During Battery Day, Tesla unveiled a completely new structural battery pack consisting of new 4680 lithium-ion tabless cells. It also unveiled the new Model S Plaid, which the company's CEO Elon Musk has been talking about for a long time. And now we know that the new Model S Plaid will feature the all-new structural battery pack.
The new version is very different from the regular Model S, even if we consider the Performance with its high-speed "Ludicrous" mode. The specifications of Plaid are very attractive, especially considering that we are talking about an electric car: 520+ miles range, 1100 horsepower, acceleration from 0-60 mph in less than 2 seconds, and top speed of 200 mph.
On October 2, Musk confirmed via Twitter that the Model S Plaid will feature a new structural battery pack with the new 4680 cells.
Yeah
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2020
The new type of 4680 lithium-ion cells will have five times more energy, 16% more range, and six times more power. In addition, the cells will be packaged in a new way within the car. Tesla will use its structural approach to integrate cells into the vehicle's structure.
With the new form factor, Tesla is able to minimize negative mass, thus increasing the density of the battery pack. The battery is then able to be positioned more efficiently, further reducing redundant structures within the packaging itself.
The car's chassis, with two one-piece molded parts for the front and rear, allows the battery to be placed in the middle. As a result, this greatly simplifies production. Also, because the battery can be located in the center of the car, safety is further enhanced. Now Tesla's cars can be even more protected from side impact.
In addition, a centrally located battery enhances driving performance, namely agility. These improvements also result in a 10% weight reduction, a 14% increase in range, a significant reduction in the number of parts, and the overall increased structural integrity of the vehicle.
Pre-orders are already available on Tesla's website starting at $139,000 before applying any potential savings.
© 2020, Eva Fox. All rights reserved.
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Article edited by @SmokeyShorts, you can follow him on Twitter
About the Author
Eva Fox
Eva Fox joined Tesmanian in 2019 to cover breaking news as an automotive journalist. The main topics that she covers are clean energy and electric vehicles. As a journalist, Eva is specialized in Tesla and topics related to the work and development of the company.
