AUSTIN, Texas – The production of the much-anticipated Cybertruck by Tesla has faced significant challenges due to the company’s pioneering 4680 battery technology. The Cybertruck is powered by Tesla’s new battery technology, but the company is struggling to ramp up production to meet its ambitious targets.
The new production method of dry-coating electrodes is proving difficult to scale, especially for the cathode, which is the most expensive component of the battery. The challenge lies in developing the technology to produce 4680 batteries at high speeds and at mass scale. The company faces issues with scaling up the manufacturing process and developing its own equipment and tools.
The Cybertruck requires an estimated 1,360 individual cells, meaning that Tesla would need to produce almost a million cells a day to meet its production targets. Tesla’s battery production capacity in its Giga Texas factory is only sufficient to power about 24,000 Cybertrucks a year, falling far short of the required output.
Tesla’s goal is not only to power the Cybertruck but also to use the 4680 batteries in other vehicles, including a small car that the company aims to launch by the mid-2020s. However, the company’s progress with scaling up the production of 4680 batteries is slow, with limited production capacity at its plant in Fremont, California and its battery supplier, Panasonic, still in the early stages of building new plants in the US.
Despite the challenges, Tesla plans to install a total of eight production lines at its Giga Texas factory in two phases, with four lines expected to be running by late 2024. However, replicating established know-how from one production line to the next is proving to be a complex process, and Tesla is working to establish a stable and efficient battery production process.
The company is also facing difficulties in the mixing and coating processes of the battery electrodes, which have resulted in high scrap rates. Tesla is working on building a new quality verification system to identify cells with flaws in their coating, a crucial step in ensuring the performance and reliability of its battery technology. The company is still fine-tuning its dry-coating technique to improve production efficiency and reduce scrap rates.
In conclusion, Tesla’s production of the Cybertruck faces significant challenges related to the scaling up of its pioneering 4680 battery technology. The company is working to overcome these challenges in order to meet its production targets and expand the use of its new battery technology across its product lineup.
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