Photo: @live_munro via X
One of the biggest disappointments about the Cybertruck was its limited range, at least compared to what Tesla promised during the 2019 unveiling event. However, Cybertruck owners discovered that charging performance was also subpar. Almost half a year after delivery started, Tesla engineers vowed to improve the latter in an upcoming software update while acknowledging the former.
Tesla started deliveries of the Cybertruck last November with less range than it promised during the 2019 unveiling. Instead of the 500 miles for the tri-motor Cyberbeast, the Cybertruck launched with a measly 320 miles. To sweeten the pill, Tesla announced a range extender battery, a $16,000 contraption that would occupy one-third of the truck's bed for 120 miles of additional range. It's still shy of the 500 miles promised, although it doesn't really matter because the range extender has no delivery estimate.
As Sandy Munro and his team started tearing down the Cybertruck's battery pack earlier this month, we were surprised to see so much space left in the pack. It was as if Tesla could install a double-layer pack in the Cybertruck, yet it chose not to do it, floating around the dead-on-arrival idea of the range extender. For some reason, it took the article more than a week to go viral, but it was finally shared by a few people in the Tesla community and caught the attention of Tesla engineers.
Tesla Cybertruck's lead engineer Wes Morrill chimed in on the half-empty claim, pointing out that the pack is actually "half-full." This suggests that Tesla could have left some space for additional cells in the Cybertruck's battery pack. The reason it chose not to do it is unclear, but it could be a trade-off between weight/efficiency, range, and cell availability that influenced the decision.
Morrill's reply stirred the pot enough that more people started talking about the possibility that Tesla would offer an "extended range" battery pack for the Cybertruck in the future. Some even suggested that Tesla should adopt taller cells, something that BMW announced for the Neue Klasse EVs. However, battery experts poured cold water on this idea. Not only because this would complicate Tesla's battery cell production but also because it would generate new issues.
For instance, taller cells experience electrolyte pumping during charging and discharging, which leads to faster degradation. Electrolyte pumping is when the electrolyte gets squeezed in and out of the electrodes during cycling. The effect is stronger with longer cells, which is why Tesla will undoubtedly stick to the 4680 format.
Adding more cells inside the Cybertruck's pack would make it heavier, arguably less efficient, not to mention more expensive. However, this is preferable to installing the abomination called "range extender" in the truck's bed. There's something else Tesla could do to alleviate range pains, and it looks like it's already working on it. Specifically, Drew Baglino, Tesla's SVP for Powertrain and Energy, promised that a future software update would significantly improve the charging performance.
Baglino was very specific about the improvement, saying that the update would unlock up to 154 miles (248 km) recovered in 15 minutes of charging. Currently, the Cybertruck specifications promise 128 miles (206 km) added in 15 minutes. That would make a 20% improvement in charging performance after the software update. This should result in 90% of Cybertruck charging sessions being under 20 minutes.
As Sandy Munro and his team started tearing down the Cybertruck's battery pack earlier this month, we were surprised to see so much space left in the pack. It was as if Tesla could install a double-layer pack in the Cybertruck, yet it chose not to do it, floating around the dead-on-arrival idea of the range extender. For some reason, it took the article more than a week to go viral, but it was finally shared by a few people in the Tesla community and caught the attention of Tesla engineers.
Tesla Cybertruck's lead engineer Wes Morrill chimed in on the half-empty claim, pointing out that the pack is actually "half-full." This suggests that Tesla could have left some space for additional cells in the Cybertruck's battery pack. The reason it chose not to do it is unclear, but it could be a trade-off between weight/efficiency, range, and cell availability that influenced the decision.
Morrill's reply stirred the pot enough that more people started talking about the possibility that Tesla would offer an "extended range" battery pack for the Cybertruck in the future. Some even suggested that Tesla should adopt taller cells, something that BMW announced for the Neue Klasse EVs. However, battery experts poured cold water on this idea. Not only because this would complicate Tesla's battery cell production but also because it would generate new issues.
For instance, taller cells experience electrolyte pumping during charging and discharging, which leads to faster degradation. Electrolyte pumping is when the electrolyte gets squeezed in and out of the electrodes during cycling. The effect is stronger with longer cells, which is why Tesla will undoubtedly stick to the 4680 format.
Adding more cells inside the Cybertruck's pack would make it heavier, arguably less efficient, not to mention more expensive. However, this is preferable to installing the abomination called "range extender" in the truck's bed. There's something else Tesla could do to alleviate range pains, and it looks like it's already working on it. Specifically, Drew Baglino, Tesla's SVP for Powertrain and Energy, promised that a future software update would significantly improve the charging performance.
Baglino was very specific about the improvement, saying that the update would unlock up to 154 miles (248 km) recovered in 15 minutes of charging. Currently, the Cybertruck specifications promise 128 miles (206 km) added in 15 minutes. That would make a 20% improvement in charging performance after the software update. This should result in 90% of Cybertruck charging sessions being under 20 minutes.
I'd say it's half full... https://t.co/TZ36mfvdpj
— Wes (@wmorrill3) April 9, 2024
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