Tesla 4680 battery's breakthrough: Mass production of solid-state batteries by the end of the year, can the cost target be achieved?

On July 16, it was reported that Tesla plans to mass-produce 4680 batteries using entirely dry electrode technology before the end of the year, which will be the "final version" of the 4680 battery. The design of the dry electrode 4680 battery has recently been finalized, which is a prerequisite for mass production. Tesla's battery division will then focus on improving production yield and efficiency and expanding production capacity. The 4680 battery is key to enhancing the competitiveness of Tesla's next generation of products, and the dry electrode is the core of the 4680. Since the inception of this project, Tesla has spent five years on it.

The research and development of this 4680 battery project has strict requirements within Tesla. It is required that if the cost of the 4680 battery is not lower than that of suppliers like LG Energy Solution and Panasonic by the end of this year, Tesla will consider giving up battery self-production. This shows that the challenges faced by this battery project are quite significant.

The 4680 cylindrical battery was launched at the Tesla Battery Day in September 2020, and it was said that it would be used in Tesla's electric cars. The battery has a diameter of 46mm and a height of 80mm. Tesla claims that the single cell capacity of the 4680 battery is 5 times higher than that of the 2170 battery, and further optimizes cost.