Photo: Tesla
The dust is still settling after Tesla’s Q4 2021 earnings call and, despite the lack of breaking news, there are certain topics worth covering. One of them is a new Model Y version entering production at Gigafactory Texas that is still waiting for its “final certification.”
Tesla promised its Gigafactory Texas will start production in 2021 and it sort of did, as confirmed during the earnings call conference. This was expected, as several fly-over videos taken at the factory showed a lot of Model Y crossovers lying around. Anyway, Tesla is still unable to sell those cars, as they have to get the final certification for the model. That’s right, the Tesla Model Y that’s being built at Austin is significantly different from the one built in Fremont and it needs a new type certification.
One of the most important changes for the Model Y made in Austin is the structural battery Elon Musk was raving about in the past two years. This allows for the seats to be directly attached to the battery, simplifying the production process. The other interior parts, including the dashboard, are also installed before the body is married to the battery pack.
No statement was made regarding the type of batteries used for the made-in-Austin Model Y, but we assume it’s the new 4680 cells. This comes from the fact Tesla singled out Gigafactory Berlin as making the Model Y with structural batteries using the old 2170 cells. Tesla execs confirmed the 4680-type structural batteries are already in production at Tesla’s Kato facility in California and the first vehicles to use them are built in Austin.
The first deliveries of the Austin-made Model Y will probably begin in March unless Tesla will fail the type certification it needs to sell the cars. The Model Y is the most popular Tesla model and this explains why so many Gigafactories across the world are building it. This comes despite the steep price that starts at $60,990. It also helps explain why Elon Musk does not see the need for a more affordable model in the lineup.
One of the most important changes for the Model Y made in Austin is the structural battery Elon Musk was raving about in the past two years. This allows for the seats to be directly attached to the battery, simplifying the production process. The other interior parts, including the dashboard, are also installed before the body is married to the battery pack.
No statement was made regarding the type of batteries used for the made-in-Austin Model Y, but we assume it’s the new 4680 cells. This comes from the fact Tesla singled out Gigafactory Berlin as making the Model Y with structural batteries using the old 2170 cells. Tesla execs confirmed the 4680-type structural batteries are already in production at Tesla’s Kato facility in California and the first vehicles to use them are built in Austin.
The first deliveries of the Austin-made Model Y will probably begin in March unless Tesla will fail the type certification it needs to sell the cars. The Model Y is the most popular Tesla model and this explains why so many Gigafactories across the world are building it. This comes despite the steep price that starts at $60,990. It also helps explain why Elon Musk does not see the need for a more affordable model in the lineup.
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