Image: @JoeTegtmeyer on Twitter
As seen in images from Gigafactory Texas, Tesla appears to be testing or producing Model Y units with structural packs comprising next-generation 4680 cells and non-structural packs made up of traditional 2170 cells at the facility.
Both versions of these Model Y bodies were spotted at Giga Texas in drone footage captured by @JoeTegtmeyer on Wednesday.
You can tell a 4680 structural battery pack Model Y given the hollow body underneath, as the pack makes up the bottom part of the car. Whereas the 2170 Model Y body has a structure built into the frame.
Giga Texas has both 2170 (non-structural pack) and 4680 (structural pack ) versions of the Model Y. Here are some images of both from earlier today. @JoeTegtmeyer pic.twitter.com/pVeVCqJ4E1
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) August 31, 2022
Back in April, Tesla revealed plans to start building Model Ys with 2170 battery cells at Giga Texas as the facility ramped up production.
As of June, Tesla’s Austin, Texas-based factory has been producing “at least 2,000” Model Y units per week. It even added the Model Y Long Range to its assembly lines.
4680 battery cells are the future of Tesla’s electric vehicles (EVs). They make for a more tightly-integrated build, reduce total weight, and further optimize production for Tesla. However, the company currently lacks enough supply of 4680 cells to exclusively manufacture Model Ys with structural battery packs.
Earlier this year, Tesla asked battery supplier Panasonic to speed up the development of 4680 cells and also increase the supply of the older 2170 batteries.
During Tesla’s annual shareholder meeting last month, company CEO Elon Musk boasted that the Model Y is on track to become the world’s best-selling vehicle by revenue this year.
