- Tesla has been working on its dry cathode technology for years, even running into development issues.
- Now, those development efforts appear to be materializing. The Cybertruck equipped with dry cathodes is just a few months away, according to a new report.
- There's a lot happening at Tesla this year: Robotaxi launch, the potential reveal of the affordable EV, upgrades to the Model S and X and now, the introduction of new battery types.
When Tesla launched the Cybertruck in late 2023, its $100,000 starting price was a big departure from CEO Elon Musk’s long-promised $40,000 target. Prices have since dropped by around $20,000 for the AWD and Cyberbeast trims, with the former also qualifying for the federal tax credit. Now, Tesla is reportedly gearing up to swap in a new Cybertruck battery that could slash costs. Whether those savings will reach buyers remains unclear.
The automaker will equip the Cybertruck with dry cathodes later this year, Bonne Eggleston, the senior director of Tesla’s 4680 cells, told The Information.
Dry cathodes are made without liquid solvents, which are typically used in conventional lithium-ion batteries. Instead, the cathode material is applied in a dry powder form, which in theory reduces complexity and manufacturing costs while being eco-friendly. This is not to be confused with dry electrolytes used in solid-state batteries—dry electrode batteries still use liquid electrolytes to shuttle electrons between charge and discharge cycles. But studies suggest it’s a step towards making solid-state batteries.
Tesla has indicated that this shift could shave $1 billion off production costs. A person familiar with the timeline said Cybertrucks equipped with the upgraded cells are probably a couple of months away.
Currently, the Cybertruck is equipped with a 123-kilowatt-hour battery pack with nickel-cobalt-manganese cells. Last year, it said that four new battery types were in the works for its next-generation models, including the Robotaxi, the affordable EV and also the Cybertruck.
However, the dry cathode program hit several roadblocks along the way. This effort dates back more than five years, beginning with Tesla’s 2019 acquisition of San Diego-based Maxwell Technologies for $218 million. The start-up’s dry cathode expertise seemed promising at the time.
The automaker was interested because the process would save factory floor space and eliminate the expensive and labor-intensive ways of building traditional lithium-ion cells. However, the uneven mixture of dry cathode metals was damaging the steel rollers used in battery production. As per the report, Eggleston reiterated a problem Musk had mentioned back in 2021, showing how the cathode powder had dented nearly the entire surface of the rollers.
Gallery: 2024 Tesla Cybertruck Cyberbeast Foundation Series sold for $262,500 at Sotheby's Motorsport auction
After running into these issues, Tesla largely went silent about its dry cathode program. That was until last year when it announced a milestone.
“In July, we entered validation of vehicle testing for our first prototype Cybertruck produced with in-house dry cathode 4680 cells—a major cost reduction milestone once ramped. Cost reduction across our product lineup remains a top priority,” Tesla said in its Q2 2024 shareholder presentation.
While this will likely be an incremental step rather than a game-changer, it’s a sign that Tesla’s long-promised battery innovations may finally materialize. We might learn more during Tesla’s Q1 2025 earnings call in early April.
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