Tesla has been rather silent about the progress of the 4680 battery and structural battery pack. However, the recent observation of the Model Y test car at the Gigafactory in Texas suggests that the launch of this innovative technology may be earlier than expected.
Joe Tegtmeyer, a drone operator who has been following the dynamics of Tesla's auto factories, recently spotted a Model Y test vehicle unloading from a trailer while flying over the Giga Texas complex. While it's not uncommon to see Model Y test bodies in places like Giga Berlin and Gigafactory Texas, this particular Model Y body is particularly interesting.
It is immediately noticeable from the aerial footage that this Model Y test car is just a frame and has no chassis. Considering that the chassis of the Model Y test car appears to be assigned to a component that has not yet been seen, Tesla enthusiasts and other electric vehicle advocates on social media believe that the test body recently delivered to Giga Texas was designed with a structural battery pack.
Tesla's structural battery, as the name suggests, is built on the vehicle's structural platform. According to Tesla's Battery Day presentation in September 2020, structural batteries are designed to strengthen the vehicle's body and chassis while increasing driving range and reducing production costs. Elon Musk likened Tesla's structural batteries to the aviation industry's eventual use of space inside the wings of an airplane as a space to store fuel.
Structural batteries are likely to be rolled out into Tesla's entire lineup of cars in the future, and the technology will be the first to be introduced in the Model Y. Considering that Giga Texas is expected to begin operations with the production of the Model Y, and that previous drone overflights to the site hinted at the construction of a 4680 battery production facility, it seems that Tesla may want to launch its modified Model Y earlier than estimated.