Tesla Roadster gets bespoke 4680 cells and should charge from 15 to 80% in 10 minutes
Lars Moravy walked Top Gear and Hagerty through the new Roadster's battery: 4680 cells with their own chemistry, double-sided cooling and Tesla's fastest charging yet.
Great news for anyone who wants to use the Roadster on track, not just in demos. Before the launch, "Top Gear" and "Hagerty" got a close look at the car, and Lars Moravy, Tesla's VP of vehicle engineering, walked them through the battery: 4680 cells made just for the Roadster and Tesla's fastest charging so far. The details were flagged on X by "Sawyer Merritt".
4680 cells just for the Roadster
Photo: Tesla
In the "Hagerty" film, Moravy explains that the floor-mounted pack uses an in-house 4680 cell with a chemistry developed only for this programme, so it can deliver a lot of power for a long time. He told "Top Gear" it is still a nickel-based lithium-ion chemistry. The big change is cooling: the cells are cooled on both sides rather than through a single channel, so performance stays consistent almost to the end.
15–80% in about 10 minutes
An 800–1,000 V architecture, shared with Cybertruck and Semi, allows high-voltage charging. The target Moravy gave in both interviews is 15–80% in 10 minutes on fourth-generation Superchargers delivering more than 500 kW. "Top Gear"'s written piece is a little more cautious, quoting under 15 minutes at 500 kW, so 10 minutes remains Tesla's goal.
Photo: Tesla
Range and power
"Top Gear" quotes 310–320 miles of range depending on version. "Hagerty" says every version has more than a megawatt (1,341 hp) and 1,400 Nm from two motors on the rear axle. We covered the 1 MW powertrain in a separate article.
Watch the video: the 0.81-second 0–60 mph run on Tesla's X account.
What it means for drivers
Moravy says Tesla is hoping for 25–30 minutes of flat-out track driving followed by a quick recharge, so you can run a full track day. On the road, 10 minutes at a Supercharger would be a coffee stop. More in our reveal article, our tour of the official page and our piece on the practical details.
