Bhavish Aggarwal Counters Musk’s ‘Incredibly Difficult’ Claim on Dry Electrode Batteries

Ola Electric Mobility Founder, Chairman and Managing Director Bhavish Aggarwal has said that the company’s dry electrode battery manufacturing process is not just experimental but already in active use. Musk had posted, "Making the dry electrode process work at scale, which is a major breakthrough in lithium battery production technology, was incredibly difficult. Congratulations to the Tesla engineering, production and supply chain teams and our strategic partner suppliers for this excellent achievement!" 

Reacting to Musk’s comment, Aggarwal noted that Ola’s dry coating process has been operational since last year. He added that a large number of dry electrode cells manufactured through this method are already being used by customers in Ola Electric scooters. 

Dry electrode processing is widely regarded as a transformative step in lithium-ion battery production because of its potential to cut manufacturing costs and reduce environmental impact. Traditional wet electrode methods rely on solvent-based mixtures and long drying ovens. In contrast, dry processing removes solvents from the coating stage entirely. The other advantages are the ability to produce thicker electrodes and also improve cell-level energy density. 

Ola’s 4680-format lithium-ion cell, known as the 4680 Bharat Cell, has been developed around this dry electrode manufacturing platform. The company began work on the technology in 2022 and a year later its pilot manufacturing line had stabilised, and in early 2024, Ola started producing fully dry 4680 cells for integration into its electric two-wheelers. According to Ola, these dry electrode cells are now running in its S1 and Roadster range of EVs.