Which electric car was the first production model to use Tesla’s 2170 battery cell?

The Tesla Model 3 was the first production model to use Tesla’s 2170 battery cell.

Tesla developed the 2170 cylindrical cell with Panasonic for the Model 3 program. Its name refers approximately to its dimensions: 21 millimetres in diameter and 70 millimetres in height. The cell was larger than the 18650 cells used in earlier Tesla vehicles, allowing a greater energy capacity per cell and potentially reducing the number of cells and interconnections needed in a battery pack.

Tesla began Model 3 deliveries in July 2017. Initial cars were assembled at Tesla’s Fremont factory, while battery cells were produced at Gigafactory 1 in Nevada. The manufacturing program was important because Tesla positioned the Model 3 as a lower-priced, higher-volume car than the Model S and Model X.

The Model Y later used 2170 cells in many versions, but it was not the first production Tesla to introduce them. Cell chemistry, pack design and manufacturing location can vary by vehicle version, so “2170” identifies the cell format rather than one universal battery chemistry.