Photo: kbb.com
Readers might remember some news reported on just after Christmas regarding the progress Tesla's Fremont facility was making in scaling 4680 battery cell production. A company tweet on December 27 indicated the facility produced a staggering 868,000 4680 cylindrical lithium-ion battery cells over the previous seven-day period.
Early expectations were that all Tesla Model Y vehicles rolling out of Giga Texas would soon be equipped with the 4680 battery cell, following in the footsteps of the Model Y All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) crossover. The first Model Y AWDs with 4680 battery cells led many to believe that to be true.
It is not clear why a number of Model Y vehicles were available on a limited basis locally, but there is a sign that things are progressing to incorporate the 4680 on a wider scale.
In fact, 40 standard range Model Y AWD with 4680 battery cells have been added to the company's online inventory and are currently for sale, according to a tweet by The Kilowatts. The standard range vehicles in inventory, capable of traveling 269 miles (433 km) on a single charge, are selling for $63,990 and have less than 50 miles (95 km) on the odometer.
Tesla has been praising the 4680 battery cell technology as offering more power, increased range, and an overall extended battery life. In addition, production of the 4680 at Giga Texas, once scaled, is expected to streamline Tesla's manufacturing process and thus lead to lower retail prices.
However, the Model Y AWD with the new 4680s has almost 20% less range than the base Model Y Long Range AWD, which has a range of 330 miles (531 km). The Model Y AWD with the 4680 battery cells is $2,000 less expensive than the Long Range version, but the delta in the range could be problematic.
Despite several Model Y AWD crossovers with 4680 power being out on American roadways, consumers are not yet able to configure their own model with 4680 battery cells on the Tesla website, and there is no indication as to when that might change.
It will be interesting to see the level of demand once consumers are able to configure the crossover with the 4680 battery cells. Will saving $2,000 on the purchase of a Model Y AWD 4680-powered crossover be worth giving up 20% of the vehicle range? If the company was that far off on range efficiency, how can they assure a longer battery life?
Speaking of batteries, the wheels of Tesla keep rolling forward in terms of one day realizing its ability to refine its own lithium. Following up on a piece on autoevolution on January 5, where it was reported Tesla had begun construction on a lithium refining facility in Corpus Christi, Texas, the company has since posted job openings for production staff.
It is not clear why a number of Model Y vehicles were available on a limited basis locally, but there is a sign that things are progressing to incorporate the 4680 on a wider scale.
In fact, 40 standard range Model Y AWD with 4680 battery cells have been added to the company's online inventory and are currently for sale, according to a tweet by The Kilowatts. The standard range vehicles in inventory, capable of traveling 269 miles (433 km) on a single charge, are selling for $63,990 and have less than 50 miles (95 km) on the odometer.
Tesla has been praising the 4680 battery cell technology as offering more power, increased range, and an overall extended battery life. In addition, production of the 4680 at Giga Texas, once scaled, is expected to streamline Tesla's manufacturing process and thus lead to lower retail prices.
However, the Model Y AWD with the new 4680s has almost 20% less range than the base Model Y Long Range AWD, which has a range of 330 miles (531 km). The Model Y AWD with the 4680 battery cells is $2,000 less expensive than the Long Range version, but the delta in the range could be problematic.
Despite several Model Y AWD crossovers with 4680 power being out on American roadways, consumers are not yet able to configure their own model with 4680 battery cells on the Tesla website, and there is no indication as to when that might change.
It will be interesting to see the level of demand once consumers are able to configure the crossover with the 4680 battery cells. Will saving $2,000 on the purchase of a Model Y AWD 4680-powered crossover be worth giving up 20% of the vehicle range? If the company was that far off on range efficiency, how can they assure a longer battery life?
Speaking of batteries, the wheels of Tesla keep rolling forward in terms of one day realizing its ability to refine its own lithium. Following up on a piece on autoevolution on January 5, where it was reported Tesla had begun construction on a lithium refining facility in Corpus Christi, Texas, the company has since posted job openings for production staff.
BREAKING: It appears Tesla is has restored the Standard Range AWD Model Y (269mi range) with 4680s built in Texas to their inventory with ~40 currently for sale across the county starting at ~$64,000 just a couple thousand dollars cheaper than a Long Range AWD (330mi range). pic.twitter.com/EPPhBXaPWa
— The Kilowatts ?????? (@klwtts) January 10, 2023
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