Tesla’s Battery Day is coming tomorrow after the electric car maker’s 2020 Annual Shareholder Meeting. During the event, Tesla is expected to discuss the details of its next-generation battery cells, as well as their role in the world’s acceleration in sustainable energy. Actual details about Battery Day have been pretty scarce save for a few potential leaks, but that has not stopped the Tesla community from speculating about what the highly-anticipated event would involve.
A concise summary of the current expectations for Battery Day was recently shared by Tesla Daily’s Rob Maurer, who compiled a list of topics that the electric car maker could cover during the event. Following then is a list of expectations about what Tesla could discuss tomorrow, as the company finally shows the world what it has been working on with regards to its battery technology.
A New Cell Design
Tesla has been teasing that it would be going into the production of battery cells. So far, leaks suggest that the company is about to adopt a larger form factor for its batteries, similar to how Tesla introduced the 2170 cells for the Model 3, which were larger than the 18650 cells used in the Model S and Model X. Leaks have pointed to Tesla’s new cells possibly adopting a 54×98 form factor, which has about 10x the volume of a 2170 cell.
With larger form factors, the electrons and the ions travel larger distances as they move around in the cell, generating more friction and heat. This is a huge downside to larger cells, but Tesla’s tabless battery patent may hold the key to solving this issue. With a tabless battery cell design, the distance traveled by electrons and ions is largely reduced, limiting the disadvantages inherent among large cells. Such a design has several advantages, including better energy density and a more efficient manufacturing process.
Battery Chemistry
Speculations are abounding that Tesla may discuss the amount of silicon that it is using in the anode of its next-generation cells. The more silicon that is used, the better the energy density. However, the utilization of silicon usually results in cracked anodes over time, reducing battery performance and life. Introducing more silicon into the anode is something that battery researchers have been attempting to accomplish for a while now, so it would be quite interesting if the electric car maker would announce some headway into its silicon use as well.
Tesla may also discuss Maxwell’s technology and how it is being used for the company’s electric cars and energy storage devices. Maxwell has developed numerous innovations prior to its acquisition by Tesla, though the most relevant part of the company’s work in relation to the electric car maker is arguably its dry battery electrode tech. Considering that traditional lithium-ion batteries produce their electrodes in a wet slurry format (a rather lengthy process), dry electrode technology could vastly improve not only the energy density of Tesla’s cells, they could improve the production output of the batteries themselves as well.
Cell-to-Pack Innovations
Tesla’s battery packs today feature cells that are packed into modules that are then packed into a battery pack. Back in the days of the original Roadster, battery modules were used as a means for the company to take out parts of the battery that may need to be replaced without taking out the entire pack. That was 12 years ago, however, and much has happened since then. Tesla has transitioned from a budding niche electric car maker to the manufacturer of the market’s best-selling EVs.
As Elon Musk noted in the past, battery modules today are pretty much just an extra step, taking up weight without really serving a legitimate purpose. Musk then stated that the future is cell to pack without modules, suggesting that the company’s next-generation batteries will be using a cell-to-pack design. Such an innovation gives numerous benefits to Tesla, from lower production costs to possibly even better energy density.
Battery Manufacturing and the Roadrunner Line
Elon Musk has always been pretty transparent about Tesla’s mission, which is to accelerate the advent of sustainable energy. Having enough batteries to enable such a transition is key to this goal. With this in mind, the potential innovations that Tesla will be discussing in Battery Day — a larger form factor that would allow the company to produce fewer cells to get the same amount of energy; a tabless cell design that could make production easier; dry electrode tech that could greatly increase the production capacity density of each battery; and a cell-to-pack design that should allow the production of batteries with less equipment at less cost — could ultimately pave the way for electric vehicles and energy storage products that are significantly better than the industry standard today.
The Roadrunner project in Fremont is expected to be a central component of Tesla’s battery manufacturing plans, with attendees to the event being shown just how fast the company could produce its battery cells using its in-house production process. Elon Musk seems to be hyping the Roadrunner line recently on Twitter as well, when he made references to a game called “Factorio,” which happens to be a title focused on growing and maintaining advanced, efficient factories.
The Million-Mile Battery
The million-mile battery has been heavily speculated for Battery Day. Tesla’s electric cars are already capable of lasting long despite heavy use, but with batteries and powertrains that could last a million miles, the company could create a generation of vehicles that are designed to be always operational for an extended period of time. Million-mile batteries are then crucial for Tesla’s plans to roll out a Robotaxi service, which involves vehicles traveling long distances every year.
The Plaid Powertrain
With Tesla’s battery innovations in mind, speculations are high that the company would unveil its first vehicles that would carry its next-generation cells on Battery Day. Among Tesla’s ongoing projects, the Roadrunner cells seem to be a perfect match for cars like the Plaid Model S, Plaid Model X, and next-generation Roadster. All three vehicles have been confirmed by Elon Musk to feature the company’s upcoming “Plaid Powertrain,” which is something that has been heavily teased for some time now. Interestingly enough, updates on Tesla’s Plaid vehicles have been pretty scarce lately, making an announcement on Battery Day somewhat likely.
Watch Rob Maurer’s full Tesla Battery Day predictions in the video below.
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Tesla expands Robotaxi in a way that was long anticipated
Instead, it has to do with the consumer base it offers Robotaxi to, because it has not offered it to everyone in the past.
Tesla has expanded Robotaxi in a way that was long anticipated, and it does not have to do with a new, larger geofence in a city where it already offered its partially autonomous ride-hailing suite, or a new city altogether.
Instead, it has to do with the consumer base it offers Robotaxi to, because it has not offered it to everyone in the past.
Tesla has taken a major step forward in its autonomous ride-hailing ambitions with the official launch of the Tesla Robotaxi app for Android users. Released on the Google Play Store on April 24. Titled simply “Tesla Robotaxi,” the app is now available to download directly from Tesla.
The @Tesla Robtoaxi App has just officially launched for Android users. Go get some rides y’all!
Download: https://t.co/D2jIONXc91 pic.twitter.com/rQ6TD14zkC
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) April 24, 2026
This rollout fulfills a long-anticipated expansion that opens the service to hundreds of millions of Android smartphone users who were previously unable to access it on iOS alone.
The app delivers a streamlined, driverless ride experience powered by Tesla’s automated driving technology.
Users sign in with a Tesla Account, view the current service area map within the app, enter a destination, and receive an estimated fare and arrival time before confirming the ride. When a Model Y from the Robotaxi fleet arrives, riders confirm the license plate, enter the vehicle, fasten their seatbelt, and tap “Start Ride” on either the app or the vehicle’s touchscreen.
During the trip, passengers have access to all the same controls that iOS users do, and can adjust climate settings, seat positions, and music while tracking progress on an in-app map. The interface also allows drop-off changes or support requests if needed. After the ride, users exit, close the doors, and submit feedback.
This Android availability directly broadens the rider base for Robotaxi in its initial service areas. Unfortunately, Android users are used to being subject to delayed launches of new features available to Tesla owners.
By removing the iOS-only barrier, Tesla instantly expands the addressable market, enabling far more people to summon and use the autonomous vehicles already operating on public roads.
The move is a foundational requirement for scaling ride volume and gathering the real-world data needed to refine the unsupervised Full Self-Driving system that powers every trip.
For the Robotaxi program itself, the launch signals steady operational progress. It prepares the service for higher utilization rates as the fleet grows and supports the transition from limited early deployments to a more robust network.
Tesla expands Unsupervised Robotaxi service to two new cities
Tesla has indicated that users outside current service areas can sign up at the company’s website for future notifications, pointing to a deliberate, phased geographic rollout.
Looking ahead, the company plans to incorporate Cybercab vehicles to increase fleet capacity and efficiency while continuing to expand service territories. With the Android app now live, Tesla has removed a key adoption hurdle and positioned Robotaxi for the next phase of growth in autonomous urban transportation.
The infrastructure is now in place to support significantly larger rider demand as production and deployment accelerate.
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UPDATE: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy that launched a Tesla into space is back on a mission
SpaceX Falcon Heavy returns after 18 months away to deliver a satellite that only it could carry.
UPDATE: 10:29 a.m. et: SpaceX is standing down from today’s Falcon Heavy launch of the ViaSat-3 F3 mission due to unfavorable weather. A new target date will be shared once confirmed.
After an 18-month absence, SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy is returning to mission on Monday morning when it’s scheduled to lift off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center at 10:21 a.m. EDT.
The mission is called ViaSat-3 F3, and the heavy satellite payload needs to reach geostationary orbit, sitting 22,236 miles above Earth where its speed matches the planet’s rotation. Getting a satellite that heavy to that altitude demands more thrust than a single-core Falcon 9 can deliver.
This marks the Falcon Heavy’s 12th flight overall since its debut in February 2018, and its first since NASA’s Europa Clipper mission in October 2024.
Arguably, the most exciting element for spectators will be watching the booster recoveries in action when the two side boosters, B1072 and B1075, will attempt simultaneous landings at Landing Zone 2 and the newer Landing Zone 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, while the center core will be expended over the ocean.
SpaceX wins its first MARS contract but it comes with a catch
Following satellite deployment, expected roughly five hours after launch, ViaSat-3 F3 will spend several months traveling to its final orbital slot before undergoing in-orbit testing, with service entry expected by late summer 2026
As Teslarati reported, NASA awarded SpaceX a $175.7 million contract on April 16, 2026, to launch the ESA Rosalind Franklin Mars rover aboard a Falcon Heavy no earlier than late 2028, which would mark the first time SpaceX has ever sent a payload to Mars. That contract came on top of an already deep pipeline that includes the Roman Space Telescope, the Dragonfly Saturn mission, and multiple national security payloads.
SpaceX executed 165 missions in 2025 and now accounts for approximately 85% of all global orbital launches. With Starlink surpassing 10 million subscribers and an IPO targeting a $1.75 trillion valuation still ahead, Monday’s launch is one more data point in a company that has quietly become the backbone of both commercial and government space access worldwide.
Tesla is launching its solution to end Supercharger fights once and for all, eliminating any confusion on who is to charge next at a congested location.
Last year, a notable incident at a Tesla Supercharger led to a fight, and it all stemmed from a disagreement over who arrived at the location first.
Congestion at Tesla Superchargers is a pretty infrequent occurrence for most of us, but there are more congested and popular areas where wait times can be extensive. An unfortunate growing pain of EV ownership is the plain fact that chargers are not as available as gas pumps, and there are, at times, lines to charge.
This can cause tensions to flare and people to get entitled when visiting Superchargers. Nobody wants to spend hours at a Supercharger, but now, there will be no more confusion when there is a queue, and that’s thanks to Tesla’s new Virtual Queue for Superchargers.
Tesla is finally starting to build out the Virtual Supercharger Queue, according to Not a Tesla App, but it still relies on drivers to make it work.
When a driver is near a Supercharger that is full, a message will pop up on the Tesla App, using the driver’s location to determine their eligibility to join the virtual queue.
The app states:
“While the app is closed, Tesla uses your location to notify you of accurate wait times at Superchargers when you arrive.”
Another message within the app states:
“There is a waitlist to charge. Are you sure you want to start a charging session now?”
This sounds as if it will require drivers to act appropriately and only plug in when the app prompts them to do so, by letting them know it is their turn.
The app will notify the driver of their position in the queue, as well as how many vehicles are ahead of them.
Tesla launches first ‘true’ East Coast V4 Supercharger: here’s what that means
The company announced a while back that it would be working on a solution for this issue. Personally, I’ve only had to wait at a Supercharger for a charge on one occasion, and there was a line of between 3 and 10 cars during this singular occurrence.
I’m out at the Lancaster, PA Supercharger and showed up with a queue of three vehicles.
It’s now up to five and there have been several issues with order of arrival and confusion about who is first.
Any update on Supercharger queue? @elonmusk @aelluswamy @r_jegaa
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 31, 2026
There were no conflicts or arguments about who had arrived first, but there was some discussion between several drivers during my time there about who was to charge first. Throw a non-Tesla EV into the mix, one that can only charge at a pull-in spot, and that causes even more of a complication.
Tesla expands Robotaxi in a way that was long anticipated
UPDATE: SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy that launched a Tesla into space is back on a mission
