Tesla Senior Manufacturing Engineer Cole Otto has shared a photo of the first Dry Cathode Cybertruck, a significant development featuring Tesla’s in-house 4680 cells. The vehicle, which has been eagerly awaited by the electric vehicle community, is now undergoing testing.
Otto posted the update on LinkedIn, noting that the company has commenced testing of the Dry Cathode Cybertruck. The photo, which shows the 4680 team with the vehicle, depicts the truck wrapped in matte black.
“Introducing the first-ever Dry Cathode Cybertruck! In July, we kicked off vehicle testing with our groundbreaking in-house dry cathode 4680 cells. This is a significant milestone in advancing both technology and cost efficiency. Proud to be part of the brilliant team that made this historic achievement possible!” Otto wrote in his LinkedIn post.
The Dry Cathode Cybertruck had been previously spotted online, with images shared by Giga Texas observer Joe Tegtmeyer. Tesla Senior Director of the 4680 program, Bonne Eggleston, confirmed on social media that the vehicle is indeed the Dry Cathode Cybertruck.
Nice shot of the dry cathode CT 😉
— Bonne Eggleston (@BonneEggleston) July 26, 2024
Current Tesla Cybertrucks delivered to customers use 4680 cells that are not fully complete, according to a report by LatePost. The report indicates that these cells feature a negative cathode produced using Tesla’s dry electrode process and a positive cathode sourced from a supplier, which is made using conventional wet electrode methods.
LatePost also mentioned that Tesla plans to begin mass production of “complete” 4680 cells, where both the negative and positive cathodes are produced using Tesla’s dry electrode process, by the end of the year. One source quoted in the report expressed optimism about the potential impact of the dry electrodes, stating, “Once dry electrodes are developed, they can change Tesla.”
