Tesla revealed a couple of extra tech particulars about its eagerly anticipated Cybertruck electrical pickup truck on the Q2 earnings name with buyers yesterday.
Certainly one of them – and certain an important – is that the Cybertruck will get a more recent, extra energy-dense model of Tesla’s 4680 cells that already energy a model of the Mannequin Y made at Gigafactory Texas.
“Right here in Texas we’re getting ready to launch our Cybertruck cell, which has 10% greater power density than present manufacturing,” mentioned Tesla’s senior VP for powertrain and power engineering Drew Baglino, in accordance with Inexperienced Automobile Experiences. “That was achieved via course of and mechanical design optimization.”
This can be a massive factor contemplating that current 4680 cells are comparable in power density to the 2170 cells presently utilized by most Tesla fashions. A ten p.c optimization is critical, and it is also value noting that Tesla has been reportedly engaged on a high-nickel model of the 4680 cells.
Does the enhance in 4680 cell power density imply the Cybertruck will supply extra vary? Probably, though it may additionally permit Tesla to supply a barely extra compact battery pack providing the identical vary as a battery with decrease power density. Both method, Tesla hasn’t but disclosed how the acquire in power density will profit the patron.
There was extra excellent news relating to Tesla’s 4680 batteries. Drew Baglino mentioned Tesla’s cell manufacturing on the Texas plant elevated 80 p.c within the second quarter of 2023 over the primary, because of “notable progress” on yield enchancment of the 4680 cell manufacturing traces.
Tesla additionally talked about a 25-percent discount in cell COGS (value of products offered), doubtless because of decrease uncooked materials prices. Moreover, Baglino reminded Tesla buyers that the 4680 workforce in Austin handed 10 million manufacturing cells made in Texas final month.
In 2020, CEO Elon Musk unveiled a plan to construct Tesla’s personal EV batteries referred to as “4680” cells. However the automaker has to this point struggled to fulfill Musk’s targets for manufacturing and efficiency of the cells.
Issues seem like heading in the right direction as Tesla continues to work in direction of reaching the aim set at its 2020 Battery Day occasion, particularly to chop its battery cell value in half in the long term, partly by efficiently implementing the brand new 4680 cell format.
Again to the Cybertruck, which Tesla claims has began preliminary manufacturing at Giga Texas final week, its powertrain specs and costs stay unknown. The automaker maintains that preliminary deliveries will begin this yr.