What is inside the Tesla Model S Plaid battery pack
The Tesla Model S Plaid carries a 100 kWh pack built from NCA Pouch cells arranged in 16 serviceable modules at a nominal 400 V. Pack mass lands near 540 kg including the enclosure, cooling plate, contactors and BMS harness.
Because the cells are NCA Pouch, the recoverable value profile is dominated by nickel and cobalt, with lithium and copper adding a meaningful second tranche. That decides whether a retired pack is worth repurposing, refining, or both.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | NCA Pouch |
| Cell format | Laminated pouch |
| Energy / voltage | 100 kWh · 400 V |
| Modules | 16 |
| Estimated pack mass | 540 kg |
| On sale since | 2021 (Global) |
Step 1 — Removing and shipping a passenger pack
Packs are dropped on a vehicle lift using the OEM procedure and a rated battery table, then isolated at the service disconnect. Retired packs are UN 3480 or UN 3481 dangerous goods, so the pack must be below 30% state of charge and any deformation, swelling or thermal history declared before pickup.
One pack per UN-rated pallet box, strapped and restrained, with terminals capped and coolant ports sealed. Dealer and workshop returns are consolidated into full truckloads, typically eight or more packs per run.
- Pull the service disconnect and record pack voltage
- Drain or cap coolant lines before lifting
- Photograph the pack casing and any impact damage
- Keep the VIN and pack serial together on the manifest
Step 2 — Module-level state of health grading
Each of the 16 modules is tested independently — a whole-pack SOH figure hides the spread that decides second-life eligibility. We run a full capacity cycle, DC internal resistance measurement and impedance spectroscopy.
Our degradation model for the Tesla Model S Plaid shows how value falls with age. Measured results replace these estimates once the pack is on the bench.
| Service year | Modelled SOH | Grade | Residual value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 2 | 95.3% | A — BESS ready | USD 5,456 |
| Year 4 | 91% | A — BESS ready | USD 5,248 |
| Year 6 | 86.7% | A — BESS ready | USD 5,039 |
| Year 8 | 82.4% | B — Second life | USD 4,580 |
| Year 10 | 78.1% | B — Second life | USD 4,220 |
Step 3 — What you actually recover
For modules routed to refining, a pack of this size and chemistry typically yields about 10.1 kg lithium, 73.7 kg nickel, 12.2 kg cobalt and 38.3 kg copper.
At 80% SOH our model sends about 47% of the pack to second life, worth USD 2,342, and credits USD 2,024 for the remainder as black mass. Avoided emissions come to roughly 3,026 kg CO2.
Field note
Step 4 — Where to send it and what paperwork you get
Tesla Model S Plaid packs are received directly at 7 intake sites in its markets, including Detroit, Michigan, Dallas, Texas, Toronto, Ontario, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. From there, modules move to the nearest grading bench and refinery.
Every consignment closes with a certificate showing quantity processed, recovery percentages achieved and downstream vendor disclosure, in the form used for EU and US producer-responsibility reporting. Fleets retiring several Tesla Model S Plaid units should book one consolidated pickup to cut per-pack cost.