.

After a few seconds, he replied:

"Uh... I heard that. The Chinese version of the iPhone is being sold for exorbitant prices on eBay right now. It's said that you can flash the system to the international version. You should know this better than I do, right?"

Musk started his career in Internet payment, so he knows more about these things than Dahn.

The question just now was just to seek approval.

By the way, this is to pave the way for the following topic...

"Well..." He took a deep breath, as if he had made an important decision. "Jeff, I suddenly have a bold idea."

At this time, Dann had not yet realized the seriousness of the matter and just asked:

"what idea?"

"Would you like to work in China?" Musk asked surprisingly, "I mean, long-term?"

Dahn's eyes widened.

He also instantly understood what the other party's "bold idea" meant -

When the thought of joining the Communist Party arises, the world suddenly seems vast.