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Tesla 4680 structural battery preliminary teardown hints at cool innovations

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Tesla is already delivering Model Ys from Gigafactory Texas that are equipped with the company’s 4680 structural battery packs. A preliminary teardown of the innovative battery system has now been shared online, and it suggests that Tesla’s next-generation vehicles will indeed be quite remarkable.

Automotive teardown firm Munro & Associates has torn down several Teslas over the years, from an early-production Model 3 sedan to the Model S Plaid. This time around, the company was able to get its hands on a Model Y from Gigafactory Texas that just happens to be equipped with a 4680 structural battery pack.

In a recently posted video on its YouTube channel, the Munro team featured a preliminary discussion on the Texas-made Model Y’s structural battery. According to the team, the 4680 structural pack, even from the outside, is already quite innovative. The fact that the vehicle’s seats are directly installed on the battery pack itself is already quite interesting, but that’s just the start.

The 4680 structural battery’s connections to the Model Y’s front and rear megacasts are amazingly simple and straightforward, and it even includes some rails that allow workers in the assembly line to position the center console easily. But amidst this straightforward ingenuity, perhaps one thing that truly stuck out in Munro & Associates’ preliminary teardown was the fact that the battery pack was surprisingly light.

As noted by Munro’s teardown team, the Model Y’s entire 4680 structural pack — including the seats, carpets, and the entire center console — only weighs about 1,200 pounds. That’s amazingly light compared to battery packs from other electric vehicles. Munro & Associates President Cory Steuben remarked that the batteries of other EVs like the Rivian R1T are about twice as heavy as those of the 4680 Model Y, and that’s just the battery pack — no seats, carpets, or center console.

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Tesla’s 4680 structural battery pack may seem like a subtle improvement to the Model Y, but it is something that could truly propel Tesla into the forefront of the automotive sector. Everything about the Texas-made Model Y that has been torn down by Munro so far suggests that the company is really making sure that its best-selling electric car is easy to make. That’s a pretty frightening thought, at least for Tesla’s and the Model Y’s competitors.

Watch the preliminary teardown of Tesla’s 4680 structural battery in the video below.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk to provide more details for Master Plan Part IV

Musk stated that he would be adding specifics to the plan in a later update.

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Credit: xAI/X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk will be adding more specifics to the recently-released Master Plan Part IV. Musk shared the update on social media platform X amidst conversations about the general nature of the Master Plan Part IV. 

In a conversation on X, Musk responded to a post from Tesla retail shareholder and bull Dave Lee, who observed that the currently released Master Plan Part IV could really just be the introduction to the real plan due to its absence of specifics.

Elon Musk responded, stating that he would be adding specifics to the plan in a later update. “Fair enough. Will add more specifics,” Musk wrote in his post.

Tesla has been following Elon Musk’s Master Plans for decades. The first Master Plan, released in 2006, outlined the company’s path from the original Tesla Roadster to the Model 3, as well as the first steps for Tesla Energy. Master Plan Part Deux, released in 2016, covered the ramp of Tesla Energy, the expansion of Tesla’s vehicle lineup, and the rollout of a Robotaxi service.

Master Plan Part 3 was more ambitious as it was generally an in-depth proposal for achieving a global sustainable entry economy by transitioning to electricity-powered vehicles, homes, and industry, which will, in turn, be powered by renewable energy sources like solar and wind. Master Plan Part 3 also included a five-step plan to accomplish this, allowing the world to transition to a fully electrified future. 

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Master Plan Part IV, which was released a few days ago, focused on automation and artificial intelligence to achieve sustainable abundance. But while the first two Master Plans were very clear and specific and Master Plan Part 3 was very in-depth, Master Plan Part IV was quite general and vague in comparison. It was easy to tell that Optimus would play a big role in the pursuit of sustainable abundance, but apart from that, there were no specifics as to how Tesla intended to achieve its goals.

Fortunately, these specifics would be discussed by Musk in a later update to the plan.

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Tesla just had its best wholesale month this year in China

Tesla China’s wholesale figures include both vehicles that are sold domestically and exported abroad.

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla China just had its best wholesale month this 2025 so far. In August, the electric vehicle maker sold 83,192 vehicles wholesale, a 22.55% increase compared to July 2025’s 67,886 units.

Tesla China’s wholesale figures are still down year-over-year, but the company’s momentum seems notable, especially with the arrival of the Model Y L.

August 2025 figures

As noted in a CNEV Post report, August 2025’s 83,192 wholesale figures are 4.04% less than the 86,697 units that were sold in the same period last year. It is, however, a 22.55% improvement from the previous month. From January to August, Tesla China sold 515,552 units wholesale, a 12.24% year-over-year decrease. 

It should be noted that Tesla China’s wholesale figures include both vehicles that are sold domestically and exported abroad. With this in mind, August’s results bode well for Tesla China, as it suggests that Gigafactory Shanghai is now hitting its pace with both its domestic deliveries and its exports. Giga Shanghai serves as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub.

Model Y L factor

Tesla had a challenging first quarter this year, thanks in part to the changeover to the Model Y across the Fremont factory, Giga Texas, Giga Shanghai, and Giga Berlin-Brandenburg. This changeover resulted in low sales in the first quarter. Political controversies surrounding Elon Musk and violence against Tesla stores and vehicles in the first and second quarters in the United States and Europe did not help much either.

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This Q3, however, Tesla seems to be hitting its stride, especially in China. The launch of the new Model Y L has allowed Tesla to compete in the six-seat, large SUV segment, a market that was previously closed to the standard Model Y. Reports have suggested that Tesla China has been seeing a lot of demand for the Model Y L, which should help the company achieve higher sales this quarter and the remaining months of the year.

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Tesla Model Y L sales have been incredible since launch: report

Tesla China’s sales this third quarter could see a notable improvement.

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Credit: Tesla China

A recent report from China has suggested that the Tesla Model Y L has been seeing an impressive volume of orders since it was launched last month.

Amidst the Model Y L’s rollout, Tesla China’s sales this third quarter could see a notable improvement.

Model Y L orders

Citing information from a salesperson from a Tesla store in Beijing, media outlet Cailianshe stated that the Model Y L has been resonating well with consumers, particularly bigger families that need more space for their children. The salesperson stated that since the vehicle’s unveiling in China, the Model Y L has garnered 120,000 orders, and almost 10,000 new orders daily.

“(The Model Y L) is selling very well. Since its launch, 120,000 orders have been received, with nearly 10,000 orders placed every day. The first batch of customers began receiving deliveries in the past two days,” the Tesla representative noted.

More momentum

China is the world’s largest electric vehicle market, and it is also the most unforgiving and competitive. While the standard Model Y consistently performed well in the premium crossover SUV segment, it was high time for Tesla China to offer a larger vehicle for domestic consumers. There are quite a lot of customers, after all, who need more space than what the standard Model Y could offer.

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The Model Y L’s spacious interior seems to be well appreciated by consumers, with the Tesla Beijing salesperson noting that the vehicle’s excellent rear seats have been a notable selling point. “Although the Model YL is a bit more expensive, it has more space and a more flexible rear seat, making it perfect for families with children,” the representative added.

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