Intel Becomes Latest Western Tech Firm to Suspend Business in Russia

The Intel Corporation logo is seen on a display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 24, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
The Intel Corporation logo is seen on a display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 24, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
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Intel Becomes Latest Western Tech Firm to Suspend Business in Russia

The Intel Corporation logo is seen on a display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 24, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
The Intel Corporation logo is seen on a display in a store in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 24, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

US chipmaker Intel Corp said on Tuesday it has suspended business operations in Russia, joining a slew of companies to exit the country following its invasion of Ukraine.

The company, which had last month suspended shipments to customers in Russia and Belarus, said it has implemented business continuity measures to minimize disruption to its global operations.

"Intel continues to join the global community in condemning Russia's war against Ukraine and calling for a swift return to peace," the company said.

International Business Machines Corp too had suspended shipments as Ukraine urged US cloud-computing and software companies to cut off business with Russia.

Servers from IBM, Dell Technologies Inc and Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co top the market in Russia, where companies and government agencies have relied on technology developed by the West as the basis for their owned-and-operated IT systems.



Tesla Plans Four New Batteries in 2026, Including for Robotaxi

FILE PHOTO: A staff member attends to customers inside a Tesla Model Y car at a showroom of the US electric vehicle (EV) maker in Beijing, China, Feb. 4, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A staff member attends to customers inside a Tesla Model Y car at a showroom of the US electric vehicle (EV) maker in Beijing, China, Feb. 4, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
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Tesla Plans Four New Batteries in 2026, Including for Robotaxi

FILE PHOTO: A staff member attends to customers inside a Tesla Model Y car at a showroom of the US electric vehicle (EV) maker in Beijing, China, Feb. 4, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A staff member attends to customers inside a Tesla Model Y car at a showroom of the US electric vehicle (EV) maker in Beijing, China, Feb. 4, 2023. REUTERS/Florence Lo/File Photo

Tesla plans to design four new versions of its in-house battery to power the Cybertruck, its forthcoming robotaxi and other electric vehicles, the Information reported on Thursday, citing people with knowledge of its plans.

The Elon Musk-led firm currently sources most of its EV batteries from other companies, including Panasonic Energy and LG Energy but has been trying to ramp up production of its 4680 battery cells in the United States to lower costs and boost margins.

The development of the 4680 battery has been facing troubles, with the company losing 70% to 80% of the cathodes in test production compared with conventional battery makers, which lose fewer than 2% of their components to manufacturing defects, the report said.

Cathodes, a key part of the battery, helps in creating energy that propels an EV, Reuters reported.

The company has also been trying to scale production of dry-coated version of the 4680 cells but has been struggling with the speed at which they can make the batteries, Reuters had reported last year.

Tesla is planning to introduce the dry cathodes in Cybertruck batteries by the middle of next year, the Information report said, adding that the company plans to make between 2,000 and 3,000 Cybertrucks a week using the dry-coating technology.

By 2026, Tesla plans to introduce four versions of the 4680 that use the dry cathode, one of which, code-named NC05, will power the robotaxi, according to the report.

The EV maker is expected to unveil its long-awaited robotaxi product next week as it looks to shift its focus to AI-powered autonomous technology amid slowing demand for battery-powered cars.