Tesla Will Leave 'Skateboard' Behind & Move To Structural Battery Packs

Musk said the skateboard design will eventually become obsolete, but it’s going to take some time.

Tesla’s first vehicle wasn’t a ground-up electric car. In fact, the original Tesla Roadster was essentially a gas car converted to electric. As we’ve said time and time again, this isn’t the best way to do it. We’ve seen many OEMs try and fail. Tesla quickly realized and moved to making a platform designed specifically for EVs.

The Tesla Model S employed a “skateboard” design concept. As you can see from the image above, the chassis looks like a skateboard, and the battery sits within it, below the car. This frees up cabin space and creates a balanced center of gravity. Many other automakers are now using a similar concept for their electric cars.

Based on information revealed at Tesla’s Battery Day and confirmed during the company’s Q3 2020 earnings call, there may no longer be a Tesla skateboard design in the future. This is because Tesla is planning on putting its new 4680 battery cells inside a structural pack. Basically, the car’s frame also serves as its battery pack.