Tesla announces 4680 battery cell production breakthrough
We got a few updates about the ramp-up over the last few years, but Tesla always refused to disclose its production rate – until now – to some degree.
Tesla battery replacement cost is steep, but prices vary by model
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- Replacing an electric car’s battery can cost thousands of dollars.
- Luckily, most batteries last up to 200,000 miles, and technology is constantly improving.
- Tesla guarantees its batteries for eight years or 100,000 to 150,000 miles, whichever comes first.
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A big concern for prospective Tesla owners is whether the battery will need replacing.
EV battery replacement could cost anywhere from $5,000 to $20,000, according to Recurrent. Batteries degrade at varying rates based on a number of factors, like how the EV was charged, what type of environment it was driven in, and more.
In 2019, Elon Musk said it would cost $5,000 to $7,000 to replace a Tesla battery module.
How many years do Tesla batteries last?
In Tesla’s 2021 impact report, it said that the company’s battery packs are designed to outlast the vehicle.
“We estimate that a vehicle gets scrapped after approximately 200,000 miles of usage in the U.S. and roughly 150,000 miles in Europe,” the report said.
Tesla’s batteries are covered by a warranty. Models have slightly different warranties, but they’re generally covered for eight years or between 100,000-150,000 miles, whichever comes first.
How have Tesla batteries improved?
In 2020, Tesla introduced a new kind of battery design known as the 4680 battery pack. The pack can store five times the energy of previous generations thanks to its more dense design and improved chemistry, Tesla says. They’re also much cheaper to produce, Musk has said.
As of 2023, the 4680 pack is produced in Fremont, California, and it is available in some Model Y cars built in Texas, where Tesla’s headquarters are located and where the company also plans to produce the packs. The batteries will also be produced in Nevada, Musk said in May.
Correction: October 17, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated the price range Elon Musk gave for replacing a Tesla battery module. It was $5,000 to $7,000, not $5,000 to $10,000.
Tesla announces 4680 battery cell production breakthrough
Today, Tesla has confirmed a significant breakthrough in 4680 battery cell production at Gigafactory Texas as it produced its 20 millionth battery cell at the factory.
We haven’t had many updates on Tesla’s 4680 battery cell production, which is believed to be critical to the automaker’s new vehicle programs, like the Cybertruck. Tesla unveiled the 4680 cell, its first cell designed from the ground up, at Battery Day in 2020.
The automaker claimed the potential to reduce battery cost by over 50% with the new design; it has been trying to bring it to volume production since but has run into some bottlenecks.
We got a few updates about the ramp-up over the last few years, but Tesla always refused to disclose its production rate – until now – to some degree.
Today, Tesla announced that it has built its 20 millionth 4680 cell at Gigafactory Texas:
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