Samsung sees Tesla Cybertruck's 4680 battery and raises it taller cells with higher capacity for mass production

[Redaktion]

BMW has ordered its EV battery supplier Samsung SDI mass production of cylindrical 4680-style batteries like the ones Tesla is ramping up for the Cybertruck, but longer and with higher energy capacity. The 46120 batteries will be produced together with 4695 and 4680 ones.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/Samsung-sees-Tesla-Cybertruck-s-4680-battery-and-raises-it-taller-cells-with-higher-capacity-for-mass-production.735165.0.html

[Lithium]

I'd be interested in how they're planning to package these cells inside the pack. With most battery packs situated under the floor, pack height is a big factor in how much the pack affects passenger footwell volume. Tall packs push the floor height up. Tesla's switch from 2170 cells to 4680 cells was a relatively minor height increase (10mm or about 3/8" at cell level), and they were able to offset some of the height increase with the tables design (no mention of that with these cells). Bumping that up to 120mm is going to noticeably decrease the passenger footwell room unless BMW makes the whole car taller to keep the seat-floor height difference the same.

Alternatively they might turn the cells sideways inside the pack, but there are major cooling considerations if they do. These cells are so tall and slender they will absolutely require cooling along the sides, like Tesla do, rather than from the ends. That would become very tricky to package if the cells are horizontal to keep pack height reasonable.