Gigafactory Texas Explained

Gigafactory Texas
Built:2020‒2022
Location:13101 Tesla Road
Austin, Texas
United States
Coordinates:30.2209°N -97.6186°W
Industry:Automotive
Products:
Employees:20,000 (2023)[1]
Area:Floor area:
Land:
Owner:Tesla, Inc.

Gigafactory Texas (also known as Giga Texas, Giga Austin, or Gigafactory 5) is an automotive manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas built by Tesla, Inc. Construction began in July 2020,[2] limited production of Model Y began before the end of 2021,[3] [4] and initial deliveries of vehicles built at the factory took place at an opening party called “Cyber Rodeo” on April 7, 2022.[5]

The factory produces Model Y cars for the Eastern United States and is also planned to be the main factory for the Cybertruck and the company's next-generation vehicle.[6] [7] [8] It also serves as the site of Tesla's corporate headquarters.[9] Tesla employs over 20,000 people at the factory and expects to eventually have a staff of 60,000 as production ramps up. It is the country's second biggest factory by size as well as the second-largest building by volume in the world after the Boeing Everett Factory.[10]

History

Selection process

Tesla had been considering locations across eight states in the central United States during 2019‒2020.

Community groups and government officials in several areas of the US expressed interest in hosting what was expected to be a very large Tesla Gigafactory manufacturing facility.[11] Some expressing interest in facilitating land procurement, getting over the regulatory obstacles, and considering potential tax incentives.[12] Some used social media marketing aiming to reach Elon Musk directly.[13] [14]

By May 2020, a selection process was underway by Tesla. The short list included Austin, Nashville (Tennessee) and Tulsa (Oklahoma). Two locations in the vicinity of Tulsa had been viewed by Tesla by mid-May. The Tulsa campaign was promoted by G. T. Bynum, the mayor of Tulsa. In May 2020 Bynum discussed the suitability of "Green Country" (Northeastern Oklahoma) and distributed a photomontage of the Cybertruck in Tulsa Police Department livery, with a suggestion of local purchasing, if the Gigafactory were to be situated near Tulsa. On May 20, 2020, wrap advertising was applied to the Golden Driller statue located at the Tulsa Expo Center to create a caricature of Elon Musk, with the word "Tulsa" on statue's belt buckle replaced by the "Tesla" name. In July 2020, Tesla selected Austin as the site.[15]

Austin

In 2014, Tesla evaluated a 1500adj=onNaNadj=on manufacturing site on U.S. Route 79 at Frame Switch (30.54°N -97.5°W), located between the towns of Hutto and Taylor, north-east of the Greater Austin center as its next factory. However, Tesla chose to build its first Gigafactory (now named Gigafactory Nevada) near Sparks, Nevada in 2014.

By June 2020, a different location near the Del Valle area of Austin was being considered, a 2100acres site bordering Harold Green Road (later renamed Tesla Road) and Texas State Highway 130. On June 16, 2020, the Commissioners' court of Travis County discussed a possible incentives package for Tesla. In July 2020, the Del Valle Independent School District approved a tax incentives package worth $68 million, should the Tesla Gigafactory be built. On July 22, 2020, during Tesla's second quarter 2020 earnings call, the company announced that location had been selected for its fifth Gigafactory.

By the end of July 2020, construction had begun. The Tesla Gigafactory received state tax incentives worth about $50 million through the Texas Tax Code Chapter 313 program.[16] Tesla announced a manufacturing training program in cooperation with Austin Community College District on June 15, 2021.[17] [18] [19] The program was expected to start in August 2021 and the course was to last 14 weeks.[20]

The first fully completed Tesla Model Y rolled off the line at Giga Texas in the last week of August 2021 under trial production.[21] In December 2021, Elon Musk estimated that Giga Texas will require a total investment of at least $10B and may employ as many as 20,000 employees within the company.[22]

In early 2022 Tesla battery suppliers CATL and Panasonic were reportedly scouting sites for battery factories in North America, including Kansas, Oklahoma, Mexico and Canada.[23] [24] Panasonic announced in July 2022 that the company selected in De Soto, Kansas (at the former Sunflower Army Ammunition Plant) to build a battery factory. Large subsidies and abatements were granted to Panasonic, organized by Governor Laura Kelly.

Equipment

Die casting

During the night of January 18/19, 2021, concrete foundations for three Giga Press high-press die-casting machines were poured at the north-east corner Giga Texas factory location.[25] [26]

On January 21, 2021, the first Giga Press components started to arrive on site in crates and shipping containers.[27] [28] On January 22, 2021, the base frame of the first Giga Press was unboxed and craned into position.[29]

Ramp-up

Some time in late June 2022, Gigafactory Texas reached a run rate of 1,000 units a week.[30]

On December 15, 2022, Gigafactory Texas reached a run rate of 3,000 units a week.[31]

See also

External links

Youtube update channels

Notes and References

  1. News: Hardison . Kathryn . September 20, 2023 . 60K Tesla workers in Austin? That's the plan . Austin Business Journal . September 25, 2023 .
  2. Web site: Lambert . Fred . July 25, 2020 . Watch Tesla start construction work at Gigafactory Texas in drone video . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210309232909/https://electrek.co/2020/07/25/tesla-starts-construction-gigafactory-texas-drone-video/ . March 9, 2021 . August 24, 2020 . Electrek . en-US.
  3. News: Gastelu . Gary . July 23, 2020 . The Tesla Cybertruck will be built in Texas and is getting an interplanetary update . . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210415150355/https://www.foxnews.com/auto/tesla-cybertruck-texas-interplanetary-update . April 15, 2021.
  4. 1382876290663927808 . elonmusk . @Model3Owners Limited production of Model Y this year, high volume next year . Elon . Musk . Elon Musk . April 15, 2021 . July 27, 2021 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20210721190229/https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1382876290663927808 . July 21, 2021 . live.
  5. Web site: Lee-Jones . Sarah . April 6, 2022 . First Texas-Made Tesla Model Y Deliveries to Take Place at Cyber Rodeo . April 7, 2022.
  6. News: Bursztynsky . Jessica . July 22, 2020 . Tesla will build its next Gigafactory near Austin, Texas . CNBC . Business News and Finance . live . July 26, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210323145102/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/22/tesla-will-build-its-next-gigafactory-near-austin-texas.html . March 23, 2021.
  7. Web site: Vorrath . Sophie . July 22, 2020 . Giga Texas! Austin to build Tesla's new Cybertruck and Tesla Semi . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210101213306/https://thedriven.io/2020/07/23/giga-texas-austin-revealed-as-location-for-teslas-new-us-gigafactory/ . January 1, 2021 . August 26, 2020 . The Driven . en-US.
  8. News: Isaacson . Walter . Walter Isaacson . September 8, 2023 . Exclusive excerpt from Walter Isaacson's latest book: "Elon Musk" . . September 8, 2023.
  9. News: October 8, 2021 . Tesla: Elon Musk says company headquarters will move to Texas . BBC News . live . October 8, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211008064327/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-58838874 . October 8, 2021.
  10. Web site: Ohnsman . Alan . Elon Musk Opens Tesla's 'Giga Texas' That He Says Is The Biggest U.S. Plant . April 9, 2022 . Forbes . en.
  11. Web site: Isidore . Chris . Your city may be in the running to build Elon Musk's new Cybertruck . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200830154730/https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/11/business/tesla-cybertruck-plant-location/index.html . August 30, 2020 . August 24, 2020 . CNN.
  12. Web site: GmbH . finanzen net . A small Missouri city wants Tesla to build its Cybertruck factory there — and is offering $1 billion in incentives to make it happen Markets Insider . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200610134133/https://www.businessinsider.com/joplin-missouri-pitch-musk-tesla-cybertruck-factory-1-billion-incentives-2020-4 . June 10, 2020 . August 24, 2020 . markets.businessinsider.com . en-us.
  13. News: April 29, 2020 . Wichita makes pitch for Tesla Cybertruck factory . Kansas City Business Journal . live . August 24, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210413061152/https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2020/04/29/wichita-makes-pitch-for-tesla-cybertruck-factory.html . April 13, 2021.
  14. Web site: May 15, 2020 . Tesla eyeing Austin, Tulsa for next electric vehicle assembly plant, according to reports . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200811225459/https://www.dallasnews.com/business/technology/2020/05/15/report-tesla-to-build-factory-in-austin-and-produce-model-y-vehicles-by-end-of-2020/ . August 11, 2020 . August 24, 2020 . Dallas News . en.
  15. Web site: O'Kane . Sean . July 22, 2020 . Tesla will build Cybertruck factory in Austin, Texas . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200823002907/https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/22/21334860/tesla-cybertruck-factory-austin-texas-location-model-y . August 23, 2020 . August 24, 2020 . The Verge . en.
  16. Web site: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts . June 6, 2020 . DEL VALLE ISD NO. 1496, COLORADO RIVER PROJECT, LLC Certification Packet . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210125083851/https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/local/ch313/agreement-docs-details.php?id=1496 . January 25, 2021.
  17. 1404817234183311374 . accdistrict . This. Is. Big! Austin Community College District and @Tesla team up to announce Tesla START Manufacturing at ACC. The new 14-week training program provides the skills you need for a high demand career at Tesla. Learn more > https://t.co/lWiS735ST8 #Tesla https://t.co/Aa5lpo2Q8Y . ACC District . June 15, 2021 . July 27, 2021 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185841/https://twitter.com/accdistrict/status/1404817234183311374 . July 9, 2021 . live.
  18. Web site: June 15, 2021 . Tesla launches manufacturing training program in partnership with Austin Community College . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185112/https://www.kvue.com/article/money/economy/boomtown-2040/tesla-launches-manufacturing-training-program-at-austin-community-college/269-f9dd833b-bd72-4821-9028-69cb9e51d4c9 . July 9, 2021 . July 5, 2021 . kvue.com . en-US.
  19. Web site: Tesla START Tesla . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709183643/https://www.tesla.com/careers/tesla-start . July 9, 2021 . July 5, 2021 . Tesla . en.
  20. Web site: Pruitt . Sydney . June 15, 2021 . Tesla Launches National Manufacturing Technician Program with Austin Community College District Austin Community College District . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709185621/https://www.austincc.edu/news/2021/06/tesla-launches-national-manufacturing-technician-program-austin-community-college . July 9, 2021 . July 5, 2021 . Austin Community College.
  21. Web site: Report: First Pre-Production Tesla Model Y Seen At Giga Austin . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211010184955/https://insideevs.com/news/529462/first-tesla-modely-giga-austin/ . October 10, 2021 . October 10, 2021 . InsideEVs . en.
  22. 1471556384667979777 . elonmusk . Giga Texas is a $10B+ investment over time, generating at least 20k direct & 100k indirect jobs . Elon Musk . December 16, 2021 . March 21, 2022.
  23. Web site: Coppola . Gabrielle . March 18, 2022 . Tesla Supplier CATL Weighs Sites for $5 Billion Battery Plant . March 21, 2022 . Bloomberg News.
  24. Web site: Lambert . Fred . March 4, 2022 . Panasonic is planning a large battery cell factory in the US to supply Tesla's demand, report says . March 21, 2022 . Electrek . en-US.
  25. Exceptional Weekend Progress – 2021-01-18 (5:00pm) . January 18, 2021 . Randy . offset 04:30 . Tesla Terafactory Texas Update . January 20, 2021 . YouTube . 94.
  26. Cyber Truck & Model Y Factory Construction Update (07:45AM) . January 19, 2021 . Tegtmeyer . Joe . offset 16:30 . Tesla Gigafactory Texas . Youtube.
  27. 1352410094747709441 . AustinTeslaClub . Giga Press on site at Giga Texas! . Tesla Owners of Austin . January 21, 2021.
  28. Idra Giga Press Casting Machines are at Giga Texas! . January 21, 2021 . Roberts . Jeff . offset 09:48 . Del Valle . Tesla Gigafactory Austin 4K . January 22, 2021 . Day 183.
  29. Giga Press to Impress . Texas Terafactory . offset 21:42 . Del Valle . January 23, 2021 . Youtube.
  30. Web site: Lambert . Fred . June 29, 2022 . Tesla ramps up Gigafactory Texas to thousands of units per week, adds new Model Y version . electrek.co.
  31. Web site: Giga Texas hits 3k Model Y builds/week. Congrats, Tesla team! . May 23, 2023 . Twitter . en.

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