I Stopped Worrying About Battery Life of the 4680

[LDRHAWKE]

I just turned 10,000 miles on my Beast. Out of curiosity, I decided to fully charge to 100% my battery to check the range. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it still has a fully charged range of 317 miles. Based upon the fact that everyone talks about the full range mileage from a new battery is 320 miles. This means I’ve only lost one percent of my battery capacity.

A big thumbs up to the 4680………..

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[Outdoors]

I just turned 10,000 miles on my Beast. Out of curiosity, I decided to fully charge to 100% my battery to check the range. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it still has a fully charged range of 317 miles. Based upon the fact that everyone talks about the full range mileage from a new battery is 320 miles. This means I’ve only lost one percent of my battery capacity.

A big thumbs up to the 4680………..

Tesla has the best batteries in the business. My S has 340k and only down 12%. Almost no loss in the last 100k. Imagine an ICE engine at 340k.

 

[Gundo]

I'm at 32,000 miles over last 19 months
Last night it showed 313 miles of range at full charge.
Given it showed 320 when new at 100% charge, I'll call that win also!

 

[DoberManPin-Sure]

To get that range do we need to drive in the equivalent of Chill mode? It seems to make sense that our battery draw driving in the equivalent of Mad Max mode would have a similar impact as accelerations and higher speeds in an ICE have on fuel economy. Thanks.

 

[LDRHAWKE]

Obviously….. any cyber truck owner that over enjoys the torque will pay the price in range.

 

[SCTesla]

To get that range do we need to drive in the equivalent of Chill mode? It seems to make sense that our battery draw driving in the equivalent of Mad Max mode would have a similar impact as accelerations and higher speeds in an ICE have on fuel economy. Thanks.

To get that range you need to go around 55 mph or lower. Obviously hard acceleration pulls reduce range as well. Cold and wind also reduce range.

 

[DoberManPin-Sure]

To get that range you need to go around 55 mph or lower. Obviously hard acceleration pulls reduce range as well. Cold and wind also reduce range.

I'll remain content driving my Beast like a beast and getting closer to 200 miles range.

 

[Bill Carlson]

I just turned 10,000 miles on my Beast. Out of curiosity, I decided to fully charge to 100% my battery to check the range. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it still has a fully charged range of 317 miles. Based upon the fact that everyone talks about the full range mileage from a new battery is 320 miles. This means I’ve only lost one percent of my battery capacity.

A big thumbs up to the 4680………..

Out of curiosity today I just saw my charge at 85% (I use % not mi) and clicked to miles and got 270 mi range. If my math is correct that is telling me BMS says 100% is ~318 mi. I have about 18,000 on this 2024 dual AWD. So, yeah, concur, 4680 just keeps on going...

 

[LuvOrH8]

I don't believe the 4680 has any proven better shelf life than the 2170 batteries. It is just a way for Tesla to reduce their costs over time as they mass produce them and put them in more vehicles. COrrect me if I am wrong, but I recall reading that.

 

[Ranger George]

ICE sucks!

 

[PungoteagueDave]

I don't believe the 4680 has any proven better shelf life than the 2170 batteries. It is just a way for Tesla to reduce their costs over time as they mass produce them and put them in more vehicles. COrrect me if I am wrong, but I recall reading that.

Tesla has abandoned the idea of putting them in more vehicles. Proof of concept didn't work out as hoped.

 

[henchman24]

I don't believe the 4680 has any proven better shelf life than the 2170 batteries. It is just a way for Tesla to reduce their costs over time as they mass produce them and put them in more vehicles. COrrect me if I am wrong, but I recall reading that.

As a general rule the Cyber 4680 has proven very durable from a degradation standpoint, really superior to any 2170 that has been put into a Tesla (though not all 2170s as a whole as there are LFP 2170s on the market that are amazing in that area). We are early, and things can change, but the early signs suggest that the degradation through the first ~150 cycles (~40-50k miles) is roughly half of 21+ 3/Y Panasonic vehicles. 21+ LG cell 3/Y perform better than Panasonic, but don't approach CT 4680... like 35-40%. The 17-20 Panasonic cells in 3 were the best from a degradation standpoint, but the current CT cell is still better. Smaller difference though, we're talking ~20-25%.

The big part of 3/Y 2170 differences is difference chemistry formulations. Panasonic added more nickel in the 21+ cell and cut the cobalt and aluminum. This added density (why the pack size increased), but made the cells more sensitive to temperature and degrade faster. The LG cell vehicles are NCMA chemistry. They have a bit less capacity, but NCMA is a bit more stable chemistry that doesn't degrade as much, especially at higher states of charge. They do hate temperature and charge far worse though. Frankly the 2021 2170 Panasonic cells are horrible. They degrade and fail more than any other Tesla pack. They figured out the major issues (part were bad testing/software), but 22+ still don't touch 17-20 2170s.

The CT4680 cell actually has a lot more nickel than either of those batteries in proportion (8-10% more) and is a NMC chemistry. It breaks the trend though in durability... there is something going on in the construction that is technically impressive because 90+% nickel batteries are supposed to degrade quicker than 80 and 70 etc... but they aren't and they (CT cells) are actually fairing better so far. The downside to the CT4680 is the cell very temperature sensitive to the cold. It doesn't like charging and performing when the cell is cold. It acts much closer to LFP chemistries at low temps, not as drastic... but similar. The recent switch to 973 chemistry helps that, but there is only so much that can be done.

 

[HaulingAss]

To get that range you need to go around 55 mph or lower.

I get the EPA rated efficiency when going around 63-65 mph with the OEM AT tires, wheel covers and all 4 wheel fairings installed in temperatures above 60 degrees.

 

[HaulingAss]

Tesla has abandoned the idea of putting them in more vehicles. Proof of concept didn't work out as hoped.

That is incorrect, you continually spread fake anti-Tesla narratives without supporting evidence. Tesla is still actively developing the 4680 cell and intends to use them in the Tesla Semi (entering production this year), the Cybercab (entering production this year) and Optimus robot.

Here are the facts:

As of January 2026, Tesla has not abandoned continued development of the 4680 cell, though the program faces extreme scrutiny and significant setbacks.

Current Status of Development (2026)

• Active Scaling: Elon Musk has projected that 4680 production will ramp up "very dramatically" throughout 2026 to support the full production of the Tesla Semi, Cybercab, and the Optimus robot.
• Technical Milestones: By late 2024, Tesla achieved a milestone where its in-house 4680 cells became its lowest-cost cell per kWh, reportedly outpacing external supplier costs for the first time.
• Dry Cathode Progress: Tesla is currently iterating on four new variants of the 4680 cell that utilize "dry cathode" technology, a more efficient manufacturing process previously considered an "almost impossible" hurdle.
• Model Y Refresh ("Juniper"): While 4680-equipped Model Y production was previously curtailed due to slow charging issues, Tesla plans to reintroduce the cells to its SUV lineup using the NC20 variant in 2026.
• Performance Vehicles: High-performance models like the Tesla Roadster and Model S Plaid are expected to eventually use the NC50 4680 variant, which incorporates silicon-carbon anode materials for faster charging and higher power output.

Upcoming 4680 Variants (Project 4680D)

By late 2026, Tesla aims to introduce four distinct variants of the cell, each optimized for different use cases:

• NC05: Optimized for cost; intended for the Cybercab and entry-level models.
• NC20: Optimized for volume and towing; intended for SUVs and the Cybertruck.
• NC30 & NC50: Feature silicon-carbon anodes for ultra-fast charging and performance in models like the Roadster.

Claiming Tesla has abandoned the idea of using 4680 cells in other vehicles is an extraordinary claim that requires extraordinary evidence that it's true. Tesla has never claimed this and there is no evidence that indicates abandonment of the 4680.

Dave, the more you post your fake anti-Tesla "news" here, the more that knowledgeable people see through your fake claims and understand who you really are. Facts matter, not unsupported hyperbole.

 

[HaulingAss]

For anyone interested in the actual work Tesla is doing to push electrification forward, the challenges and accomplishments of commercializing new battery designs and technology, this April MunroLive interview with Bonne Eggleston, one of the principle leads of Tesla's 4680 battery development, offers plenty of insight to what they have been up to:

Tesla’s 4680 Battery Cell Director Talks Development, Manufacturing, and What’s Next

How Tesla Builds 4680 Battery Cells – With Senior Director Bonne Eggleston

Also, Tesla's new lithium refinery near Corpus Christi, TX is the first spodumene-to-lithium hydroxide refinery in North America. Spodumene is a hard rock material that is rich in lithium. Tesla's innovative new process is inherently much more environmentally friendly, less expensive and a simpler process to produce crystalline battery grade lithium hydroxide. Production just went live earlier this month. You can see a short video of the plant here:

(10) Tesla North America on X: "Our Lithium Refinery ushers in energy independence for North America Regionalized access to critical battery minerals brings jobs, cuts emissions & helps accelerate our mission https://t.co/zy8eFX7i3c" / X

None of this is easy, but Tesla is out there on the forefront, making the substantial investments and doing the hard work to make it all happen, while the peanut gallery of naysayers continues to sit on the sidelines and spew negativity and ignorance. They are on the wrong side of history and are failing to be a part of the new energy transformation that will drive our economy over the next century.

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