Gary Zhou 
By recreating the cell housing unit, Tesla teardown specialist Sandy Munro recently recreated what he claims to be the new 4680 Battery Pack. As he spent some time breaking down both the Model 3 sedan and more recently, the Model Y crossover, Munro is an extremely familiar figure to Tesla fans. However, along with his team of highly qualified engineers, the design expert composed a copy of the 4680 cell pack, which will be used to increase power, energy, and range in future Tesla models.
This may not be exactly what Tesla will use in its upcoming cars, Munro acknowledges, but this will possibly be extremely close to what the electric car manufacturer is going to launch. The Model 3 and Model Y previously used Tesla’s 2170 cells for those who are not familiar, which were able to provide superior output compared to the 18650 cells used in the Model S and Model X. Tesla, however, collaborated with Jeff Dahn and other researchers at Dalhousie University in Canada to develop new, innovative cells that would provide longer lifespan.
Interestingly, these higher-performance cells would reduce the cost of Tesla cars significantly, as the materials they used would be simpler to procure and cheaper to make. The key strategy for making Tesla’s vehicles comparable to gas cars in terms of cost was to build a more powerful and cost-effective battery cell.
In the Model Y, Tesla uses 4,416,2170 cells, but with the 4680 cells, this number is slightly lower due to their larger size, which carries much more energy and power than the previous cell. Munro notes that only 960 cells will be used in the new battery pack, and Tesla is truly on something remarkable with the improvements in range, power, and energy that will only increase its lead in the EV market.
“We are focusing our attention on this, which is so much better than what they had with the 2170,” said Munro.
At its highly anticipated Battery Day event on September 22nd, Tesla rolled out the new 4680 cell. Tesla’s proposal to start developing a more affordable battery cell was summarized by CEO Elon Musk, ultimately leading to a more affordable car. In summary, by design, manufacturing efficiencies, and material procurement, Tesla plans to decrease the cost of cell production by a substantial amount and reduce the cost of money per kilowatt-hour by up to 56 percent.
One of the key benefits of Tesla in manufacturing its own cells and packs is that it can minimize costs dramatically while still improving the ability to repair problems as they arise. One of the tactics from the very beginning with its battery cells was to individualize each cell so that if any problems were to arise, it was easier to track and repair.
The latest 4680 cells have been used for several months, Elon Musk said earlier this year in an interview. However, not all vehicles utilize the new cells as the Kato Road cell production facility near Tesla’s Fremont factory is not producing enough yet. The increased production would eventually lead Tesla to use the 4680 batteries exclusively inside its vehicles, leading to higher range ratings and better performance specifications, making Tesla’s EVs even more superior than its rivals.
Munro’s full 4680 pack breakdown video is available below.
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