Tesla’s 4680 Battery Development Status

Tesla’s 4680 Battery Development Status

◾️ Battery Type and Application Model

• 1865 Battery: Early battery models.
• 2170 Battery: Used on current models S, X, 3 and Y.
• 4680 Battery: Will be fitted to Cybertruck.
• Increasing the size of AA batteries used in daily life

◾️ 4680 Battery Features

• Size: 46mm in diameter and 80mm in height.
• Advantages: Energy density and cost savings over traditional 2170 batteries.
• Application: Currently on select Model Ys and Cybertrucks.

◾️ ‘Wet Electrode’ Process

• Battery manufacturing is basically a wet process
• In the wet process, a liquid solvent is introduced into the cathode and anode to dry the cathode at a high temperature of 200°C or higher, so a huge amount of electric power is required

◾️ Dry Electrode Process

• Tesla Acquires Startup called Maxwell Technology In 2019, Securing This Technology
• It is eco-friendly and reduces production costs because it does not use liquid solvents.
• 30% reduction in power consumption and 17% to 30% reduction in manufacturing costs.
• Yield problem due to technical difficulties, now dry electrode is introduced only to cathode.

◾️ 4680 Battery Production and Technical Issues

• Produced 4680 batteries at Giga Factory, Texas.
• Cybertruck, 1,000 weekly units and about 4000 monthly units.
• Goal: It fell short of the annual production plan for 250,000 Cybertrucks.
• Problem: Small amount of dry anode equipment and frequent repair problems increase costs.

◾️ Large-scale restructuring of battery business units

• Layoffs: Half of the employees in the battery-based division, more than 20% of the employees in the 4680 division.
• Remaining personnel: approximately 800 people left in 4680 division.

◾️ 4680 Battery Technical Achievements

• Introduction of dry process: introduced only for cathode, anode still uses wet electrode.
• Production goal: Improving the yield of 4680 batteries is key.

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