Most of the world’s electric car batteries are now made in China. Accounting for more than 70 per cent of market share by shipments, that concentration also puts global automakers at risk of supply chain disruptions amid escalating geopolitical tensions between the US and China. But Tesla’s new batteries are set to upend the hierarchy of the industry for good.

Panasonic and LG Energy Solution have long been the leading suppliers.  But in recent years, Chinese makers such as CATL and BYD have steadily won market share away from Korean and Japanese rivals and have grown to dominate the world’s supply.

Electric car batteries have undergone rapid technological change in recent years. Until now, the priority has been on improving energy density — for longer driving range — by changing the composition of battery materials. The shape of the battery cells has been less of a focus.