Tesla has been pretty open about the idea that its next-generation of vehicles and its 20 million EV target for 2030 would rely on its ability to scale its 4680 battery production. This task, at least according to experts, has proven to be especially challenging.
Unveiled during Battery Day nearly two years ago, 4680 cells are expected to provide Tesla with substantial manufacturing cost reductions and efficiencies. According to statements from several experts in the field, the use of larger cells and a dry-coat electrode process could enable Tesla to halve the cost of a Model Y battery.
Twelve experts who are reportedly close to Tesla, or at least familiar with the company’s new battery technology, shared their insights with Reuters. Among the 12 experts, nine reportedly have close ties to Tesla, while three have examined the company’s previous battery technology thoroughly through an extensive teardown.
According to the publication’s sources, Tesla is only halfway towards its goal of successfully rolling out its 4680 cells. While the EV maker already sees benefits from the use of larger cells, Tesla is still reportedly seeing challenges with scaling its dry-coat electrode process.
This, according to the experts, was because Tesla’s dry-coat electrode process is so new and unproven that the company is still having trouble scaling its operations to the point where savings become substantial. Still, the publication’s sources have stated that Tesla would probably still be able to fully implement its 4680 cells’ dry coat electrode process next year.
2019 Nobel laureate and lithium-ion battery pioneer Stan Whittingham believes that Tesla would ultimately solve the challenges associated with its 4680 battery production ramp, though he also noted that Elon Musk might have been too optimistic with his target timeframe for the next-generation batteries’ rollout. “I think he will solve it, but it won’t be as quick as he likes. It’s going to take some time to really test it,” Whittingham said.
Reuters‘ sources noted that if all the potential efficiencies from the use of 4680 batteries are realized, the manufacturing cost for the Model Y’s 4680 structural battery could fall to just about $5,000-$5,500 — roughly half the cost of a 2170 pack. So far, Tesla is reportedly seeing about $2,000 to $3,000 worth of cost savings, mainly due to its use of bigger cells.
With Tesla’s 2170 battery packs, the company reportedly uses about 4,400 cells for the Model Y. The 2170 packs also require 17,600 points that need to be welded — about four welds per cell — to create a battery that can be integrated into the all-electric crossover. This is reduced significantly with the use of 4680 cells. The experts noted that Tesla only needs 830 cells for its Model Y 4680 structural pack, and since there are only two weld points for each cell, the total weld points per vehicle drops to just 1,660 points.
But while Tesla has made tons of headway with its 4680 batteries, and while the company already sees savings due to its use of larger cells, the EV maker still needs to master and scale its dry electrode process. Once that’s done, Tesla could effectively attain the holy grail of its next-generation batteries. “Bulking up the battery cell helped a lot in boosting efficiency, but pushing for 50% cost savings for the cell as a whole is another matter. That will depend on whether Tesla can deploy the dry-coating process successfully in a factory,” one of Reuters‘ sources said.
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Elon Musk
Delaware Supreme Court reinstates Elon Musk’s 2018 Tesla CEO pay package
The unanimous decision criticized the prior total rescission as “improper and inequitable,” arguing that it left Musk uncompensated for six years of transformative leadership at Tesla.
The Delaware Supreme Court has overturned a lower court ruling, reinstating Elon Musk’s 2018 compensation package originally valued at $56 billion but now worth approximately $139 billion due to Tesla’s soaring stock price.
The unanimous decision criticized the prior total rescission as “improper and inequitable,” arguing that it left Musk uncompensated for six years of transformative leadership at Tesla. Musk quickly celebrated the outcome on X, stating that he felt “vindicated.” He also shared his gratitude to TSLA shareholders.
Delaware Supreme Court makes a decision
In a 49-page ruling Friday, the Delaware Supreme Court reversed Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick’s 2024 decision that voided the 2018 package over alleged board conflicts and inadequate shareholder disclosures. The high court acknowledged varying views on liability but agreed rescission was excessive, stating it “leaves Musk uncompensated for his time and efforts over a period of six years.”
The 2018 plan granted Musk options on about 304 million shares upon hitting aggressive milestones, all of which were achieved ahead of time. Shareholders overwhelmingly approved it initially in 2018 and ratified it once again in 2024 after the Delaware lower court struck it down. The case against Musk’s 2018 pay package was filed by plaintiff Richard Tornetta, who held just nine shares when the compensation plan was approved.
A hard-fought victory
As noted in a Reuters report, Tesla’s win avoids a potential $26 billion earnings hit from replacing the award at current prices. Tesla, now Texas-incorporated, had hedged with interim plans, including a November 2025 shareholder-approved package potentially worth $878 billion tied to Robotaxi and Optimus goals and other extremely aggressive operational milestones.
The saga surrounding Elon Musk’s 2018 pay package ultimately damaged Delaware’s corporate appeal, prompting a number of high-profile firms, such as Dropbox, Roblox, Trade Desk, and Coinbase, to follow Tesla’s exodus out of the state. What added more fuel to the issue was the fact that Tornetta’s legal team, following the lower court’s 2024 decision, demanded a fee request of more than $5.1 billion worth of TSLA stock, which was equal to an hourly rate of over $200,000.
Delaware Supreme Court Elon Musk 2018 Pay Package by Simon Alvarez
News
Tesla Cybercab tests are going on overdrive with production-ready units
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the vehicle being reported across social media this week.
Tesla is ramping its real-world tests of the Cybercab, with multiple sightings of the autonomous two-seater being reported across social media this week. Based on videos of the vehicle that have been shared online, it appears that Cybercab tests are underway across multiple states.
Recent Cybercab sightings
Reports of Cybercab tests have ramped this week, with a vehicle that looked like a production-ready prototype being spotted at Apple’s Visitor Center in California. The vehicle in this sighting was interesting as it was equipped with a steering wheel. The vehicle also featured some changes to the design of its brake lights.
The Cybercab was also filmed testing at the Fremont factory’s test track, which also seemed to involve a vehicle that looked production-ready. This also seemed to be the case for a Cybercab that was spotted in Austin, Texas, which happened to be undergoing real-world tests. Overall, these sightings suggest that Cybercab testing is fully underway, and the vehicle is really moving towards production.
Production design all but finalized?
Recently, a near-production-ready Cybercab was showcased at Tesla’s Santana Row showroom in San Jose. The vehicle was equipped with frameless windows, dual windshield wipers, powered butterfly door struts, an extended front splitter, an updated lightbar, new wheel covers, and a license plate bracket. Interior updates include redesigned dash/door panels, refined seats with center cupholders, updated carpet, and what appeared to be improved legroom.
There seems to be a pretty good chance that the Cybercab’s design has been all but finalized, at least considering Elon Musk’s comments at the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting. During the event, Musk confirmed that the vehicle will enter production around April 2026, and its production targets will be quite ambitious.
News
Tesla gets a win in Sweden as union withdraws potentially “illegal” blockade
As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Swedish union Vision has withdrawn its sympathy blockade against Tesla’s planned service center and showroom in Kalmar. As per recent reports, the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla action might have been illegal.
Vision’s decision to pull the blockade
Vision announced the blockade in early December, stating that it was targeting the administrative handling of Tesla’s facility permits in Kalmar municipality. The sympathy measure was expected to start Monday, but was formally withdrawn via documents sent to the Mediation Institute and Kalmar Municipality last week.
As noted in a Daggers Arbete report, plans for the strike were ultimately pulled after employer group SKR highlighted potential illegality under the Public Employment Act. Vision stressed its continued backing for the Swedish labor model, though Deputy negotiation manager Oskar Pettersson explained that the Vision union and IF Metall made the decision to cancel the planned strike together.
“We will not continue to challenge the regulations,” Petterson said. “The objection was of a technical nature. We made the assessment together with IF Metall that we were not in a position to challenge the legal assessment of whether we could take this particular action against Tesla. Therefore, we chose to revoke the notice itself.”
The SKR’s warning
Petterson also stated that SKR’s technical objection to the Vision union’s planned anti-Tesla strike framed the protest as an unauthorized act. “It was a legal assessment of the situation. Both for us and for IF Metall, it is important to be clear that we stand for the Swedish model. But we should not continue to challenge the regulations and risk getting judgments that lead nowhere in the application of the regulations,” he said.
Vision ultimately canceled its planned blockade against Tesla on December 9. With Vision’s withdrawal, few obstacles remain for Tesla’s long-planned Kalmar site. A foreign electrical firm completed work this fall, and Tesla’s Careers page currently lists a full-time service manager position based there, signaling an imminent opening.
Delaware Supreme Court reinstates Elon Musk’s 2018 Tesla CEO pay package
Tesla Cybercab tests are going on overdrive with production-ready units
