Tesla Cybertruck will equip 800v architecture for faster charging times, better margins

Tesla Cybertruck will equip an 800-volt architecture when it begins deliveries on November 30, an announcement that is still fresh from the company’s Earnings Call earlier this week.

For EV newbies, the 800-volt architecture may not be much of a head-turner. However, to those who have been following the industry at all, 800v architectures are the way of the future for the EV industry, especially as more electric cars are on the road, charging times continue to be a concern to some, and heavier all-electric cars are becoming more available throughout the various automakers.

On Wednesday, Tesla confirmed what many believed for a long time: the Cybertruck would equip an 800-volt architecture.

What are the strengths of an 800-volt architecture? It comes down to charging times, efficiency, margins, and weight, all things that are important to the company and its products, as well as its financial status.

Tesla Cybertruck and Semi are candidates for 800-volt architecture

From a macro standpoint, Tesla’s financials are still strong. But Musk and Co. were not shy about warning investors and analysts about the upcoming economic headwinds it would encounter.

It’s a market-wide issue and not just a Tesla issue. As Tesla plans to launch the Cybertruck, interest rates are high, discouraging consumers from wanting to finance anything. Additionally, Musk confirmed it may take 18 months for the Cybertruck to be a positive cash flow contributor to Tesla’s financials.

The 800-volt architecture will improve margins on the vehicle instead of other EV architectures that may have been considered. It said explicitly in its Q3 Shareholder Deck:

“For very heavy vehicles, a high voltage powertrain architecture brings notable cost savings, which is why Cybertruck will adopt an 800-volt architecture.”

From a cost perspective, 800-volt architectures are void of as much copper throughout the vehicle, which reduces weight. Weight reductions improve performance and range.

Earlier today, we reported on the Cybertruck VIN Decoder, which was released by the NHTSA. It revealed the Cybertruck has two weight classifications:

“…the vehicle’s gross weight has two classes: G, which would be between 8,001 and 9,000 pounds, and H, which is between 9,001 and 10,000 pounds.”

800-volt architectures have greater efficiency because they allow electricity to move from the battery to the wheels with a lower current. This ultimately reduces the amount of power that is lost to heat, and higher voltage – lower current architectures can move the same amount of power with thinner wires, which relates to the reduction in copper that was mentioned previously.

800-volt architectures are big for the future of EVs, even outside of Teslas. Tesla EVs are far from the first cars on the market to equip an 800-volt architecture, as the Porsche Taycan had an 800v build back in 2018 when the German company unveiled the specs for its introductory EV.

Faster charging is the biggest advantage, as they can handle greater outputs from Superchargers. The V4 Supercharger from Tesla, for example, has a 350 kW output, enabled by increased amperage and current ratings.

This will keep EV owners at the Superchargers for less time, making charging more efficient and allowing more people to access chargers by decreasing congestion.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at . You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at .

Tesla Cybertruck will equip 800v architecture for faster charging times, better margins

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Tesla Cybertruck underwent ‘Al Capone style’ bulletproof testing, Elon Musk reveals

The Tesla Cybertruck underwent “Al Capone-style” bulletproof testing with a Tommy Gun, CEO Elon Musk revealed on X.

A video shared by a member of the Tesla Owners Club of Silicon Valley showed a Cybertruck driving down the highway with what appeared to be around 40-50 bullet holes in the driver’s side of the vehicle.

CEO Elon Musk revealed that the Cybertruck had an “entire drum magazine of a Tommy gun” emptied into the driver door “Al Capone style,” which revealed the truck would keep occupants safe as no bullets penetrated into the cabin.

The testing is extreme, but the Cybertruck is an extreme vehicle. In 2019, when it was unveiled to the public by Musk and Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen, the team attempted to show the durability and safety of the truck by slamming into the side of it with a sledgehammer, as well as a steel ball, which resulted in a very public window-breaking.

Tesla filed for various parts of the Cybertruck to be capable of extreme durability. A patent revealed that the Cybertruck glass would be more durable and stronger than basically anything that is currently offered on the market.

It offered a 10 percent chance of failure with an impact of 2 J.

When the Cybertruck made an appearance on Jay Leno’s Garage in 2021, Musk was asked by the former late-night TV show host why anyone would want bulletproof, armored glass on their truck.

“Because it’s badass, and it’s super cool,” Musk said. “Do you want your truck to be bulletproof or not?”

Musk has hinted in the past that the Cybertruck will be the finest in apocalypse protection technology, satirically hinting that add-ons like the Boring Company flamethrower would be available.

However, we can see it would survive some incredibly treacherous conditions, including a warzone, it appears.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at . You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at .

Tesla Cybertruck underwent ‘Al Capone style’ bulletproof testing, Elon Musk reveals

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Toyota adopts Tesla’s NACS

Tesla has gotten two new adoptees of the North American Charging Standard (NACS) in Toyota and Lexus, the companies announced on Thursday.

Several large automakers have already adopted Tesla’s NACS connector, including Ford, General Motors, Honda, BMW, and Rivian, among others.

However, Toyota and Lexus have now chosen to do the same thing, gaining access to Tesla’s Supercharger Network in North America in an effort to make charging more available for drivers of its EVs.

Toyota said it will incorporate NACS inlets in “certain Toyota and Lexus BEVs starting in 2025, including the all-new, three-row, battery-electric Toyota SUV that will be assembled at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky.”

The partnership will start in 2025, a year after Ford and GM will adopt it. Those automakers will gain access to the Tesla Supercharger Network in Spring 2024.

Customers owning or leasing Toyota and Lexus EVs equipped with the Combined Charging System (CCS) inlet will be offered an adapter to enable NACS access in 2025.

“Dedicated to delivering a seamless charging experience, whether at home or in public, Toyota aims to provide convenience no matter where customers choose to charge their vehicles,” Toyota said. “Through the Toyota and Lexus apps, customers have access to an extensive charging network, comprising over 84,000 charging ports in North America, including level 2 and DC fast chargers. With NACS, customers will have access to more charging options, especially DC fast chargers, allowing greater confidence to travel to even more destinations.”

Prior to today, BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce were the most recent companies to adopt Tesla’s NACS adapter.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

Toyota adopts Tesla’s NACS

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