The Tesla Model Y to be produced at Giga Texas will launch with the company’s new 4680 battery cells.
Chief Executive Elon Musk confirmed the plan in reply to a question on Twitter. When asked which batteries will be used for the Texas-built Model Y, he simply replied “4680.”
The 4680 cells are Tesla’s own design, unveiled at last year’s Battery Day. Musk’s admission that they will be used for the first Model Ys is a good sign that Tesla is having success scaling its battery operation.
“This is just a guess because we don’t know for sure, but it appears as though we’re about 12, probably not more than 18 months away from volume production of the 4680,” Musk said on Tesla’s Q1 earnings call. “Now at the same time, we are actually trying to have our cell supply of partners ramp up their supply as much as possible. So this is not something that is to the exclusion of suppliers. It is in conjunction with suppliers. So we want to be super clear about that.”
The factory under construction in Texas will first produce the Model Y, then the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck is also expected to use 4680.
