Tab-less looks amazing. I would surmise that 2170 was optimal for the old tabbed design. But 4680 is optimal for the tab-less design.
4680 is no different from soda can lights. I demand a remake of Courui D01
I’d take a 20Ah 210A 4680. Actually, I would prefer a 25Ah 60A , but not by much. That’s a lot of runtime for moonlight mode.
By my crude measurements, the q8 battery compartment is a little too narrow, and, obviously, too short for a 4680. And I, for one, welcome our new soda can light overlords.
I am less then an hour from the TESLA factory, I got to go visit! My cousin has already been and he said there are no words to describe just how big it is. I personally think there would be a big market for the new cell in flashlights. Could you imagine the runtimes! Yeah, everything would have to be reconfigured but that’s future technology and I am ready 
Yeah, I’ll take a duel cell single emitter flashlight please, running a 1000 or whatever lumens till the cows come home 5 times the energy with 6 times the power!! 
They said a lot of impressive stuff, but the 5x, 6x isn’t one of them. The volume increase is probably about 5x to 6x.
46mm diameter seems too big even for a soda can light. Usually when they advertise 5x capacity, it is likely 4x capacity in reality and if that is the case, this is not a break through at all.
Unless my quick calculation is wrong, 4x18650 has ~51 mm or more (depending on the maximum supported cell diameter). 46mm is great for soda can lights.
Is this cell ever gonna be available outside tesla ? It seems it’s paired with their own technology and plan to integrate and ramp up battery production in house, and Tesla is already limited in prodcution by the amount of batteries they can buy so i don’t see them making it available to retaillers.
Will Panasonic or Catl ever produce a dry electrode tabless 4680 or even a 4680 remains to be seen.
The volume increases by 5,48, the capacity only by 5. So the main improvement might be in how these can be stacked together Or maybe the capacity is larger at high/low discharge rates?
Should be sqrt(2*18^2)+18, about 44 mm.
I stand corrected.
So it’s larger than 4x18650 but only marginally and carrier-based designs are larger still.
Without play :
3×18650 : 38.8mm
4×18650 : 43.5mm
3×21700 : 45.4mm
4×21700 : 50.7mm
2 Thanks
Yeah, good replacement for 4x18650.
The MF01 tube has 45mm inner diameter, otherwise in length it would have fit inside, too bad it could have been a good host to mod this in.
46mm is only slightly bigger than the interior of a Q8.
And if it really is (and I realize that’s a big if) 5x the capacity, it’s smaller than 4x21700 for 5x the capacity. Maybe not a revolution, but, it sounds like a good evolution. Based on what they said, it’s possible the real breakthrough they’re hoping for is in price, especially once production ramps up. I wouldn’t complain about that, either, if it trickles down to us.
It looks like the most common 21700 used by Tesla today is a 48G 4800 mah 9.6A. So, 24 Ah, 57.6 A max current is the target.
New and exciting indeed… However i’m wondering how practical those cells will be for flashlights. Only big and chunky lights may take advantage of them and they’ll weight quite a bit.
Another issue i see is handling those big and heavy cells. Just dropping one on a hard floor may damage it and create a situation. A fully charged 48600 may be used as a grenade then… 
We’re gonna need a bigger charger too!
Yeah…it’s close to my thoughts as well.
4*18650 lights often went for compromises to increase safety, largely related to users putting different cells in different orientation.
Convoy invented a protection disc that increased flashlight length and weight for a little bit more safety.
A number of makers made use of battery carriers which increased weight, length and diameter for another bit of safety.
Volume of a carrier is going to be similar to that of a 46800 cell so these are really close in size while 46800 offers so much more energy than high-capacity 4*18650 with IR that bests high-current 4*18650. If it doesn’t deliver 60A continuous and 100A for 20 seconds I’ll be disappointed.
46800 is safer in that it does’t have the risk of some cells being inserted with correct polarity and others reversed.
At the same time there’s so much energy inside…and due to low IR this can generate so much power….that any damage or short related hazards are going to be much larger.
Maybe not larger than with 8*21700 lights that are out there but still…