Munro Live's teardown of the Made-in-Texas (MIT) Tesla Model Y progresses quite quickly and the team already had an opportunity to take a look at the battery pack cover.
The latest Tesla Model Y is equipped with a structural battery pack, which means that not only the enclosure but also the 4680-type cylindrical battery cells inside are carrying forces.
A unique thing is that on top of the battery pack, Tesla attached seats and center console, without separation between the battery pack and the cabin.
The initial assessment by Munro Live's Cory Steuben and Scott Hildreth reveals that the top of the battery pack is powder-coated, while seat brackets are welded to the battery pack.
The entire episode is more of an engineering talk, rather than an EV-specific presentation, as the battery pack has not been opened yet. From other reports, we know that the new battery offers more than 67 kWh of usable battery capacity for an EPA range of 279 miles (449 km).
An interesting thing is the penthouse on top of the battery pack (in the rear), which stores power electronics parts (on-board charger and connections, as far as we know). It's much larger than in the previous 2020 Tesla Model Y. Not only the parts are different, but the differences between the old and new versions will be presented in a dedicated episode.
Cory Steuben notes that everything that we see in the video is just basics and the real stuff, including full cost analysis and detailed research of all components, will be available in the upcoming reports (which is Munro & Associates business).
Some of the cells from this particular Tesla Model Y are available for sale, but they aren't cheap, at $800 per unit.
We are eager to see the battery teardown and hear insights from engineers. Tesla sees the new type of battery pack as a big improvement cost-wise and energy density-wise, although it still might need some optimization and improvements. Another thing is that the company must first secure a high supply of 4680-type battery cells (currently produced in-house).
