Sandy Munro continues to teardown Tesla’s Model S Plaid sedan, and the latest video shows us a closer look at the car’s thermal system, including heat pump and more.
We also get to see Munro and his team remove the 12V lithium-ion battery from the Model S Plaid, that fits into the palm of your hand.
“It’s even smaller than I thought,” said Munro, after holding the battery for the first time. “This is going to last forever…I think this is the wave of the future,” added Munro, questioning why conventional cars aren’t using lithium ion batteries.
Back in February of last year, in an interview with Munro, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the Model S and Model X refresh would be switching to a 12V lithium-ion battery, instead of a traditional lead-acid battery found in mainstream automobiles.
These batteries power electronics in vehicles such as power windows, locks and more. But when they run out of juice suddenly, owners can get locked out of their Tesla.
“With the new S/X, we’re also…we’re finally transitioning to lithium ion 12 volt…it’s got way more capacity and the calendars and cycle life match that of the main pack,” said Musk last February.
Musk further explained to Munro, “We should have done it before now but it’s great that we’re doing it now. This is like one of those inside baseball victories that’s kind of a big deal.”
Last June, we saw a first glimpse of the 12V lithium-ion battery pack at the company’s Model S Plaid delivery event. But Munro’s teardown is a rare look at the entire 12V lithium-ion battery, showing us the scale and size of the pack.
Tesla has since expanded the 12V lithium-ion battery to the latest Model Y and Model 3, along with other upgrades such as AMD Ryzen chips seen in the latest Model S and Model X vehicles.
