According to an article published by The Information in early October, Tesla intends to introduce four new types of 4680 batteries in 2026. We already know that Tesla has been working hard on new batteries. The Cybercell - the upgraded 4680, is already a new design meant specifically to get the Cybertruck and future vehicles off the ground.
Tesla has also been working on Solid-State Batteries, but even with Tesla’s technological and engineering prowess, that technology is still quite far out.
The 4680 Cell
To put things in context, the 4680 cell is Tesla’s replacement for the older 2710 cells present in most Model 3s and Model Ys. Tesla has been producing these cells for a long time and has optimized them considerably, both in terms of scale of manufacturing and engineering.
But the tech behind the 2170 cell is old, and 4680 will be Tesla’s next leap forward. They previously tried with the much-maligned 4680 Model Y, but it was quickly pulled from sale. They tried again with the Cybercell—and that went much better. So much better, in fact, that Tesla is working on enhancing the Cybercell even further—using a Dry Cathode Process to make the cell easier and cheaper to manufacture.
The Trouble with 4680
According to The Information, an inside source at Tesla has said that Tesla is losing 70-80% of its anodes—one of the two parts that move electrons from the cell to the vehicle—in test production. Tesla has been working hard to solve this, and they recently demoed a Dry Cathode Process Cybertruck.
First prototype Cybertruck with in-house dry cathode 4680 cells – making it an all dry electrode vehicle pic.twitter.com/NzJxKQrRBp
The 4680 cell is the next leap in large battery packs, but it's a difficult leap to make. Tesla is having trouble moving its research and development to engineering, but it's just a matter of time. Today, the 4680 is primarily made at the Fremont factory in California, but Tesla intends to move parts of its future battery chain production to a new area outside Giga, Texas.
With that new zone, they intend to establish the 4680’s dry cathode process production facility—to produce the 4680D Cell. According to Musk, that move will cut the 4680's production costs by nearly 30%.
The New Batteries
The four cells that Tesla plans to introduce in 2026 have some interesting code names. The first is “NC05.” The NC stands for New Cell, but we’re sure Tesla will come up with a witty name once it comes out of R&D.
NC05 Battery
This cell is intended to be the easy-to-manufacture cell that will power the Cybercab and will likely also power the lower-cost $25,000 model—which we’re still expecting to see sometime next year.
NC20 Battery
The next size up, the NC20, is intended to power Tesla’s SUV lineup and the Cybertruck. This will be a larger-format cell intended for moving larger and heavier vehicles and possibly optimized for towing—a constraint the Cybertruck, on its current 4680s, can find challenging in harsh winter conditions.
NC30 & NC50 Batteries
The NC30 and NC50 are the other two cells that The Information lists, but they’ll be drastically different. They won’t be using the standard cell materials that we’ve seen used up to this point. This is where the focus of Tesla’s R&D likely lies - they intend to introduce cells using silicon carbon into the anodes. Silicon Carbon, or SiC, can hold and move electrons faster than traditional anode materials.
These cells are likely where Tesla will make significant strides in both faster charging times and improved energy output. The advanced anode design, which allows for greater energy transfer, is poised to play a crucial role in Tesla's push for ultra-fast Supercharging.
The NC30 will eventually end up in the Cybertruck and Tesla’s future SUV lineup - maybe a refreshed Model X or Model Y.
The NC50, on the other hand, will be focused on performance and a smaller cell. It’ll power the new Tesla Roadster and likely Tesla’s performance models, such as the Plaid, Performance, and Beast variants.
The Information didn’t provide any information on whether Tesla will utilize this tech on its Powerwalls or Megapacks just yet, but it's likely that both of those two products will see further cost optimization and efficiency gains as well.
We’re excited to see where Tesla takes its battery tech in the future, as charging times and vehicle range are still one thing preventing the mass adoption of electric vehicles.
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Tesla offers owners an easy-to-use battery health tool, which allows users to view the degradation of their vehicle’s battery and improve the range estimate.
Battery Health
Like all batteries, electric vehicle batteries naturally degrade over time as a result of the chemical reactions that occur during charging and discharging cycles. Other factors also play a role, but the number of charge cycles and how long the battery stays at low or high states of charge play one of the biggest roles.
Your battery’s health refers to how much of its original energy capacity remains. For example, a battery at 85% health has lost about 15% of its capacity, meaning your vehicle will deliver roughly 85% of the range it had when new.
Battery Degradation
Battery degradation is worst in the first few months of ownership, and you will see the steepest degradation (1-3%) as your vehicle settles in. Part of this initial decline is due to the Battery Management System (BMS), which recalibrates to provide a more conservative and accurate estimate of your vehicle’s range and charging capacity.
According to Tesla, vehicle batteries generally degrade at a rate of about 15% per 200,000 miles, with the first year of ownership accounting for approximately 5% of this degradation. Battery degradation is less of an issue in modern EVs than many people think, because the BMS systems have become much more accurate and intelligent.
Tesla offers a long warranty on its vehicles, covering both the battery and the drive units. These warranties cover up to 70% pack retention, meaning that if your battery health degrades below the 70% mark while under warranty, Tesla will replace your battery pack.
Tesla provides a drive train and battery warranty on its vehicles, which is longer than the standard vehicle warranty. This warranty guarantees the battery will have at least 70% of its original capacity within the given time period. If your battery health drops below that threshold during the coverage period, Tesla will replace the battery pack.
The warranty varies slightly based on your Tesla model and configuration, which is outlined below:
Vehicle
Warranty
Model S, Model X, Cybertruck
8 Years / 150,000 mi (240,000km)
Model 3 / Model Y RWD
8 Years / 100,000 mi (160,000km)
All Other Model 3 / Model Y
8 Years / 120,000 mi (192,000km)
How to Test Battery Health
Not a Tesla App
While you can usually get a fairly accurate estimate of your Tesla’s battery health by calculating the amount of miles the vehicle could travel when charged to 100% and comparing that to the vehicle’s original range, Tesla has also added a tool to give you a better estimate.
Tesla has a user-friendly method of testing your vehicle’s battery health. The tool is practically identical to the one available through Service Mode, and the test and results are the same.
In order to test your vehicle’s battery health, you can navigate to Controls > Service, and then scroll down and select Battery Health. Upon tapping the button, the vehicle will display requirements for the battery test and the date and health of your last battery test.
Battery Health Test Requirements / How Long It Takes
Your vehicle will need to plugged in to a Wall Connector or Mobile Connector for up to 18 hours to run the battery test. The charger will need to be able to provide at least 5 kW of power, which is roughly about 20 amps at 240v.
The total amount of time the test will take will vary based on your vehicle’s battery size, your charging speed and the current battery level. If you’re unable to finish a battery health test and need the vehicle before it has completed, you can stop the test at any time.
Your vehicle will also need to be at a 20% or less state of charge, so you’ll need to plan accordingly.
The other requirements should be straight forwar and are listed here:
Vehicle is in Park
Battery level is at 20% or less
Vehicle is connected to the Internet
No software updates are scheduled
No battery or thermal alerts are active
Vehicle is connected to an AC charging station
AC charging equipment can provide at least 5 kW of power
Running the Battery Test
During the battery test, your vehicle will discharge and charge your battery to calibrate the BMS. Therefore, the lower the state of charge, the quicker the test will run and less energy will be wasted.
Your vehicle will run the motors and heat pump or heater to help discharge energy until the batteries are nearly empty, and then begin charging.
During the test, you may hear your vehicle’s fan run at maximum speed and become very loud, especially in an enclosed garage while the vehicle is discharging. This is normal and your vehicle is just using up energy.
Battery Test Results
Not a Tesla App
Once the battery test has completed, you’ll receive a notification in the Tesla app. You can check the results in the vehicle or in the Tesla app by navigiating to Service > Battery Health.
Most vehicles will have a degradation range between 10-20%, depending on your charging habits, age and use of your battery.
If you receive a result that’s 70% or less and are within the warranty period, you should reach out to Tesla for a replacement.
Since your battery test will recalibrate the vehicle’s BMS, you may see your vehicle’s range adjusted after the test. Keep in mind that the range of your vehicle hasn’t been affected and the vehicle is simply displaying a more accurate estimate of its range.
Note: Once the battery test completes, the vehicle will keep your battery at 100%, which isn’t a good practice for battery health. It’d be a good improvement if Tesla used up energy to bring the battery level back to the charge limit if the vehicle isn’t used after an hour or two.
You should not leave your vehicle at 100% unless you have a LFP battery. Plan to go for a drive shortly after the battery test completes. If you can’t drive, we recommend running the climate system to use up some energy.
Test Limitations
Since Tesla’s battery test uses up energy and discharges your battery to near 0% and then charges it to 100%, it’s best not to perform it often. Tesla also only allows one battery test every six months, unless you go into Service Mode to perform the battery test.
Tesla offers users some specific tools under its service menu (Controls > Service). These tools include features such as Car Wash Mode and Tow Mode. Just like other vehicle features, these are also updated and improved over time.
As Tesla vehicles use electric motors, towing them with any wheels on the ground could cause the motors to backfeed energy, generating considerable amounts of heat. If done for an extended period of time, especially at higher speeds, it could cause damage since the vehicle isn’t running its coolant loop to dump waste heat.
To help solve this problem, Tesla provides Tow Mode, which breaks down the steps needed to tow a Tesla. It also provides an easy way to put the vehicle in neutral and disengage the parking brake.
The improvement to Tow Mode now displays a checklist similar to Car Wash Mode. Each item in the list will light up green or red, depending on whether it’s already in the correct setting for Tow Mode.
Tesla has also added a readout of the low-voltage battery. While this could be useful for anyone wanting to check the current on their LV battery, it’s an important detail to be aware of if you’re towing because the vehicle’s high-voltage battery has been run down. All of the vehicle’s electronics are powered by the LV battery, and depleting it could cause the display to not turn on, as well as prevent access to certain vehicle features.
The vehicle shown in the diagram is also unique to the vehicle you are driving - a Model 3 will display a Model 3, while the Cybertruck will display a Cybertruck - just a subtle touch of Tesla precision to the entire presentation.
You can activate or check out Tow Mode from Controls > Service > Tow Mode.
Tire Service Improvements
Tesla has also improved its Tire Service menu, which is now tied into Maintenance History. These menus allow you to switch the wheels and tires your vehicle is using. It’s important to note that the wheel is not only used in the vehicle’s visualization, but also has impacts on the vehicle’s ability to accurately predict its range.
In the Tire menu, Tesla has added a Service Type dropdown, allowing you to select why you’re switching your tires. You can choose whether you’re rotating your tires, replacing them, or swapping them out for seasonal tires. This change will then be recorded in Maintenance History, allowing you to track the maintenance of your tires, including the date of the last maintenance and the ability to see the mileage on your current set of tires.
You can navigate to the Wheel and Tire menu by going to Controls > Service > Wheel & Tire.
The updated Wheel and Tire menu
Not a Tesla App
Cybertruck
As a note, the Tire Service improvements are not fully implemented in the Cybertruck in the primary menu. If you wish to mark a Seasonal Tire Change in your Cybertruck, you’ll need to head into Service Mode and add a Correction Code for Seasonal Tire Change from there.
We expect Tesla to fix or add this in an upcoming update for the Cybertruck.
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