Tesla Built the Cybercab Battery Ready for LFP Cells

Tesla has designed the Cybercab’s battery pack with future battery technology in mind. Details revealed during a Munro Live factory tour show that the current battery uses Tesla’s 4680 cells in an 88S6P configuration. This means the pack contains 88 groups, with six cells connected in parallel within each group.

What makes the battery design notable is the extra space built into the enclosure. Tesla engineers explained that the pack includes room around the battery modules and unused space beneath them. This was done intentionally so the company can use battery cells with lower energy density in the future without having to create an entirely new battery pack.

Tesla specifically mentioned lithium iron phosphate, or LFP, cells as a possible future option for the Cybercab. LFP batteries usually offer lower energy density than nickel-based cells, but they can provide advantages such as lower production costs, strong durability and improved resistance to battery degradation. The extra space in the Cybercab’s battery pack could help accommodate these larger cells.

At present, the Cybercab uses 4680 cells with nickel-based cathode material. Tesla has already produced its first Cybercab using cathode material made at its Austin facility. This is part of the company’s wider effort to bring more battery production and materials manufacturing in-house, which could help reduce costs and improve supply-chain control as production expands.

The Cybercab also uses a different battery structure from some Model Y and Cybertruck versions. Rather than relying on a fully structural battery pack, Tesla has chosen a modular design. This allows individual sections of the battery to be replaced instead of forcing technicians to discard the entire pack when one part needs repair.

That decision appears to be especially important for Tesla’s robotaxi plans. Cybercabs are expected to operate for long hours and cover significant distances, so easier maintenance could help reduce downtime and repair expenses. Tesla says the modular approach was influenced by manufacturing costs, reliability and the need to keep these vehicles in service for extended periods.

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