The Cyber Truck may pay for itself.

intimidator

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4680 Battery Update: This is Obviously still the biggest bottleneck in Cybertruck production.

“The 4680 battery cell was unveiled at Tesla’s Battery Day in September 2020.

The automaker presented several new pieces of technology that combined together result in a more energy-dense cell that could reduce costs by 50%.

One of the most significant improvements that 4680 cells bring to the table is the ability to build a structural battery pack that makes the pack part of the vehicle structure – reducing parts, weight, and cost.

Tesla has been running a pilot factory for the new battery cell in Fremont where CEO Elon Musk has been guiding reaching a production capacity of 10 GWh by the end of 2021.

Today, with the release of its Q2 2021 financial results, Tesla released a rare update about its progress toward that goal:


In short, Tesla managed to get some progress done, but they still have more work to do before achieving any volume production.

The 4680 battery cell is expected to power several of Tesla’s upcoming new vehicle programs, including Tesla Semi and Model Y, produced at Gigafactory Texas and Berlin.

Once Tesla has figured production at the Kato facility, it is expected to deploy high volume 4680 battery cell capacity at those new factories under construction.

Tesla has previously disclosed 4680 battery production goals of 100 GWh by 2023 and 3,000 GWh by 2030.”
In short, Tesla managed to get some progress done, but they still have more work to do before achieving any volume production.

Once again, this is a reminder that yes Tesla (Elon) is busting butt to try and meet what they have promised, but manufacturing is hard. So there will be delays along the way.

Cybertruck will be here someday....but 2022 is out the window, IMO.
And volume production in 2023 is probably only if Elon hits a half court shot.
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drscot

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Hopefully!

I just spent a night without power - well, I had internet for eight hours - and I could have spend a few miles range finishing my video game instead of shutting down and going to bed ^-^

-Crissa
Was that one of those "rolling (planned) blackouts" we hear about out here? Ours are all unplanned, usually weather related or when some doofus hits a utility pole.
 
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LDRHAWKE

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In short, Tesla managed to get some progress done, but they still have more work to do before achieving any volume production.

Once again, this is a reminder that yes Tesla (Elon) is busting butt to try and meet what they have promised, but manufacturing is hard. So there will be delays along the way.

Cybertruck will be here someday....but 2022 is out the window, IMO.
And volume production in 2023 is probably only if Elon hits a half court shot.
Video Reveals Multitude Of Tesla Model Y Castings At Giga Texas


a lot more is happening under the roof of the Austin factory than the aerial construction videos show.
 

Sandybayes1

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It would be great if that is the case. I live in Santa Fe, NM and rarely need air conditioning plus I have roof solar which covers my electrical needs. Selling my Cybertruck electricity would be fine with me although I do plan on renting out my CT when I'm not using it. Not sure how that would work when my CT is being used most of the time then.
 
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LDRHAWKE

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IMO The Tesla Virtual Power Grid will be moving the needle a lot sooner than the hopes of RoboTaxis. AutoBidder could be leveraged so much more.

The Virtual Power Grid is here now. It just needs to be adopted by more and more homeowners.

In a fantasy world, our politicians would get more behind VPGs, maybe even providing incentives, etc.
From what am reading the major factor appears to be having power walls available to connect to the grid which are capable of deep cycling daily, with out shortening their overal life, which the 4680 batteries will give them, and the Cybertruck . The rest is developing AI software and politics.
 


ajdelange

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The Virtual Power Grid is here now. It just needs to be adopted by more and more homeowners.
That's a point that many here seem to miss., And it is here without having to wait for the new standards necessary for V2H and/or V2G. Of course the problem is that there aren't enough Li batteries to go around for cars and grid storage.

But the properties of Li aren't needed for grid storage. Look to air/iron for that. Don't know how far off practical application of that tech is but I think it might be the answer.
 

Johnd01

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No other Tesla on the market has this capacity. Currently the inverters they use are 1-way and can only turn AC into DC to stuff into your battery.

They are going to have some kind of inverter onboard for providing AC power, but it's not clear if that will feed back through the charging cable or not. Even if it does, you are still going to need more switching equipment at the meter to enable any kind of V2G setup.
When I added my solar the utility used the same smart meter to track my overproduction without adding any extra switchgear. The only addition was the back-fed bracket from my solar.
 
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LDRHAWKE

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Was that one of those "rolling (planned) blackouts" we hear about out here? Ours are all unplanned, usually weather related or when some doofus hits a utility pole.
The difference is the Doofus that hits the power pole knocks out power to a few hundred homes. The Doofus Governors that believe wind power is back power knocks out power to few million homes.
 

ajdelange

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No other Tesla on the market has this capacity. Currently the inverters they use are 1-way and can only turn AC into DC to stuff into your battery.
The only inverters in the current portfolio are part of the two way power transfer system in the motor controllers.

They are going to have some kind of inverter onboard for providing AC power, but it's not clear if that will feed back through the charging cable or not.
It is quite clear it will not, It's for powering tools plugged into the truck bed outlets.

Even if it does, you are still going to need more switching equipment at the meter to enable any kind of V2G setup.
Those outlets can be used for "backfeeding" a house just as any other source of biphase 240 can be but to do so legally it would have to be connected through a proper transfer switch (such are made for this purpose) near the panel.

When I added my solar the utility used the same smart meter to track my overproduction without adding any extra switchgear. The only addition was the back-fed bracket from my solar.
This is because your inverter(s) contain the required anti islanding detection and isolation circuitry. If the grid goes down they shut down. The good news is the linemen are safe. The bad news is you can't generate solar when you need it most.

Were you to have a solar system including batteries then the PV inverters would not be tied directly to the utility but would be behind an isolating switch (Gateway in a Powerwall system) and so must a generator be if it is to power the premises when the utility is down.


The only addition was the back-fed bracket from my solar.
Back-fed bracket? Ah, think I've got it. Back fed breaker?
 

Old Pro

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Everyone knows that this picture of a Tesla Power Wall that comes with a Tesla solar roof.

But, did you know Tesla is now a Virtual Power company in California, and that it buys and sells electricity to power companies at peak demand when power can sell for 10 times normal? The new kicker is that Tesla now has computer system that will seamlessly connect and uses the power from these Tesla power walls under contract with owners, paying them for the energy stored and used during peak demand.

So What! What has that to do with a CyberTruck? Well I will tell you.

Without even having a solar roof, a Cybertruck will be able to be wired into your home charging system or a charging station and be able to be connected to the Tesla Virtual Power Grid. I don’t know the financial agreement that Tesla will make to get access to your Cybertruck battery……..But I do know a Tri-motor 500 mile battery is 10 times larger that a single 13.5 kWh power wall. In some states Power Wall owners are making a couple of grand a year selling directly back to power companies during peak demand.

When you get you new Cybertruck it looks like you may also have a new source of income and be a member of what may end up being one of the largest power companies in the World.

Happy Days are here again.?

BFACDBCB-22CD-4C2E-A7DB-BEFE128D0BAE.jpeg
I have had my Tesla (Solar City) panels on my home for almost 6 years now. A couple of years back one or more of the panels (18) failed and Tesla replaced the entire system with (16) upgraded panels that produce what my old system of 18 used to. I now have room for 2 additional panels to hopefully increase the production on my system now in place. I'll be darned if I can figure out who or where to contact Tesla for this need. I don't like their website and do not find it user friendly for simple contact and requests. Powerwalls? Still a bit expensive for me.
 


Marcia Litsinger

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Hopefully!

I just spent a night without power - well, I had internet for eight hours - and I could have spend a few miles range finishing my video game instead of shutting down and going to bed ^-^

-Crissa
Crissa, If you had solar powered system on your home it makes no difference if the power goes down.
 

Marcia Litsinger

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I would imagine Tesla will start listing this as a a super charging station for your home, and an option when you buy a Cybertruck, now that they are a serious on the grid power company player and would like access to the, up to 10 Power Walls stored In the Cybertruck. The super charging station will probably be priced as competitively as possible and under the present single power wall since it won’t need batteries and smaller in size.. Tesla lists the cost of one battery 13.6 kWh pack power wall at $7,500 excluding $1,000 for the Gateway, a device that acts as the engine of the installation; and actual installation charges of about $3,500.

I would imagine the new AI software will give owner options to control and limit the draw down and the ability to opt out or in at your desire. I would also imagine it would be set up to recharge with cheaper power outside of peak demand on the grid using AI. A solar roof would be simply a plus option.

Why do it. Three reasons. 1. Your Cybertruck becomes back power for your home. 2. It will be a source of income, either in reduced energy bill or direct payments, that will be driven by demand and your State regulations. 3. It is the future of a more stable and cheaper electrical energy supply in the world.
We have been thinking about this very thing
. Been off grid for 40 years or so. If the new folks into solar would connect with the grid and sell the excess power back to the grid, I wonder how many coal plants could be taken off line?
 

Marcia Litsinger

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A better question is who pays for it all.

With the Powerwall, all of the switching equipment to push power back into the grid safely is built into the system design. You pay for it when you install the Powerwalls and solar. With the truck, there are a lot of extra costs which someone needs to pony up for.

Tesla isn't going to pay for this equipment because lots of cars aren't going to be good power donors because they aren't plugged in during peak hours. If you are only home in the evenings with a low battery, investing in a V2G setup doesn't make a ton of sense for anyone.

So consumers have to figure out for themselves if their setup is going to make economic sense. How many people are going to bother doing this math? I guess if you live in Texas it's pretty enticing, but where I am, power is reliable and the power companies can't rob us when the grid falls apart.

If there is only a 0.5% take rate, is there any point in installing the two way charging in every single Cybertruck? How much do those components cost? What does the take rate need to be in order for this kind of change in the truck's design to make sense?

I'm not against this idea at all, I just don't see it as a slam dunk. There are a lot more pieces involved in setting this up than you seem to take into account. On the flip side, seems like Ford has done at least part of it, so maybe it makes sense for Tesla as well.
Nothing worth while is easy. Just keep thinking about it and maybe you will come up with the answer.
 

Ogre

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We have been thinking about this very thing
. Been off grid for 40 years or so. If the new folks into solar would connect with the grid and sell the excess power back to the grid, I wonder how many coal plants could be taken off line?
So much depends on location. If I put my house onto the grid with solar, there is no coal generation in Oregon anymore. I suspect California is the same.

It would displace some natural gas production which is good.

Lots of good reasons to go home solar regardless, but eliminating coal isn't on the menu here.
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