Tesla Breaks Through on 4680 Dry Electrode Tech: Costs Halved, Range Boosted

Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently announced significant progress in the dry-electrode manufacturing process for the company's 4680 battery cells, bringing mass production of the "fully realized" version within reach. This technology replaces the traditional wet-coating and drying steps by mixing dry binders with large-particle active materials, substantially improving production efficiency and reducing costs—potentially cutting battery costs by approximately 50%. The 4680 cell features a large cylindrical format (46 mm in diameter and 80 mm in height), a full-tab design, and new chemical formulations, delivering a theoretical energy density of 300 Wh/kg—surpassing that of mainstream ternary lithium-ion batteries. Previously, mass production was hindered by low yields in the dry-electrode process. However, the newly developed technology has now overcome this critical bottleneck, paving the way for large-scale adoption. If successfully implemented, it will significantly extend the range of Tesla vehicles, lower their prices, and drive a broader industry-wide technological upgrade.