Dear Reader,
Unfortunately, none of what you’re about to hear is made up.
Earlier this week, Chechen warlord, Putin lapdog, and world famous social media rat, Ramzan Kadyrov, made headlines after posing with a Tesla Cybertruck he’d had converted into a machine-gun carrying technical.
Its future, according to the man who called for these modifications, is a trip to the frontlines to aid Russia’s stalled invasion of Ukraine.
Kadyrov went on the record via Telegram calling Elon Musk “the strongest genius of modern times”, adding: “We await your future products that will help us finish the special military operation.”
Now, the levels of absurdity here are multiple, but I’d like to address three in particular.
Mind you, I am giving this far more attention than it warrants, but there is a point to be made if you stick around to the end.
First of all, given the way how the Russian made Kord heavy machine gun is mounted, it’s clear that the Cybertruck’s retractable bed cover has been disabled — which most likely voids the warranty.
Teslas Won’t Make The Best Weapons Platforms
Looking at it through a wider lens with sanctions in place and Musk already famous for helping the Ukrainian cause with his Starlink network, it’s even more likely that this Tesla will simply be remotely deactivated.
So unless Kadyrov’s engineers are ready to convert it to diesel, it may already be a paperweight.
Now, if somehow this machine-gun-armed stainless steel doorstop does make it to the front lines, it will not last very long — and its very nature as an EV guarantees this.
You’ve seen videos of what the Ukrainian resistance has been able to do with 50 ton main battle tanks using commercially available FPV drones and modified RPG warheads.
The results of a strike on the relatively light roof armor of these steel beasts often leads to an ammunition cook-off, which isn’t as delicious as it sounds.
The Cybertruck weighs less than 3 tons, and if you put a hole through it, something very similar will happen.
Only it won’t be ammo that’s cooking off, but the lithium batteries.
And that makes all of this, nothing more than one big joke — and Kadyrov knows it. Posting these images is just his version of doing the walking dance in public for his Instagram followers.
Lithium Ion… Might As Well Be Hauling Explosives
It’s vapid and meaningless, but it gets the clicks, and he’s addicted to those the same way he’s addicted to torturing POWs.
But like I said, there is a point to all this, and it’s a serious one.
In the coming years, the DoD, not to mention most of our NATO partners, are going to be transitioning many of their vehicles classes away from fossil fuel power.
Lithium-ion batteries, while acceptable and even favorable for civilian applications where energy density reigns supreme as the most crucial factor, for military purposes, safety, reliability, and durability are going to be far more heavily weighted.
Lithium-ion won’t cut it, but something else — something entirely new — just may.
Right now, there is a next-generation battery being developed in Australia that beats lithium in all categories, claiming up to three times the charge capacity, up to five times the service life, and up to 70 times the charge speed.
Put it into an EV and you can charge that EV to drive over 1000 miles in less time than it would take to fill your ICE car at the pump.
These Next-Generation Batteries Are A Few Years Away From Disrupting The Lithium Market
But even more importantly, these batteries are conceived to be so rugged and resilient, that they’re said to be able to take a bullet and continue to run.
These batteries won’t hit the market for at least another few years, but the company developing them is already testing early production batches.
Sooner or later, they will find their way into the EV market, and the Pentagon won’t be far behind.
The company making them stands to become a brand name across the world, but today, only a few industry experts know anything about it.
Its stock trades on two exchanges in north America, at a valuation that’s currently below $100M.
That’s a fraction of its long term value.
You could own it today.
But first, you’ll need to do your due diligence.
Click here to start to get started. Fortune favors the bold, Alex Koyfman His flagship service, Microcap Insider, provides market-beating insights into some of the fastest moving, highest profit-potential companies available for public trading on the U.S. and Canadian exchanges. With more than 5 years of track record to back it up, Microcap Insider is the choice for the growth-minded investor. Alex contributes his thoughts and insights regularly to Energy and Capital. To learn more about Alex, click here.
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