Tesla Shifting to Cheaper Battery Chemistry Tried in China

(Bloomberg) — Tesla Inc. said it's shifting to cheaper lithium-iron-phosphate batteries globally, a move away from the chemistry used to power most electric cars as prices for key materials soar..The switch to LFP batteries will apply to Tesla's standard-range vehicles, the company said in its third-quarter earnings release, confirming a strategy flagged last year to use the budget components to deliver lower-cost models. .Most of the auto industry relies on nickel and cobalt in lithium-ion batteries to boost electric car performance. Yet supplies of both materials are constrained, and ethical issues have long dogged cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic…