A Tesla charging station is pictured during the media day for the Shanghai auto show in Shanghai, China April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo Ju

Analysis: Tesla's plans for batteries, China scrutinized as Musk drops features

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2021-07-26 12:00:06

A Tesla charging station is pictured during the media day for the Shanghai auto show in Shanghai, China April 16, 2019. REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo

July 26 (Reuters) - Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) has weathered the pandemic and supply chain crisis better than many of its rivals, achieving record deliveries last quarter. But Chief Executive Elon Musk faces pressure to deliver on breakthrough batteries and new factories and models, which are late.

Those questions, demand in China and the financial effect of a Bitcoin sell-off will be high on investors' minds when the electric vehicle company publishes results Monday.

Last September, Musk announced an ambitious plan to produce its own battery cells with a new design and manufacturing process.

The larger, simpler-to-make batteries, in theory would have higher energy density and would extend ranges of current vehicles and let Tesla offer a $25,000 car in three years, sharpening its technology edge as rivals flood the market with EVs.

But Musk last month pushed back the debut of 4680s by cancelling the longest-range Model S Plaid+, which he had said would use the cells, sparking concern. He has said 4680s would go into volume production next year and would be used in the Model Y from the Texas factory under construction.