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Tesla’s Progress: From Battery Breakthroughs to Autonomous Driving and Executive Shakeups
Tesla continues to accelerate innovation across its key verticals—energy storage, autonomous driving, and manufacturing. In recent weeks, the electric vehicle giant has celebrated a crucial milestone in its 4680 battery cell production, begun a crucial testing phase for Full Self-Driving (FSD) in Europe, expanded its Early Access Program, and witnessed notable executive departures.
Here’s a summary of Tesla’s latest developments in around 30 lines:
Tesla 4680 Battery Cell Breakthrough
Tesla’s in-house production of 4680 battery cells at its Texas Gigafactory has officially become more cost-effective than sourcing from third-party suppliers like Panasonic and LG Energy Solution.
- CEO Elon Musk, during the Q1 all-hands meeting, praised the Texas team for making Tesla the lowest-cost producer of battery cells per kWh.
- Michael Guilfoy, Director of Cell Manufacturing at Giga Texas, echoed the celebration on LinkedIn, attributing the milestone to the grit and innovation of the team.
- The milestone is significant because Tesla juggles multiple business verticals, unlike its suppliers who focus solely on battery manufacturing.
- Tesla surpassed 100 million 4680 cells produced by late 2024, up from 50 million in mid-2023.
- More advances are planned for 2025, including full ramp-up of dry battery electrode technology, which will further cut costs.
FSD Expansion into Europe
Tesla is working hard to bring Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised to Europe:
– A new engineering test drive video released on X (formerly Twitter) showcases test runs in Amsterdam.
– Regulatory approval is pending, with the Dutch RDW leading the process before submission to the European Union.
– Tesla aims to launch FSD in European markets later this year, following recent expansions in China and Mexico.
– Internal estimates suggest EU regulations may delay full approval until 2028.
Executive Departures Create Buzz
- David Lau, Tesla’s VP of Software Engineering, is leaving after a 12-year tenure.
- Lau oversaw major projects including vehicle firmware, battery management software, and cloud systems.
- He joins a growing list of recent high-profile departures including:
- Marc Van Impe (Global Vehicle Automation & Safety Policy Lead)
– Nagesh Saldi (Chief Information Officer)
– Petter Winberg (Principal CAE Crash Safety Engineer)
Early Access Program (EAP) Expansion for FSD
Tesla is expanding its Early Access Program (EAP), offering more owners early access to upcoming FSD updates:
– The program includes customers who purchased FSD outright (not on subscription).
– Participants test pre-release FSD features and provide feedback.
– This expansion signals Tesla’s growing confidence in FSD reliability.
– It may also feed into Tesla’s plans for a robotaxi ride-hailing service in Austin in late 2025.
What Undercode Say:
Tesla is aligning its internal manufacturing capacity and software development momentum to dominate both the hardware and autonomy markets. Let’s analyze the impact and implications from a technical, strategic, and business lens.
🔋 1. Battery Cell Economics: Tesla vs. the Industry
Tesla’s achievement in reducing the per-kWh cost of 4680 cells internally has far-reaching implications. It:
– Reduces dependency on external suppliers.
– Solidifies
- Offers higher margins on future vehicles like the Cybertruck and next-gen compact models.
– Strengthens
🌍 2. FSD in Europe: Ambitious but Regulatory Drag is Real
Tesla is pressing hard to introduce FSD Supervised across Europe. But:
– EU’s safety-centric bureaucracy contrasts sharply with Tesla’s aggressive rollout culture.
– Regulatory compliance delays, possibly until 2028, could undermine Tesla’s FSD advantage, especially as Chinese automakers like BYD are also eyeing autonomy.
– However, test videos and transparency could improve public perception and influence regulators.
💼 3. Executive Exodus: Talent Drain or Natural Cycle?
While executive exits are natural for tech firms, Tesla’s leadership changes are particularly important because:
– Long-time engineers like David Lau held deep tribal knowledge of Tesla’s custom software stack.
– Departures might slow software refinement, especially in embedded systems crucial for vehicle autonomy and safety.
– On the flip side, it may open doors for fresh talent or even AI-focused leadership, aligning with Tesla’s future.
🚗 4. Early Access Program (EAP): Smart Scaling Strategy
Expanding EAP serves a dual purpose:
- Builds a real-world feedback loop for refining FSD features at scale.
- Gathers massive amounts of training data for AI models.
- Indicates Tesla’s confidence in V12+ versions of FSD and sets the stage for a robotaxi future, likely integrated with Optimus and Dojo platforms.
🔄 5. Sustainable Strategy: Combining Cost and Capability
Tesla’s holistic strategy is not just about innovation—it’s about scaling innovation sustainably:
– Cheaper batteries + smarter autonomy = future-proof vehicles.
– While rivals focus on piecemeal innovations, Tesla aims for systemic evolution.
– Every milestone (battery, autonomy, robotics) feeds into a single Tesla ecosystem—and investors are noticing.
Fact Checker Results
- Tesla did surpass 100 million in-house 4680 cell production by end of 2024, based on internal milestones and verified leadership announcements.
- FSD Supervised is still not launched in Europe and is pending regulatory approval via the RDW and EU framework.
3. David
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Reported By: https://www.teslarati.com/tesla-milestone-4680-battery-cell/
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