Tesla’s production 4680 battery cells debuted at the Giga Texas Cyber Rodeo event. According to materials posted in the Cyber Rodeo factory tour, Giga Texas is fully equipped to assemble Tesla’s 4680 structural battery pack at full scale.
“Made at Gigafactory Texas, our new tabless 4680 cell lowers the cost per kilowatt hour. We have everything we need under one roof to produce and assemble the first high-volume structural battery pack, using our fully integrated process,” stated one of Tesla’s infographics in the Cyber Rodeo factory tour.
The production-ready 4680 cells will be used in Tesla’s structural battery pack. Tesla Giga Texas will build the first Model Y vehicles with a 4680 structural battery. Tesla has already equipped the Model Y Standard Range with a 4680 structural battery pack based on Cyber Rodeo sightings.
Tesla typically starts production with the top-tier variant. In Giga Texas’ case, that would be the Model Y Performance. Tesla already started producing Model Y vehicles at its new Austin-based headquarters, but the variant Giga Texas is currently producing remains unknown. The debut of the new Model Y Standard Range with 4680 battery cells suggests that Tesla Gigafactory Texas may be starting production with the vehicle’s base variant instead.
The 4680 structural pack reduces the number of parts used in the battery and the car itself, which is beneficial to manufacturing costs. According to Tesla, the structural battery pack reduces the size of the pack manufacturing line by half compared to the company’s previous factories.
Keep in mind that the Tesla Model Y also has front mega casts and rear underbody megascasts that reduce the vehicle’s parts even further. Between the Model Y mega casts and the 4680 structural battery pack, Tesla has developed a more efficient production line — which is great for preorder holders waiting on their Model Y vehicles.
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