Which battery does my Tesla have? NCA, NMC, LFP, 4680 lookup by model and year (2026)

Which battery is in your Tesla: quick reference

Tesla has used several types of lithium-ion cells over its history, and their reliability differs a lot. The pack chemistry matters both when buying a used Tesla and when planning repairs.

For when each model and refresh came out, see the full Tesla lineup by year.

How many kWh is a Tesla battery: by model and version

Short answer: a Model 3 or Model Y holds roughly 52 to 85 kWh (the long-wheelbase Model Y L, 88), a Model S or X 60 to 100, and a Cybertruck about 123 kWh. The exact figure depends on the specific pack, not on the trim name: a 2019 Long Range and a 2025 Long Range have different batteries, and in the same year one trim name could hide packs from different suppliers.

Model 3 and Model Y. Net capacity of a new pack, per the tff-forum Akkuwiki. The years are for European cars; US Model 3s got the same Panasonic packs earlier (Long Range from 2017).

How to read these numbers:

• Net is the energy a new pack delivers. For some packs Akkuwiki checks it against the EPA test: 82.1 kWh for the Panasonic 82, 62.0 for the CATL LFP60. Gross, the physical capacity of the cells, is a few percent higher: in a summary quoted in the chat, the LG M50F has 81.65 kWh gross (230 Ah × 355 V) against 79 net (#103109).
• Buffer below 0%. The car keeps part of the net energy in reserve below zero on the screen, so less than the table figure is usable down to 0%. In Scan My Tesla readings shared by owners in the chat, the Model 3/Y buffer is about 2.5-3 kWh: ~2.5 on a 60 kWh LFP pack (#419697) and 2.9-3.0 on a Model 3 that had 77.8 kWh when new (#492958, #492961). On the Model S it is bigger and not fixed: owners saw it grow from 4-5 to 6-7.5 kWh after 2025-2026 updates and put it down to the firmware or to winter (#420345, #420347). Scan My Tesla shows your own pack's capacity and buffer.
• Software lock means the pack is physically bigger, but Tesla has not unlocked all of it: CATL LFP55, LFP60 in the Model Y, Panasonic 3C.

Model S and Model X (they share packs). The number in the older trim names is a rounded nominal figure. Electrek published the real values read from the BMS (2016, 2017); the figure for the 2021+ refresh comes from Akkuwiki:

Tesla usually rounded up: the "85" is really about 81.5 kWh, and only the "100" turned out bigger than advertised. The Model S Long Range Plus of late 2020 to early 2021 still had the 100 kWh 96s86p pack; the refresh moved to the Palladium 110s72p (#85902).

Cybertruck: 4680 only, about 123 kWh net at roughly 816 V (Akkuwiki).

How many cells are in a Tesla battery

A "battery" inside a Tesla pack is really one cell. How many there are depends on the format: 7,000-8,000 cylindrical 18650 cells in a Model S/X, 3,000-4,500 cells of the 2170 type in a Model 3/Y, 828 (Model Y) to 1,344 (Cybertruck) large 4680 cells, and about a hundred big prismatic LFP cells for the whole car.

Reading the layout: the number before s is how many groups are wired in series (it sets the voltage: 96 groups give about 350-400 V, the Cybertruck's 192 about 800 V); the number before p is how many cells sit in parallel inside each group.

Where the numbers come from: Model 3/Y, Palladium and Cybertruck, the tff-forum Akkuwiki; the 85 and 100 kWh packs, Electrek's teardown reports (85 kWh: 16 modules of 444, 7,104 cells in total; 100 kWh: 516 cells per module, 8,256 per pack, about 16% more than in the 85/90). The same figures came up in chat discussions: 4,416 in the LG M50F and the Panasonic 82 (#103109, #103112), 828 cells of the 4680 type in the Model Y, 9 per group in 92 groups (#203855, #203857, #203858), 110s72p for the Palladium (#85902).

Chemistry in detail

What NCA, NCM (NMC), LFP and 4680 stand for

• NCA: nickel cobalt aluminium. The cathode of Panasonic cells: every Model S/X, the US Model 3/Y and some Shanghai-built Model 3s.
• NCM and NMC are the same chemistry, nickel cobalt manganese; only the letter order differs. The digits after the letters give the metal ratio in the cathode: NCM 811 means nickel, cobalt and manganese at 8:1:1. At Tesla these are the LG cells in the Model 3/Y and Tesla's own 4680 cells.
• LFP: lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4; Fe is iron). No nickel or cobalt; supplied by CATL and BYD for the Standard/RWD versions. LMFP is LFP with added manganese; the 64.5 kWh CATL pack is often called that.
• 18650, 2170 (also written 21700) and 4680 are not chemistries but cylindrical cell sizes: the first two digits are the diameter in millimetres, the rest the length (18 × 65, 21 × 70, 46 × 80 mm).

NCA 18650: the "humane" chemistry

Nickel-cobalt-aluminium, 18650 cell (18 × 65 mm). Used in early Model S and X.

Pros:

• High specific energy, so plenty of range;
• Repairable: modules can be opened and individual cells replaced (~$50-200 per cell);
• Standard 18650 size, so donor cells are easy to find;
• Proven long-term reliability: cars with 400k+ km are still on the road.

Cons:

• Degradation of −15-25% by 200k km is normal;
• Older S/X risk moisture ingress through the breathing valves.

Cycle life: ~1,000 full cycles to 80% SOH.

NCA 21700 82 kWh: the most problematic

Same NCA chemistry, but a bigger cell (21 × 70 mm). All Model 3/Y NCA packs use 21700 cells, starting with the pre-facelift cars (2017); the most problematic variant is the 82 kWh pack on the refreshed Model 3/Y LR for the US market.

The main problem is frequent module imbalance. One module starts lagging, the BMS limits power, and you are heading for a module replacement (the BMS balancer already runs constantly on its own, and it can no longer pull this back).

Pre-facelift M3/Y (2017–2020) have a known issue: the module contact "whiskers" come off.

Worldwide statistics confirm it. Per the crowd-sourced spreadsheet Tesla Battery State of Health (~4,300 Model 3/Y records): at 80k+ km, degradation above 15% shows up in 47% of Panasonic NCA packs versus 3.4% for LG and 0% for LFP; the Chinese Performance 82 kWh packs from 2021 were replaced under warranty for 31% of respondents, at a median mileage of only ~27k km. The short-run SR 55 kWh from early 2021 (Panasonic 1L) shows a median degradation of 11.9%, the worst of all SR packs in the table. The full breakdown of the numbers is in the 82 kWh imbalance article.

Repair cost (Minsk shop prices): $1,500-7,000 depending on the scope, a module or the whole pack.

Alternative: a swap to LG (NMC, ~79 kWh), more stable in the short term, but see below on the long run.

NMC 811 (LG 79 kWh): the compromise

Nickel-cobalt-manganese. Fitted to the refreshed M3/Y LR from Shanghai and Berlin (CN/EU markets) since 2021. The LG pack has gone through three cell generations over these years, so its capacity grew 75 → 79 → 85 kWh:

• 2021: "M48", ~75 kWh (the first LR batch);
• 2021-2025: "M50F", ~79 kWh (the most common one, Highland included);
• 2025-2026: "M53", ~84-85 kWh (new LGES 2170 cells at 5,300 mAh; they arrived not at the start of 2026 but in mid-to-late 2025 on the Highland/Opal, and Tesla raised the WLTP range of the Model Y LR by ~20 km);
• For the Model Y L (2026): "EF1", ~88 kWh.

Pros:

• Fewer imbalances than NCA 21700;
• Cheaper to make, so cheaper to replace.

Cons:

• Long term: per RTC data, rising internal resistance and failures of individual cells become critical around ~240k km;
• LG modules are often not worth repairing: a saving now, the risk of a major repair later.

A good "here and now" solution, especially to replace a failed NCA 82 kWh. But if you plan to keep the car 10+ years, NCA is more repairable: module-level repair is realistic, so over the long run it may turn out the better deal.

LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate): for long life

On the Model 3/Y SR from Shanghai (CN, EU), and on some cars from the Berlin factory since May 2023. Prismatic cells from CATL and BYD (Blade).

Capacity timeline (per the European tff-forum Akkuwiki):

• late 2020 (China) / 2021 (EU): CATL "LFP55", ~55 kWh (early batches software-locked to ~54);
• 2021-2024: CATL "LFP60", ~60-62 kWh;
• 2025-2026: CATL "LFPx/LMFP", 64.5 kWh (manganese-doped M3P, higher density);
• Some Model Y SR 2023-2024 use BYD Blade cells (~60 kWh).

So LFP reached the Model 3 in 2021 in Europe (at the very end of 2020 in China), and the capacity grew 55 → 60 → 64.5 kWh.

Pros:

• Three times the cycles: 3,000+ full cycles against 1,000 for NCA;
• Can be charged to 100% daily; Tesla officially recommends exactly that for BMS calibration;
• Thermally safer: practically does not catch fire;
• Stable voltage across a wide SoC range, so less capacity sag;
• Cheaper to make.

Cons:

• Less range: 280-320 km in real use against 400-480 for NCA;
• Weaker in the cold: below −10°C capacity drops by 20-30% (preconditioning helps);
• Not a good fit for long trips or mountain roads.

For everyday city driving in Brest or Minsk it is the best choice.

4680: experimental "structural" battery

Huge 46 × 80 mm cells, NMC chemistry. On the Model Y AWD Standard Range from Giga Texas since 2022 (~67 kWh; by 2026 the Texas-built Model Y SR/LR on 4680 grew to ~76 kWh). The Cybertruck uses 4680 cells only (~123 kWh, 192s7p, 1,344 cells): there are no 21700 cells in it, despite some older publications.

Tesla's idea: the cells are mounted straight into the body as a structural element, which lowers the overall weight and simplifies assembly.

Downsides (2026):

• Zero repairability: the pack is structural, so removing it means separating it from the body and taking half the car apart;
• Replacing one cell ≈ replacing the whole pack: $15,000-25,000;
• The technology is new, so long-term reliability data is scarce;
• Some 4680 problems in Texas are already on record: premature SOH drop, warranty replacements.

When choosing a used Model Y between a regular battery and a 4680, take the regular one: a 4680 is a beta test at your expense.

Model Y Premium / Standard (2026): "Dual Motor" ≠ 4680

In early 2026 Tesla reshuffled the Model Y line-up: the familiar versions gave way to Premium and Standard (non-premium). The trap is in the name, because "Dual Motor" without the Long Range suffix means a cut-down pack, not a 4680. In the VIN configs of US cars the Standard carries battery code BT55 "2170L 40P Depop Battery Pack": 2170 cells with a reduced number of parallel groups; the accompanying codes are MY06 (Standard Model Generation), HL35 (single-lens headlight), CH14 (32 A onboard charger), no HomeLink, no HEPA, no interior ambient lighting, mirrors without auto-dimming. The Premium has MY05, BT47, CH16 (48 A), MR31, AL03, AU3P (#458835, #458858, #458883, #458884).

The chat put BT55 capacity at 64-68 kWh, an inference from the configuration rather than a spec figure, so it has not been added to the tables above pending confirmation. Look at the battery code in the config: the "Dual Motor" badge no longer tells you anything about chemistry or cell format.

How to identify your battery: three methods

1. By VIN, the fastest

The model year (10th VIN character) + the factory (first 3 characters: 5YJ/7SA = US, LRW = Shanghai, XP7 = Berlin) identify the type:

• 5YJ3 + 2018-2020 → NCA 21700 (M3 US)
• 5YJ3 + 2021-2023 → NCA 21700: LR/Performance (M3 refresh US, the problematic 82 kWh) plus the short run of SR 55 kWh from early 2021 on Panasonic 1L, the same problematic chemistry; US RWD from late 2021 is LFP CATL
• LRW3 + 2021+ → NMC (LG) or LFP (M3 CN, more reliable). The exception is Long Range and Performance from late 2020 to 2021 (Performance also in 2022): these could get Panasonic too, including the problematic 82 kWh; Akkuwiki calls this period the "battery lottery"
• 7SA + 11th character A (Austin) + 2022+ → 4680 (Model Y AWD Standard Range only). ⚠️ On the 2026 Model Y with the new Premium/Standard classification this rule no longer holds; see the "Dual Motor" ≠ 4680 box above

About LFP in the US. The rule "7th VIN letter F = LFP" only works for Chinese cars: Fremont puts E on everything, so an American LFP cannot be spotted by the letter. Tesla's service manual says the same: F (LFP) in the 7th position exists only for Shanghai, while Fremont's E simply means "electric". The working clues for a US Model 3 2024 are the absence of the Long Range label on the screen and the curb weight: 2165 kg for LR RWD NMC, 2184 kg for RWD LFP, 2247 kg for LR DM NMC, 2256 kg for Performance NMC (#453449, #453453, #453457, #453465). American LFP cars do exist, both Model 3 and Model Y, but LFP has not been fitted in the US since roughly mid-2024: tariffs on Chinese cells and the loss of the $7,500 credit (#458884).

The 11th VIN character is the assembly plant. Per Tesla's service manual: F Fremont (California), A Austin (Texas), C Shanghai, B Berlin (Model Y manual). The first three characters do not separate the US plants: from model year 2022 a Model Y VIN starts with 7SA whether the car was built in Fremont or Austin (the Model X also uses 7SA, the Cybertruck 7G2), while the Fremont-built Model 3 and Model S kept 5YJ. Only the 11th character tells a Texas Model Y from a California one. The plant does not name the chemistry by itself (Austin built both 4680 and regular 2170 cars, Shanghai used LG, Panasonic and CATL cells), but it narrows the search: A + 2022-2023 + all-wheel drive without Long Range is a reason to check the car for a 4680 (#175499). A link to this manual page helped in the chat when the paperwork required proof that a car was built in Fremont (#234996, #235001).

A summary of chemistries by model and year: findmyelectric.com. It does not decode VINs and says itself that Tesla offers no public battery lookup by VIN; the exact pack for a VIN is visible in a Tesla service account, which few people have (#253967). It does describe two quick checks in the car: nickel packs (NCA/NMC) show Daily and Trip marks on the charge-limit slider, while an LFP car recommends charging to 100% (#45670); the battery type is also listed under Controls → Software → Additional Vehicle Information (#45671, #45673).

2. Via Service Mode

1. MCU: Controls → Software → press and hold the model name for ~2 seconds → enter access code "service";
2. Open the Battery or HV Battery section;
3. The module configuration and cell type appear under Configuration.

3. By marking on the HV pack cover

The most reliable method, but the floor trim has to come off. A shop does it in 30 minutes.

Related articles

• Tesla battery errors (BMS): Service Mode codes decoded: what each code means, who it affects, repair cost
• Module imbalance on 82 kWh Panasonic (NCA 21700): the main problem of the US M3/Y refresh
• Moisture ingress in 85 kWh S/X via valves: for older NCA 18650
• Refresh S/X (2021+) battery valves: for Palladium packs
• 4680 problems in Texas
• Tesla Model 3/Y LFP 60–64 kWh (CATL/BYD): everything about the LFP packs
• Model 3/Y 79 kWh LG: the most common LG pack
• Scan My Tesla: how to see the real capacity, buffer and imbalance
• 12V battery brick: a separate issue, don't confuse it with HV

Links

• What Kind of Battery Does My Tesla Have? (FindMyElectric): https://www.findmyelectric.com/blog/what-kind-of-battery-does-my-tesla-have/
• Comparison Tesla Batteries: NCA, NMC & LFP (Shop4Tesla): https://www.shop4tesla.com/en/pages/tesla-unterschiede-der-batterie
• Tesla Plaid Battery Teardown (Lean Design): https://leandesign.com/tesla-plaid-battery-teardown/
• Tesla Model 3 LFP Battery Pack (InsideEVs): https://insideevs.com/news/542064/tesla-model3-lfp-battery-pack/
• Akkuwiki, Model 3 / Y / S / X / CT (tff-forum): https://tff-forum.de/t/wiki-akkuwiki-model-3-y-s-x-ct/107641
• Tesla's hacked BMS exposes the real usable capacity of its battery packs (Electrek, 2016): https://electrek.co/2016/12/14/tesla-battery-capacity/
• Teardown of new 100 kWh Tesla battery pack (Electrek, 2017): https://electrek.co/2017/01/24/tesla-teardown-100-kwh-battery-pack/
• Tesla 85 kWh battery pack teardown (Electrek, 2016): https://electrek.co/2016/02/03/tesla-battery-tear-down-85-kwh/
• Model Y Service Manual, Vehicle Identification Number (Tesla): https://service.tesla.com/docs/ModelY/ServiceManual/en-us/GUID-0C797294-574D-4EE4-8017-C339A7D58411.html

Community experience TESLA Belarus

From the TESLA owner's group BELARUS chat: analysis of 400 000 messages.

Who reported the issue: Vitali K, Shark Dark, Viktor

Who found the fix: Zverski, Alex Bor, SΞDΞK, Dzianis Balyka

Discussion in Telegram: #298551, #403809, #318579