Tesla has been working on the 4680 cell since 2023, with its initial deployment of the structural battery pack Model Y. This was quickly pulled from sales due to lackluster charging performance, but the latest generation of the 4680 cells can now achieve charging speeds of up to 500kW, which is a huge improvement.
However, Tesla has invested in a 4680 new cell design that will help drive down costs to make these vehicles more affordable.
Lowest Price Per kWh
Michael Guilfoy, Tesla’s Director of Cell Manufacturing Operations, mentioned on LinkedIn that Tesla has finally achieved a major milestone with the 4680 cell. One of the goals for 4680 was to bring down the cost per kWh to the lowest of all Tesla’s cells - and as of the end of 2024, they’ve done just that.
The Cybercell - the 2nd generation of the 4680 cell- is now Tesla’s lowest cost per kWh cell, meaning that it is the cheapest to produce for Tesla in terms of assembling the parts that go into a vehicle battery pack.
While the Cybertruck is the only Tesla that using the 4680 right now, the 4680 cell is primed to be Tesla’s primary cell going forward due to cost savings, manufacturing optimizations, and usefulness as part of the vehicle structure.
The 4680 cell also offers significant weight savings while also being more rigid, which allows Tesla to build vehicles in a unique fashion that are far safer than others on the road today.
Of course, 4680 isn’t the only cell Tesla is developing - they’ve got a whole host of other things they’re working on. Tesla is developing four new cell types, with some potentially launching in 2026.
Dry Cathode on the Horizon
Guilfoy also mentioned that this isn’t Tesla Energy’s only achievement this year - there’s more upcoming. One of these is the Dry Cathode tech that will help drive that cost down even further.
Dry Cathode manufacturing removes the toxic solvents and furnace baking processes from the battery manufacturing process, saving time and being more environmentally friendly, but it is a new technology. Tesla has been working on this for quite some time - in fact, since the initial introduction of the 1st generation of 4680 cells back in 2023.
We’re quite excited to see what Tesla will do next with the 4680 and their other future cells. Perhaps it is time for the good old 2170 cell to be laid to rest? That’s something we’ll find out in the near future - as the Model S and Model X Plaid rely upon the 2170 to be able to produce the instantaneous power required to make them so fast - but the 4680 cell in the Cyberbeast can do much the same.
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With FSD now beginning to roll out to more regions outside the United States and Canada - namely Mexico and China - there’s hope that we’ll see more of a global rollout. That hope also includes Europe, which is stuck behind a relatively thick wall of regulation, preventing Tesla from easily deploying its autonomy software in any nations that follow the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) commerce guidelines on autonomy.
The UNECE sets regulations for the entire European Union - as well as some countries outside of the EU, such as the United Kingdom. However, the body responsible for autonomy meets infrequently, sometimes with months between sessions. The last meeting occurred last month, while the next meeting isn’t taking place again until at least June, and autonomy isn’t even on the agenda for that meeting.
Teasing FSD
However, that doesn’t stop Tesla from showing off what FSD is capable of - even in Europe. In a lighthearted post on X, Tesla Europe showed off FSD Supervised in Europe, with the caption “pending regulatory approval”.
— Tesla Europe & Middle East (@teslaeurope) April 5, 2025
Tesla’s executives, including Elon Musk, have mentioned that FSD is ready for Europe - the biggest constraint is regulatory approval. There is still some hope that Tesla could get around UNECE regulation 157, which governs autonomy with some nation-by-nation deals, but that will take time and regulatory effort to grind through all the red tape.
While it seems FSD and Tesla are ready to launch the moment regulatory approval arrives, the UNECE is set on taking the snail’s pace to this challenge, with comments from participating nations stating:
“While [a driver assistance system] may help reduce collisions, it may also introduce new safety risks.”
For those Europeans who are waiting, petitioning your representatives to work on autonomy is going to be key to getting FSD approved in Europe. Without consumer support, politicians have no reason to focus on something so specific. Meanwhile, they can approve six new and different types of light fixtures in three days.
So - when is FSD coming to Europe? Whenever regulation permits - because at this point, it definitely isn’t a data or training issue - Tesla has clearly gathered the key information it needs to make a product comparable to what’s available in North America. Tesla is confident enough to test and show off in action on X, so we hope that’s enough to at least get some regulators’ attention.
Alongside the launch of the Cybertruck, Tesla also sneakily launched a new Mobile Connector that came with every Foundation-Series Cybertruck. We initially thought this was just an updated Mobile Connector to match the aesthetics of the Cybertruck, but that’s not the whole story.
New Mobile Connector
This third-gen Mobile Connector has finally arrived in the Tesla Shop, and the old one has been discontinued. Tesla has increased the price of the new connector from $275 USD to $300 USD.
The new Mobile Connector looks like a mini Wall Connector now. It offers the same shape with a green LED running from top to bottom. Otherwise, the packaging and items included are relatively the same, but with one interesting caveat.
Tesla is indicating that the new Mobile Connector can be used with a “Powershare Outlet Adapter” to power electronic devices. While the Outlet Adapter currently isn’t an item available on the Tesla Store, we expect that it will arrive in the coming months.
Unfortunately, Tesla doesn’t have any photos of the Outlet Adapter, but it sounds like it’ll be a different type of plug that connects to the top of the mobile connector, just like the 110V and 220V plugs. Instead of having a male plug to connect to an outlet, it’ll include various outlets at the end.
Powershare Capability for More Teslas?
Another key item of note is that the webpage for the new Mobile Connector also states, “Powershare is currently only available with the Cybertruck”. This appears to indicate that Tesla will soon offer Powershare on other vehicles, potentially the new Model Y, or even older vehicles.
The Cybertruck uses the AC charging circuit to discharge via its 120V and 240V outlets in the bed, which is why you can’t AC charge the truck and use the outlets at the same time.
Differences Between Wall Connector and Mobile Connector
While the Cybertruck is able to use the Powershare capable Wall Connector to power an entire house, the Mobile Connector would be used to power individual devices instead since it’s not capable of the same power output as the Wall Connector.
If and when Tesla brings Powershare to additional vehicles, it’ll be interesting to see whether they also support Powershare Home Backup with a Tesla Gateway or if it’d arrive in a more limited fashion using only the Mobile Connector’s Powershare Outlet Adapter we’re seeing here.
AC power out is a feature of the Cybertruck’s improved power conversion circuit, so it’s not clear whether other vehicles would be able to support this. Tesla could use an inverter to convert the vehicle’s DC power to AC power, which powers household devices.
Even if older vehicles only receive Powershare capabilities through the new Mobile Connector and the Powershare Outlet, this will be a huge win for Tesla owners. While it won’t be able to power an entire home, it should be able to provide about 10 kW of power, which is equivalent to a small gas generator — enough to use power tools, charge devices, run most 110v appliances like a refrigerator, and more.
In the meantime, if you’re itching to use your vehicle’s battery as a massive portable power bank and don’t have the Cybertruck, check out our coverage on the Vortipower V2L VP20 device, which offers similar capabilities by plugging into the NACS port to allow for 120V and 240V power.
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