Tesla 4680 cells fall behind competition

Tesla’s 4680 battery program is facing renewed criticism after reports this week said some Berlin-built Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive vehicles are delivering weaker range and charging performance than rival cells. Autoevolution reported on Friday that European buyers had complained about the version built at Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg, describing the cells as trailing competing products. (electrek.co) Tesla has spent years presenting the 4680 format as a core part of its in-house battery strategy. (tesla.com) In its fourth-quarter 2025 update, the company said it had begun producing battery packs for certain Model Y vehicles using 4680 cells and was making dry-electrode 4680 cells with both anode and cathode in Austin. The dispute matters because the 4680 was introduced as more than a new cell size. At Battery Day in 2020, Tesla said the design would support lower costs and better vehicle performance, and those claims have remained central to investor and buyer expectations. (autoevolution.com) Recent independent reporting has questioned whether current production cells have matched those early targets. ### Which Tesla vehicles are at the center of the complaints? The Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive sold in Europe is the version most often cited in the recent reports. (assets-ir.tesla.com) Tesla introduced that trim in Europe in April 2024 with a WLTP-rated range of 600 kilometers, according to coverage at the time, and Tesla’s current German site lists the updated rear-wheel-drive long-range version at 609 kilometers WLTP. Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg is the production site named in the latest coverage. Autoevolution said the complaints involved Model Y Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive vehicles built there with 4680-based packs. (electrek.co) Tesla has not publicly posted a detailed breakdown on its consumer site showing which battery supplier or cell format is used in each European trim. ### What had Tesla promised for the 4680 program? Tesla unveiled the 4680 concept in 2020 as part of a broader plan to redesign cell manufacturing and battery-pack structure. (insideevs.com) Electrek, citing Tesla’s Battery Day presentation, said the company had promised 5 times the energy, 6 times the power and 16% more range from the new approach. January 28, 2026, marked Tesla’s latest official milestone update on the program. In its quarterly filing materials, Tesla said it had started using 4680 cells in certain Model Y packs and had reached dry-electrode production for both anode and cathode in Austin, a step the company has framed as important to manufacturing scale and cost. (autoevolution.com) ### What are critics saying the cells are missing? Recent media reports have focused on energy density, usable pack capacity and charging speed. Autoevolution said a new charging test showed the so-called 8L battery pack using 4680 cells charged as slowly as an older 2021 pack using LG Energy Solution 2170 cells. (electrek.co) Electrek separately reported that current data did not support Tesla’s original performance claims. European owner forums and specialist EV sites have amplified those complaints. (assets-ir.tesla.com) A Tesla Motors Club discussion cited in search results said the 4680-equipped version cut WLTP range to 609 kilometers from 661 kilometers for an otherwise similar European long-range rear-wheel-drive configuration, though forum posts are not company disclosures and Tesla has not confirmed that comparison publicly. ### Has Tesla changed course on 4680 production? May 12, 2026, brought reports that Tesla was expanding 4680 production in Germany rather than scaling back. (autoevolution.com) Several outlets reported Tesla planned a $250 million investment to increase battery-cell capacity at Giga Berlin to 18 gigawatt-hours, citing plant director André Thierig. Reuters could not independently verify that figure from a Tesla filing or press release available in the company’s investor materials reviewed here. Tesla’s own filings show the company still views in-house battery manufacturing as strategic. (teslamotorsclub.com) The fourth-quarter 2025 update said 2026 would include further investment in battery manufacturing lines alongside vehicle, robot and energy-storage production. ### What should buyers watch next? Tesla’s German configurator currently shows August to September 2026 estimated delivery timing for Model Y orders, including the “Premium Maximale Reichweite Hinterradantrieb” version. Tesla’s product pages and support pages in Germany remain the clearest public source for any future change in quoted range, trim naming or delivery timing for the Berlin-built Model Y lineup. (driveteslacanada.ca) (tesla.com) (assets-ir.tesla.com)