Oct 3 (Reuters) - Tesla plans to design four

new versions of its in-house battery to power the Cybertruck,

its forthcoming robotaxi and other electric vehicles, the

Information reported on Thursday, citing people with knowledge

of its plans.

The Elon Musk-led firm currently sources most of its EV

batteries from other companies, including Panasonic Energy and

LG Energy but has been trying to ramp up production

of its 4680 battery cells in the United States to lower costs

and boost margins.

The development of the 4680 battery has been facing

troubles, with the company losing 70% to 80% of the cathodes in

test production compared with conventional battery makers, which

lose fewer than 2% of their components to manufacturing defects,

the report said.

Cathodes, a key part of the battery, helps in creating

energy that propels an EV.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for

comment.

The company has also been trying to scale production of

dry-coated version of the 4680 cells but has been struggling

with the speed at which they can make the batteries, Reuters had

reported last year.

Tesla is planning to introduce the dry cathodes in

Cybertruck batteries by the middle of next year, the Information

report said, adding that the company plans to make between 2,000

and 3,000 Cybertrucks a week using the dry-coating technology.

By 2026, Tesla plans to introduce four versions of the 4680

that use the dry cathode, one of which, code-named NC05, will

power the robotaxi, according to the report.

The EV maker is expected to unveil its long-awaited robotaxi

product next week as it looks to shift its focus to AI-powered

autonomous technology amid slowing demand for battery-powered

cars.