Tesla Allegedly Swaps High-Voltage Battery Pack of a Cybertruck Owner, Justifying it as Part of an Engineering Research Project; Owner Insists His Truck was Fine Apart from the Faulty Wireless Phone Charger.
Tesla Proactively Replacing High-Voltage Battery Packs in Cybertrucks
Tesla is proactively replacing high-voltage battery packs in Cybertrucks, as reported by several owners, including Ferrara from Pennsylvania and Mark from Alabama. This move is part of an engineering research initiative aimed at refining cell chemistry, pack design, or manufacturing processes for future battery improvements.
Ferrara, who initially contacted Tesla for a replacement part related to a minor wireless phone charger issue, found himself with a fully functional high-voltage battery pack replaced instead. Tesla explained that the battery pack was needed for their engineering research initiative rather than for repair or warranty reasons.
Mark, on the other hand, had his Cybertruck's battery pack replaced during a five-day visit to the Tesla service center due to a high-voltage issue. His Cybertruck's delivery was delayed due to the same problem. The part replaced was the HIGH VOLTAGE BATTERY, LONG RANGE (1783970-TX-J).
The Cybertruck uses a high-voltage, 816 V nominal, 150 Ah structural battery pack made up of 4680 lithium-ion cells, with an overall capacity of 123 kWh and an energy density around 170 Wh/kg. This battery pack is a structural element of the vehicle and supports rapid charging capabilities up to 350 kW at compatible stations.
The implications of this proactive replacement are significant. Tesla is likely collecting real-world data and analysing battery performance, degradation, or thermal management characteristics from production Cybertruck packs. Insights gained could influence improvements in battery longevity, safety (including thermal issues), and energy density for future iterations.
The initiative may also help address known minor issues like wireless charger overheating indirectly by studying the battery pack's thermal environment and overall electrical architecture. This effort might point to Tesla's emphasis on continuous learning from deployed vehicles to accelerate innovation and operational reliability, especially with a relatively new pack design unique to the Cybertruck.
While exact technical goals are not detailed, the practice of removing fully functional battery packs for engineering research strongly suggests Tesla is using these packs to develop next-generation technologies or validate real-world performance for future improvements.
Mark views the proactive repair as a good thing, indicating that Tesla is working to make Cybertrucks as reliable and bulletproof as possible. Ferrara, however, remains concerned that the battery pack replacement might be related to damaged battery cells. He shared his story on the Cybertruck Owners Club forum, where the overheating problem in the Cybertruck's wireless charger has been frequently reported by numerous other Cybertruck owners. During a recent visit for recall work and tire rotation, a 'flex cable' related to the high-voltage battery was replaced in Mark's Cybertruck, and a gallon of COOLANT, ETHYLENE GLYCOL, 50/50 MIX was also added during the battery pack replacement. Tesla technicians examined the batch of Cybertrucks delivered to the Franklin store and verified that Mark's Cybertruck was unaffected.
[1] Tesla's Proactive Battery Replacement Initiative for Cybertrucks
[2] Cybertruck Battery Pack Specifications
[1] Tesla's proactive battery replacement initiative for Cybertrucks seems to involve the collection of real-world data on battery performance, degradation, or thermal management characteristics, with the goal of improving battery longevity, safety, and energy density for future iterations.
[2] The Cybertruck's high-voltage, 816 V nominal, 150 Ah structural battery pack, composed of 4680 lithium-ion cells, is a significant aspect of Tesla's technological advancements, offering rapid charging capabilities up to 350 kW at compatible stations.
