Glossary

This analyst-level glossary collects key terms, acronyms, and concepts used across ElectronsX, focusing on electrification, autonomy, energy systems, and software-defined infrastructure.

4680 battery

Tesla's cylindrical lithium-ion cell format (46 mm diameter, 80 mm height) used in next-generation EV packs for higher energy density and structural integration.

5IR - Fifth Industrial Revolution

Defined here as the convergence of AI, electrification, autonomy, robotics, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing.

ADAS - Advanced Driver Assistance Systems

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems that support but do not replace the human driver, such as lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, and collision avoidance.

AI-driven

Describes a system or process where core decisions, optimization, or control are performed by artificial intelligence models rather than static logic.

AI model

A trained mathematical representation, such as a neural network, that maps inputs (data) to outputs (predictions, actions, or decisions).

AI training

The process of adjusting model parameters using data and compute so the AI model learns to perform a specific task or set of tasks.

Anode

The negative electrode in a battery cell during discharge, typically graphite or silicon-based in lithium-ion chemistries.

API - Application Programming Interface

A defined set of rules and endpoints that allow software components or services to communicate.

Autobidder

Tesla’s software platform for automated energy trading and dispatch optimization for assets such as Megapacks and Powerwalls.

Autopilot (Tesla)

Tesla’s extensive driver assistance suite; currently requires active human supervision.

Autonomy

The ability of a system such as a vehicle or robot to sense, decide, and act with minimal human intervention.

Automower

An autonomous electric lawn mower that uses sensors and navigation to maintain grounds without a human operator.

AV — Autonomous Vehicle

A vehicle equipped with sensors, compute, and software to handle driving tasks automatically, from partial to full autonomy.

BESS — Battery Energy Storage System

A grid-connected or behind-the-meter system that stores electrical energy in batteries for later use.

Bidirectional charging

Charging architecture that allows power to flow both into and out of the vehicle battery, enabling V2G or V2H functionality.

BMS — Battery Management System

Electronics and software that monitor and control battery health, safety, charge, and discharge.

CAM - Cathode Active Materials

Chemically-active materials used in the cathode of a battery, such as NMC or LFP, that store and release lithium ions.

CAN bus

Controller Area Network bus, a robust vehicle networking standard used to connect ECUs and sensors in automotive and industrial systems.

Cathode

The positive electrode in a battery cell during discharge, often made from layered oxides or phosphates in lithium-ion batteries.

CCS — Charging Convenience Score

A composite metric used in ElectronsX to quantify how easy, fast, and practical it is to charge a given EV in real-world conditions.

CCS1

Combined Charging System Type 1 connector, used primarily in North America for AC and DC fast charging.

CCS2

Combined Charging System Type 2 connector, used mainly in Europe and other regions for AC and DC fast charging.

CHAdeMO

A fast-charging standard developed in Japan for DC charging, now largely superseded by newer connector systems.

Charge curve

The profile of charging power versus state of charge for a battery or EV, showing how fast it can charge across the SOC range.

Charge window

The SOC or voltage range within which a battery is typically charged or discharged to balance longevity and usable capacity.

CHP — Combined Heat and Power

Energy systems that simultaneously produce electricity and useful heat from a single fuel source.

CNG - Compressed Natural Gas

A fossil fuel used as an alternative to gasoline or diesel in some vehicles and industrial applications.

Converter

Power electronics that convert electrical energy from one voltage or current form to another, such as DC-DC converters.

Cortex

Tesla’s high-performance AI training compute cluster used to train autonomy and perception models.

Critical materials

Materials considered essential for energy, mobility, or technology systems and subject to supply, geopolitical, or ESG risk.

CTM — Cell-to-Module

A battery-pack design approach where individual cells are integrated directly into modules, reducing parts and improving energy density.

CTP — Cell-to-Pack

A battery-pack design that eliminates conventional modules and integrates cells directly into the pack structure.

CyberCab

Tesla’s planned purpose-built robotaxi vehicle designed for fully autonomous, high-utilization fleet operations.

Cyber-Physical Security

Security practices that protect systems where digital control interacts directly with physical infrastructure, such as EVs, grids, and robots.

DAX — Autonomy Readiness Index

An ElectronsX metric that scores how prepared a vehicle or platform is for higher levels of autonomy based on sensors, compute, and architecture.

DCFC

DC Fast Charging, high-power charging that bypasses the onboard charger to deliver DC power directly to the battery.

DCU

Domain Control Unit, a compute node that manages a functional domain such as powertrain, body, or ADAS in modern vehicle E/E architectures.

DER — Distributed Energy Resources

Decentralized energy resources such as solar, batteries, and small generators connected at or near the distribution level.

DERM — Distributed Energy Resource Management

Software and control platforms that coordinate and optimize fleets of distributed energy resources.

Digital Twin

A virtual model of a physical system, continuously synchronized with live data to support analysis, forecasting, and control.

Domain controller

A high-performance ECU that consolidates control for a functional domain, reducing ECU count and wiring complexity.

E/E — Electrical/Electronic Architecture

The combined electrical and electronic design of a vehicle or system, including power distribution and networks.

EAF — Electric Arc Furnace

An electric furnace used to melt scrap steel or direct-reduced iron, critical for lower-carbon steel production.

ECU - Electronic Control Unit

A dedicated microcontroller-based module managing a specific function such as braking or airbags.

EAY — Energy Autonomy Yard

A highly electrified site where vehicles, robots, and infrastructure operate using local generation and storage with minimal grid dependence.

Edge Compute

Compute resources located close to the devices or systems they serve, used for low-latency processing and control.

Electrification

The process of replacing fossil-fuel-based systems with electric alternatives powered by clean or cleaner energy sources.

Electrolyte

The medium in a battery that allows ions to move between anode and cathode during charge and discharge.

EMS — Energy Management System

Software and controls that monitor and optimize energy flows in buildings, microgrids, or industrial sites.

Energy Autonomy

The capability of a site, fleet, or system to operate primarily from local energy resources and storage without relying on continuous grid supply.

EOL — End of Life

The point at which a component, such as a battery or product, is no longer suitable for its original use and must be retired, repurposed, or recycled.

ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning

Integrated software systems that manage core business processes such as finance, supply chain, and operations.

ESS — Energy Storage System

A system that stores energy, usually electrical, in batteries or other media, for later dispatch.

EVSE - Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment

The infrastructure that delivers AC or DC power to an EV for charging.

eVTOL

Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft, typically used for urban air mobility or short-haul transport.

FEC — Fleet Energy Corridor

A corridor of high-power charging and energy infrastructure optimized for long-range fleet operations.

FED — Fleet Energy Depot

An integrated site providing fleet charging, energy storage, and often microgrid and compute capabilities for EV fleets.

FMS — Fleet Management System

Software that oversees fleet operations including routing, maintenance, telematics, and utilization.

FSD Supervised

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving mode that automates driving tasks but requires an attentive human driver as backup.

FSD Unsupervised

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving where no human supervision is required for many or all routes within an operational design domain.

FUS — Fleet Utility Score

An ElectronsX metric that measures how useful a vehicle is for fleet work based on capacity, range, charging, and operational fit.

GaN - Gallium Nitride

a wide-bandgap semiconductor used in high-efficiency, high-frequency power electronics.

GB/T

China’s national standard for EV charging connectors and communication protocols.

Gigafactory

A very large-scale manufacturing facility, often for batteries, EVs, or both, designed for high throughput and vertical integration.

GRC — Governance, Risk, Compliance

Frameworks and systems that manage organizational governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance.

Green hydrogen

Hydrogen produced using renewable electricity, typically via water electrolysis, with minimal direct emissions.

GOES — Grain-Oriented Electrical Steel

Specialized steel used in transformers and other electrical equipment to reduce core losses.

GPU - Graphics Processing Unit

A highly parallel processor widely used for AI training and inference workloads.

Grid edge

The region of the power system close to end users where distributed resources, EVs, and microgrids connect.

Grid services

Ancillary services such as frequency regulation, voltage support, and reserves that keep the power system stable.

Hardening (security)

Strengthening systems against cyber and physical attacks through design, configuration, and monitoring.

HVDC - High-Voltage Direct Current

Transmission used for efficient long-distance power transfer and interconnections.

Hydrometallurgy

A set of processes that use aqueous chemistry to extract metals from ores, concentrates, or recycled materials.

HMI — Human-Machine Interface

The interface through which humans interact with machines, vehicles, or control systems.

Humanoid

A bipedal robot with human-like form factor designed to operate in environments and use tools built for humans.

Hybrid microgrid

A microgrid that integrates multiple generation sources such as solar, batteries, and diesel or gas gensets.

IoT - Internet of Things

Interconnected devices with sensors and connectivity that collect and exchange data.

Inference compute

Compute resources dedicated to running trained AI models in production to make real-time predictions or decisions.

Inverter

Power electronics that convert DC electricity to AC or vice versa, crucial in EVs, solar, and grid systems.

Islanded microgrid

A microgrid operating independently from the main grid, often during outages or by design.

LCA — Lifecycle Analysis

Assessment of environmental impacts of a product or system from raw materials through end-of-life.

LCOE — Levelized Cost of Energy

A metric that spreads total lifetime costs of an energy asset over its total energy output.

LFP - Lithium Iron Phosphate

Battery chemistry known for safety, long life, and lower cost, with somewhat lower energy density.

LiDAR - Light Detection and Ranging

Sensor that measures distance using laser pulses, widely used in autonomy.

LIN - Local Interconnect Network

A low-cost automotive communication protocol used for simple devices and subsystems.

LLM - Large Language Model

A type of AI model trained on large text corpora for language understanding and generation.

LMFP - Lithium Manganese Iron Phosphate

Battery chemistry combining LFP stability with higher energy density.

LNG - Liquefied Natural Gas

Natural gas cooled to liquid form for transport and storage.

Load forecasting

Predicting future power demand using historical data, weather, and behavioral patterns.

Localization

The process by which an autonomous system determines its precise position and orientation in an environment.

LVDC - Low-Voltage Direct Current

Distribution used in some buildings, vehicles, and microgrids.

MCS — Megawatt Charging System

An emerging standard for very high-power EV charging, primarily for trucks and heavy-duty vehicles.

MCU - Microcontroller Unit

A compact integrated circuit designed for control-oriented tasks in ECUs and devices.

Megablock

Tesla’s large-scale Megapack-based energy system configuration for grid and industrial sites. Consists of 4 Megapacks, transformer, and underside bus, all in a single transportable unit.

Megapack

Tesla’s utility-scale battery storage product for grid and large commercial applications.

MES — Manufacturing Execution System

Software that manages, monitors, and tracks production processes on the factory floor.

Microgrid

A localized energy system with generation, storage, and loads that can operate connected to or independent from the main grid.

Multi-modal

Refers to AI or systems that process and integrate multiple data types such as text, images, audio, and sensor streams.

MVDC - Medium-Voltage Direct Current

Systems used for efficient power distribution in certain industrial or data center applications.

NACS - North American Charging Standard

Tesla-originated connector now being adopted by many automakers in North America.

NMC - Nickel Manganese Cobalt

Battery chemistry offering high energy density and widely used in EVs.

NVIDIA Drive

NVIDIA’s hardware and software platform for automotive compute and autonomous driving applications.

OBC — Onboard Charger

The AC-to-DC converter inside an EV that manages AC charging from the grid.

OTA — Over the Air

Remote software updates delivered wirelessly to vehicles, devices, or infrastructure.

Path planning

The process of computing a safe and efficient route or trajectory for an autonomous system.

PLC - Programmable Logic Controller

An industrial digital computer used for automation of electromechanical processes.

PLM — Product Lifecycle Management

Systems and processes used to manage a product’s data and workflow from concept through end-of-life.

Polysilicon

High-purity silicon used as the base material for most photovoltaic solar cells.

Power electronics

Electronic devices and circuits that control and convert electric power, including inverters and converters.

Powerwall

Tesla’s residential and small commercial battery storage product.

PPA — Power Purchase Agreement

A contract in which a power buyer agrees to purchase electricity from a generator at agreed terms.

Predictive maintenance

Using data and analytics to predict when equipment will fail so maintenance can be performed just in time.

Preventative maintenance

Scheduled maintenance carried out at set intervals to reduce the likelihood of equipment failure.

PV — Photovoltaics

Solar power technology that converts sunlight directly into electricity using semiconductor materials.

Pyrometallurgy

Metal extraction and refining processes that use high temperatures, such as smelting.

QMS — Quality Management System

Formalized systems documenting processes, procedures, and responsibilities for achieving quality policies and objectives.

Quadruped

A four-legged robot designed for stability and mobility in complex terrain.

REE — Rare Earth Elements

A group of 17 elements used in high-performance magnets, motors, and other advanced technologies.

Regeneration

The process by which an EV recovers energy during braking or deceleration and stores it back in the battery.

Reshoring

Bringing manufacturing and supply chain activities back to a company’s home country or region.

Resilience

The ability of a system, such as a grid or fleet, to withstand, adapt to, and recover from disruptions.

Robotaxi

A fully autonomous vehicle used as a taxi service without a human driver.

Route optimization

The process of computing the most efficient routes for vehicles given constraints such as time, energy, and load.

SAE Level

The SAE-defined levels (0–5) describing degrees of driving automation from no automation to full autonomy.

SCADA - Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition

A system for monitoring and controlling industrial processes and infrastructure.

SCM — Supply Chain Management

The management of the flow of goods, data, and finances across the supply chain.

Scope 1 emissions

Direct greenhouse gas emissions from sources owned or controlled by an organization.

Scope 2 emissions

Indirect greenhouse gas emissions from the generation of purchased electricity, steam, heating, and cooling.

Scope 3 emissions

All other indirect greenhouse gas emissions occurring in the value chain of the reporting company.

SDE — Software-Defined Energy

An architecture where energy assets and flows are orchestrated through software, APIs, and digital control layers.

SDI — Software-Defined Infrastructure

An approach where physical infrastructure is abstracted and managed via software-defined control planes.

SDIO — Software-Defined Industrial Operations

Industrial operations controlled through software-defined layers bridging PLC, SCADA, MES, and ERP.

SDR — Software-Defined Robotics

Robotic systems whose capabilities and behaviors can be extensively modified and extended via software updates.

SDV — Software-Defined Vehicle

A vehicle platform where core functions and features are controlled and updated through software rather than fixed hardware.

SDS — Software-Defined Systems

The broader class of systems whose behavior and configuration are governed primarily through software abstraction.

SDx — Software-Defined Everything

The unifying concept covering software-defined vehicles, robots, energy, infrastructure, and industrial operations.

Sensor fusion

The process of combining data from multiple sensors to produce more accurate or robust information than any single sensor alone.

SiC - Silicon Carbide

A wide-bandgap semiconductor material used in high-efficiency, high-voltage power electronics.

Skateboard platform

An EV chassis layout where battery and drive components are packaged in a flat, structural floor, enabling flexible body designs.

SLAM - Simultaneous Localization and Mapping

A technique used by robots and vehicles to build a map while tracking their own position.

Smart switchgear

Digitally controllable switchgear with sensing, communication, and automation capabilities.

SoC — System-on-Chip

An integrated circuit that consolidates CPU, GPU, memory, and other components on a single chip.

SOC — State of Charge

The remaining energy in a battery expressed as a percentage of its usable capacity.

Solid-state battery (SS)

Battery technology that uses solid electrolytes instead of liquid, targeting higher safety and energy density.

SSCB — Solid-State Circuit Breaker

A circuit breaker using power semiconductors instead of mechanical contacts for fast, precise protection.

SST — Solid-State Transformer

A transformer based on power electronics rather than traditional iron-core, enabling more flexible and controllable power flows.

Structural battery pack

A battery pack that serves as a load-bearing structural element in a vehicle, reducing weight and parts count.

Supercharger network

Tesla’s global DC fast-charging network for EVs, increasingly opening to non-Tesla vehicles.

TCO — Total Cost of Ownership

The full cost of owning and operating an asset over its useful life, including purchase, energy, maintenance, and residual value.

Telematics

Telecommunications and informatics systems that collect and transmit vehicle data such as location, usage, and diagnostics.

Telemetry

The automated collection and transmission of data from remote systems to a central system for monitoring and analysis.

Tesla Optimus

Tesla’s humanoid robot platform designed for general-purpose industrial and logistical tasks.

Tesla Vision

Tesla’s camera-only perception system for autopilot and FSD, without active sensors like radar.

TMS — Thermal Management System

Systems and components that regulate the temperature of batteries, power electronics, and cabins in EVs.

TSN — Time-Sensitive Networking

Networking standards that provide deterministic, low-latency communication over Ethernet for real-time control.

UAV — Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

An aircraft without a human pilot onboard, commonly known as a drone.

USV — Unmanned Surface Vehicle

An unmanned vessel that operates on the water surface for tasks such as surveying or security.

UUV — Unmanned Underwater Vehicle

An unmanned vehicle that operates below the water surface, including remotely operated and autonomous variants.

V2G — Vehicle-to-Grid

The use of EV batteries to export power back to the grid when needed.

V2H — Vehicle-to-Home

The use of an EV to supply electricity to a home during outages or for load shifting.

V2L — Vehicle-to-Load

The use of an EV battery to power external devices directly from the vehicle.

V2V — Vehicle-to-Vehicle

Communication or energy transfer between vehicles, typically for safety or coordination.

V2X — Vehicle-to-Everything

A broad term for vehicle communication with other vehicles, infrastructure, and devices.

Yard Autonomy

The use of autonomous vehicles, robots, and systems to move goods and assets within depots, terminals, or industrial yards.

Yard Robotics

Robots designed to operate in yards, depots, ports, and similar environments for logistics and handling tasks.

Zero-Trust Edge

Security model at the edge where no device, user, or workload is inherently trusted, and verification is continuous.

Zonal controller

A controller in a zonal E/E architecture managing multiple functions within a physical zone of the vehicle.