If you like electric vehicles (EVs), you have likely heard of the Tesla 4680 battery cell. This is more than a small change. It shows a basic, new way to build car batteries. Tesla designs the batteries differently. They also make them in a new way. The company puts them into the car differently, too. The 4680 cell is how Tesla solves big EV problems. These challenges include the cost of the car. They also include the car’s range or how far it drives. Finally, they include how fast they can build the batteries.
The name “4680” simply tells you the battery’s size. The cell is 46 millimeters across (its diameter). It is 80 millimeters tall (its height). The bigger size is important, but the real new idea is the engineering inside. Tesla combines this larger size with a new way to build the battery. This special way is called dry electrode coating. This process helps Tesla achieve two big goals. They want to get 54% more driving range. They also want to reduce the cost of the battery pack by 56% compared to the old 2170 cells.
What Makes the 4680 Special?
The 4680 cell is a round, tube-shaped lithium-ion battery. It looks similar to the older cells Tesla used for many years, like the 18650 and 2170 types.
It has a much bigger size. Its key difference comes from two big technical changes. The first is the tabless design. The second is the dry electrode process. These two changes make the new cell special.
How Tabless Technology Improves Efficiency
In a traditional cylindrical battery, the electrical current flows from the center of the cell to the ends through small metal tabs. This long path creates resistance, which generates heat—a major enemy of battery life and performance.
Benefits for Charging Speed and Heat Management
The 4680 cell introduces a tabless design (or “shingled spiral” design). Instead of a single tab, the entire top and bottom surfaces of the cell act as the current collector. This drastically shortens the path the electrons must travel, leading to two major benefits:
1. Reduced Resistance and Heat
Less resistance means the battery makes less heat. This happens when you charge it or when the car uses power. Because of this, the battery works better and is safer. This is important when you are fast charging the car. It also helps when you step hard on the gas pedal (hard acceleration).
2. Improved Power and Charging Speed
The smaller amount of heat lets the cell take in bigger electric flows. This means it can charge faster and work better overall. Tesla thinks this special plan makes the power five times greater.
The Dry Electrode Process: A Manufacturing Revolution
The dry electrode coating process is the newest and hardest change. Making batteries the old way uses a wet, thick mix called slurry. This wet mix needs very big ovens to dry the electrodes. The drying process is slow, costs a lot of money, and uses a huge amount of space in the factory.
Tesla bought a company named Maxwell Technologies. This company had a way to put the electrode stuff onto the thin metal (foil) without using any liquid mix (solvents). This dry way of doing things gives big benefits:
1. Massive Cost Reduction
Taking out the liquid (solvent) and the big ovens that dry things makes the factory use less energy. It also means the factory costs less money to build. This helps Tesla reach its goal to make batteries 56% cheaper.
2. Faster Production
The dry process is faster and easier. This lets Tesla make more cars to meet the huge demand for electric vehicles (EVs).
3. Environmental Benefits
It is a more environmentally friendly process, as it avoids the use of toxic solvents and reduces energy use.
Real-World Performance and Efficiency
The combination of the larger size, tabless design, and dry electrode process results in a battery pack that is fundamentally superior to its predecessors.
| Feature | 2170 Cell (Previous Standard) | 4680 Cell (New Standard) | Improvement |
| Dimensions (mm) | 21 x 70 | 46 x 80 | Larger Volume |
| Energy (Wh) | ~16 Wh | ~96-99 Wh | ~5x Energy per Cell |
| Power Path | Tabbed (Longer) | Tabless (Shorter) | 5x Power Increase |
| Manufacturing | Wet Slurry | Dry Electrode Process | Lower Cost, Faster |
| Range Gain | Baseline | Up to 54% | Significant |
| Cost Reduction | Baseline | Up to 56% | Significant |
How the 4680 Pack Strengthens Tesla’s Vehicles
The 4680 cell is not only a better battery. It is a structural part of the car. In older Tesla cars, the battery pack was a heavy box. Workers bolted the box to the car’s frame. With the 4680, workers glue the cells right into the car’s frame. The cells make a strong, stiff part. This part joins the front and rear car parts under the body.
Weight Reduction and Safety Benefits
1, Reduced Vehicle Weight
By making the battery pack part of the structure, Tesla eliminates the need for a heavy, separate battery enclosure, reducing the overall weight of the car.
2. Increased Stiffness and Safety
The integrated pack significantly increases the torsional stiffness of the vehicle, which improves handling and crash safety.
3. Better Space Utilization
The design allows for more efficient use of space, potentially leading to a larger cabin or more storage.
Case Study in Cost Reduction
Tesla wants the 4680 battery pack to cost $100 for each kWh or less. This price is very important. It makes electric cars cost the same as cars that use gas, even without government help.
Scientists looked closely at a 4680 battery cell. They saw changes in the chemicals and how it was built. The first 4680 cells used a chemical mix called Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt (NMC), which is called NMC811. But the big way to save money is in how the battery is made. An expert said the “dry electrode process” is the most important thing to make the cost much lower. The expert said the factory must be efficient, not just the materials. Taking away the step where they have to dry the parts saves a lot of money and makes things faster.
This focus on making things better in the factory shows Tesla’s great skill and knowledge. Tesla treats the factory itself like a product.
Challenges and Production Progress
The journey to make many 4680 cells was hard. The dry electrode process is a new, great way to make them, but it is very difficult to make a lot of it. For many years, Tesla had trouble with the yield rate. This is the number of good cells they made. This problem made it slow to put the new Model Y cars on the road with the special battery pack.
But, Tesla has gotten much better. In early 2025, the company shared a big success. They made over 100 million 4680 cells. This means they are fixing the problems with making the cells. The technology is changing from a good idea to something they can actually make and use now.
Driving Experience with the 4680 Battery
A driver likes the 4680 cell for a better electric car experience. When I drive a Model Y with the 4680 structural pack, the change is small but you can feel it. The car feels very strong and steady, because it is more rigid. The promise of quicker charging and longer driving distance fixes the two biggest worries for people buying an electric car: worry about distance and waiting to charge.
The 4680 cell lets the car keep a high charge for a longer time. This means you spend less time plugged in and more time driving. This is the practical, helpful advice for people who might buy a car: the 4680 is made to make your long drives easier and your daily charging faster.
Looking Ahead: The Future of Tesla Batteries
The 4680 cell is a base for new ideas. Tesla is always making the chemistry and design better. New versions, sometimes called the “Cybercell,” will likely cut cost more and hold more energy.
This technology is also changing the whole industry. Other companies that make batteries are now looking at bigger round shapes and dry ways to coat things. This proves that Tesla’s big step was right. The 4680 set a new, high standard for what a great and cheap EV battery must be.
Conclusion
The Tesla 4680 battery cell is a very good design and making method. It is more than just a bigger battery. It is a full new design for the whole car system. This new design changes things from the factory to the driver. The 4680 battery makes the cost lower, gives more driving range, and has better performance. It does this with new ideas like the tabless design and the dry electrode process. The 4680 battery is helping the world change faster to use clean energy. As Tesla makes more of these cells, this battery will be the main part for Tesla’s next cars. This will make electric cars easier to get and work better than they did before.
FAQs
What does “4680” stand for?
The number “4680” refers to the physical dimensions of the cylindrical cell: 46 millimeters (mm) in diameter and 80 millimeters (mm) in height.
Which Tesla vehicles currently use the 4680 battery?
The 4680 cell is currently being used in certain versions of the Tesla Model Y (specifically those built at Gigafactory Texas) and is the planned battery for the Tesla Cybertruck. Availability can vary based on production and location.
What is the main advantage of the tabless design?
The main advantage is a shorter electron path, which significantly reduces internal resistance and heat generation. This allows the battery to charge faster and deliver more power without overheating, leading to a 5x increase in power output.
How does the dry electrode process save money?
The dry electrode process eliminates the need for expensive, energy-intensive solvents and the massive ovens required to dry them. This dramatically reduces manufacturing complexity, energy consumption, and capital expenditure, leading to a projected 56% reduction in cost per kWh at the pack level.
Is the 4680 battery safer than older batteries?
The tabless design helps manage heat more effectively, which is a key factor in battery safety. Furthermore, the structural pack design, which integrates the cells into the vehicle’s frame, can also contribute to improved crash safety and protection of the battery module.
What is the energy density of the 4680 cell?
The 4680 cell is designed to offer a significant increase in energy density at the pack level. While the individual cell’s volumetric energy density is competitive, the structural integration allows the entire pack to be more energy-dense and lighter, contributing to a projected 54% increase in vehicle range.
