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Tesla Model Y from Giga Berlin will utilize 4680 cells and structural battery pack

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Elon Musk has confirmed some interesting details about the vehicles that Tesla will be producing at Giga Berlin. According to the Tesla CEO, the Model Y that will be produced at the facility will be using the company’s custom 4680 cells and structural battery pack. Gigafactory Berlin will also be using single-piece front and rear castings for its vehicles, on top of a new paint shop.

Needless to say, it appears that the Made-in-Germany Model Y will indeed be a completely different animal compared to its siblings that are being produced in the Fremont Factory, and likely later this year, in Gigafactory Shanghai.

Musk shared his recent Giga Berlin updates on Twitter during a conversation with Tesla owner-enthusiast @WholeMarsBlog, who asked the CEO if the new 4680 cells will be heading to the German plant. Musk explained that a lot of new technology will be happening in Berlin, which means that there will be a significant amount of production risk. Once the new tech is proven, however, the innovations in the site will be rolled out to Fremont and Shanghai.

The confirmation of 4680 cells and structural battery packs for the Made-in-Germany Model Y is big news for the electric car community. During Battery Day, after all, Tesla took a very conservative stance when announcing its battery production targets, a strategy that appears to have confounded and disappointed Wall Street. That said, the company did show subtle signs that it may be ready to produce vehicles with its 4680 cells and structural battery pack sooner than expected.

Among these hints was the Roadrunner line that’s operating close to the Fremont Factory, which would be ramped to an annual output of 10 GWh. A slide during the Battery Presentation also showed what appeared to be a Tesla Model Y frame equipped with 4680 cells and a structural battery pack. Together with the vehicle’s single-piece front and rear casts, the new cells and structural pack should allow Gigafactory Berlin to ramp its vehicle production and optimize its operational costs quickly. This should help Tesla avoid the serious challenges it faced during the initial ramp of the Model 3 in the United States.

Apart from his updates about the Giga Berlin-made Model Y, Musk also noted that Tesla expects to heavily utilize LFP batteries for medium-range cars and stationary storage. This should help the company drive down its costs more while improving its environmental impact even further. LFP batteries, after all, are more affordable. They also utilize zero cobalt, which happens to be a controversial material due to questionable practices in some mines located in the Republic of Congo.

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Ultimately, Musk’s recent update about the Model Y in Gigafactory Berlin bodes well for the all-electric crossover. Sandy Munro, a veteran automotive teardown specialist, has remarked that structural batteries will likely make Teslas even safer. This should help the Model Y attract more buyers in Germany and the rest of Europe, as it could very well be one of the most cost-optimized and safest vehicles in the market when it gets released.

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 Cybercab sightings broaden well outside of Austin with autonomy in focus

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Credit: Tesla Robotaxi | X

Tesla Cybercab sightings are broadening far and wide, well outside of downtown Austin, Texas, with autonomy in focus as the company plans to launch the all-electric, two-seater this evening in the Lone Star State.

Tesla is set to launch Cybercab to a small group of people this evening in a dedicated event in Austin, Texas. Public details on the event are relatively slim.

However, Tesla’s focus on Cybercab falls well outside of the downtown Austin area and is expanding well across the United States as things continue to move quickly with the company’s autonomous efforts in 2026. Today, various images of Cybercab fleets in interesting locations have started to circulate.

The most notable is a fleet of at least 20 Cybercabs at Miami International Airport in Florida. Spotted last night, the fleet is expansive and is indicative of a looming release of Cybercabs once regulatory boxes are checked off.

Tesla has already been operating the Robotaxi platform in Miami for several months, but this Cybercab fleet at the airport could be joining the ride-hailing platform as approvals arrive:

Another fleet of Cybercabs was spotted at the Devon, PA showroom just outside of Philadelphia. We have seen several Cybercab units testing around the Philadelphia Metro Area, which is interesting considering Tesla does not have any active Robotaxi geofence in Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia would be an ideal location to test ride-hailing due to its dense tourist population, large, sprawling city layout, and to compete with other ride-hailing companies that operate in the city.

Expansive fleets of Cybercabs will be popping up in and around major cities throughout the rest of the year, if we were betting on it. Tesla has made it obvious that the Cybercab rollout will be aggressive and fast-paced, but within reason. Tesla is still prioritizing safety, so these testing phases will likely go on for some period of time before more members of the public are able to snag a Cybercab for a personal chariot.

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Tesla Model Y L gets suspension complaints in over odd issue China

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Credit: @TeslaNewswire/X

The Tesla Model Y L is arguably the most hyped trim of the all-electric crossover, other than the Performance configuration that comes with white-knuckle speed and sports car-level handling.

However, it is not all perfect. Tesla owners in China who took delivery of the Model Y L, denoted with an L to highlight its longer wheelbase, are experiencing what they are referring to as “collapsing” of the rear wheels, as suspension issues appear to be an issue with some of the builds.

The gap between the wheel arch and tire has narrowed to the point that “not even a single finger” could fit, according to a report from Car News China. The failures are not tied to a specific mileage, as one owner said that after just 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles), they noticed the suspension issue when their car was fully loaded.

Another one had the issue at 30,000 kilometers (18,640 miles) and noticed that the wheel gap shrank to two fingers, so not as drastic as the person who reported a similar issue at 9,000 km.

Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment

Along with the visual recognition of the issue, others are saying the sagging is causing abnormal wear on the inside of the tires. Extra weight and instant torque already provide additional stress on the tires in electric vehicles during normal operation, so it is no surprise that this is another complaint.

There has been no recall issued by Tesla, and the company has not yet publicly acknowledged the issue.

Some are suggesting that owners use a “finger test” to self-diagnose whether there is an issue with the suspension. There should be four fingers between the tire and the wheel well; anything less than that starts to get dicey.

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Tesla Cybercab event gains steam ahead of massive launch

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Credit: TechOperator | X

Tesla is starting to truly tease and hype its groundbreaking Cybercab event, which takes place tomorrow in Austin, Texas. It will be the first time members of the public will be able to ride in a Cybercab, a vehicle without any manual controls, on public roads.

Tesla has been dropping some hype on X over the past several days, but this morning, the excitement has truly started to build up for the event. Although Cybercab has been unveiled before, this is truly Tesla’s announcement that it is ready to start offering autonomous rides for public passengers in its new ride-hailing-geared vehicle for the first time.

The hype has started with a variety of different social media posts that are a true indication that Tesla is preparing for something big. Teasing so much of the potential of Cybercab, including its ability to truly revolutionize how people hail rides for local travel, is what the big idea for the event entails. The time that many Tesla owners, fans, and investors have been waiting for is potentially here:

The event has remained slim on details. Even invitees are still awaiting true details about what the event will entail, where they’ll go, and what is in store for the evening. This is pretty typical for an event run by Tesla; they keep things under wraps for the most part until the very last minute.

However, there is no secret about what the real intention of Tesla is for this event: it is going to be a huge reveal party for a vehicle that has no steering wheel and no pedals. It is a truly massive step for the company moving forward.

Speculation persists as to whether this is going to be an event that simply announces that rides will begin with the Cybercab, or it will be something more substantial. Tesla has said in the past that they plan to sell the Cybercab to the general public in what could become a great way to earn passive income by adding it to a more global fleet of Robotaxi-geared vehicles.

Tomorrow, the show begins in Austin, and the Cybercab goes live at some capacity; we just don’t know exactly how quite yet.

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