Battery Pack Teardown Photos Reveals Empty Spaces (Sandy Munro Live)

[FutureTruck]

Confirmed by Wes
500+ likely over 600 mile EPA ranted 400 real range CT incoming!

 

[FutureTruck]

1. New Chemistry Set To Give Tesla's 4680 Battery Cells a Significant Energy Density Boost

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...-significant-energy-density-boost-227146.html

2. Tesla 4680 Battery Chemistry Upgrade for 20% Energy Improvement in First Half of 2024

https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2024/...energy-improvement-in-first-half-of-2024.html

3. Tesla is also experimenting with an "asymmetric lamination" process, where one side of the laminated battery material is thicker than the other. This is aimed at allowing more of the active material to be packed into the 4680 cell casing, further boosting energy density.

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...-significant-energy-density-boost-227146.html

Andrew Baglino stated multiple times that the chemistry, manufacturing, and materials improvements are expected to be implemented in the first half of 2024, leading to a 10-20% increase in the energy density of the 4680 cells compared to the initial versions.

Since tesla is expending their battery manufacturing to 8 lines by the end of this year, they may have improved the batteries energy density by at least 10% by now.

based on all of this I want to wait to the end of 2024 possibly because I can get better range??? What do you guys think??

If you get a truck in 2024 you are going to get 320/210 miles of range.
If you wait until after 2025, not sure how long, your going to get a truck that his the 500+

 

[Crissa]

How the heck did they flip it upside down ? doesn’t look like Tesla made it to be maintenanced.

The battery pack is a component. If a vehicle has a pack failure, they take the whole pack out and replace it. Which is okay, the pack is structural and when cells are going bad, there's likely other weaknesses.

If you get a truck in 2024 you are going to get 320/210 miles of range.
If you wait until after 2025, not sure how long, your going to get a truck that his the 500+

I do not see how they got the 'half empty' part. Someone's going to have to diagram it.

-Crissa

 

[TheLastStarfighter]

The battery pack is a component. If a vehicle has a pack failure, they take the whole pack out and replace it. Which is okay, the pack is structural and when cells are going bad, there's likely other weaknesses.


I do not see how they got the 'half empty' part. Someone's going to have to diagram it.

-Crissa

I don't see the half empty either. But I do see it as 60-70% full, which is interesting. They can't double stack batteries there, but the space is interesting.

 

[Treynor]

This is encouraging on all points. Yes, I have a RN113 # and won’t see an order invite till December but think of all the improvements/ information available by then. Did Tesla create this space intentionally only to offer taller batteries at a later date ? They are offering the range extender for $17,000. But maybe that is just to check the market demand for more miles and they will bait/switch to a taller battery for only $10k??

 

[bwhntr78]

I don't see the half empty either. But I do see it as 60-70% full, which is interesting. They can't double stack batteries there, but the space is interesting.

It looks like the cover they remove is "lower" both around the edges, and at the ridges where it mates to the other half of the pack, adding additional volume in the area where the cells are located. Maybe enough room to double-stack the 4680's, maybe enough to double stack 2170s or 18650s? Or maybe a completely different cell format? Either way, it's encouraging for those of us that tow and are holding out for a true long range version that the lead engineer for the CT posts that it is only half full.

 

[Woodrick]

I just saw this CT battery pack teardown posted to munro live on twitter: .

The pack clearly has extra room for taller cells. It makes a lot more sense now that Rivian was talking about 4690 cells and I think Samsung has been planning to make 46120 cells. Tesla must have plans to make or acquire taller 46XX cells at some point for the CT! The range extender must be a holdover and suggests to me that Tesla thinks they need to make the range extender because they won't have taller cells anytime soon.

Everyone seems to forget the reason why the Cybertruck doesn't have a bigger battery, it's PRICE!

 

[Cougs]

I am getting my Cyberbeast with whatever range I can get to drive around and not tow and when they increase the range to 400-500 range in a year or two then I upgrade the pack for say $10K. Is this reasonable or realistic to you guys? or is it going to be offered by tesla to existing customers?

 

[Crissa]

I am getting my Cyberbeast with whatever range I can get to drive around and not tow and when they increase the range to 400-500 range in a year or two then I upgrade the pack for say $10K. Is this reasonable or realistic to you guys? or is it going to be offered by tesla to existing customers?

The battery pack will probably cost more than that, since you need to make your price point higher than the value of sending that pack to a new truck or a broken truck.

-Crissa

 

[chilam]

It's a Vent Channel

 

[Woodrick]

I am getting my Cyberbeast with whatever range I can get to drive around and not tow and when they increase the range to 400-500 range in a year or two then I upgrade the pack for say $10K. Is this reasonable or realistic to you guys? or is it going to be offered by tesla to existing customers?

What you will find is that 300 miles range is plenty for you in real world use. 99% of the time, you will barely dent it and for those long trips, there are enough Superchargers out there to make it a non-issue.

Too many people still have range anxiety and don't understand Tesla's solutions to the problem. I'm a two EV family right now and I have no problems jumping into one of my cars and going essentially anywhere.

I've travelled from Atlanta to Orlando many times (500 miles) and my trip times with charging is around 0-15 minutes longer than that in an ICE.

 

[Woodrick]

Munro & Co. have begun their teardown of the Cybertruck battery.





Interestingly, there is a lot of space above the cells. It doesn't appear to be enough for another layer, but it is a curious amount of emptiness. Is it needed for cooling? Could the originally-planned double-stacked pack be achieved with an only slightly taller pack?

All of yall are going to look so funny reaching for straws once the truth comes out.

 

[Cougs]

This is my first EV so I am one of those scared guys. I tried to get a Rivian R1T and very early in 2018 I preordered the R1T right after the presentation. I also met RJ Scaringe in Seattle in their shows, talked for 30 seconds or so and took few pics. with him When the R1T was released with price increase early on and especially not much infrastructure to support it still. I preordered the Cybertruck early on after the presentation as a back up to the R1T because of range (500+ miles) and infrastructure. I was disappointed when Tesla offered only 300 plus miles range. I have been delaying buying a truck since 2018 R1T and now I am tired of waiting.

I agree that 300 miles is good range if not towing long distances. I am not towing now but may be in the future (2-3 years) buying Bruder EXP-4 or EXP-6.

 

[tripzero]

A couple thoughts. The top void could be for either taller cells (ie 4695), or for other types of structural cells like LFP BYD packs for the RWD CT.

 

[Woodrick]

I think that 300 miles is good range if not towing long distances. I am not towing now but may be in the future buying Bruder EXP-4 or EXP-6.

Clean up the profile on the trailer and you might not notice the range impact that much.
i.e. get rid of the spare on the from and that milk carton looking thingy on the front. Don't add the luggage cover and maybe close in the wheel wells and it could be a nice option.
Oh, the dualies? What in the heck are they for? Does the trailer get that heavy? Irrespective of their need, the rolling resistance will definitely create a hit in range.