Gigafactory Texas
Gigafactory Texas main building
Built2020‒2022
OperatedAugust 2021 (2021-08)
LocationAustin, Texas, United States
Coordinates30°13′15″N 97°37′07″W / 30.220874637587702°N 97.61864963428322°W / 30.220874637587702; -97.61864963428322 (Gigafactory Texas)
IndustryAutomotive
Products
Employees20,000 (2023)[1]
AreaFloor area: 10,000,000 sq ft (930,000 m2)[1]
Land: 3.3 sq mi (8.5 km2; 2,100 acres)
Owner(s)Tesla, Inc.
Websitetesla.com/giga-texas

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.[3][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.[1] 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.[11]

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.[12] Some expressing interest in facilitating land procurement, getting over the regulatory obstacles, and considering potential tax incentives.[13] Some used social media marketing aiming to reach Elon Musk directly.[14][15]

By May 2020, a selection process was underway by Tesla. The short list included Austin, Nashville (Tennessee) and Tulsa (Oklahoma).[16][17][18] Two locations in the vicinity of Tulsa had been viewed by Tesla by mid-May.[18] 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)[18] 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.[19] 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.[20][21] In July 2020, Tesla selected Austin as the site.[22]

Austin

In 2014, Tesla evaluated a 1,500-acre (600 ha; 2 sq mi; 6 km2) manufacturing site on U.S. Route 79 at Frame Switch (30°32′N 97°30′W / 30.54°N 97.5°W / 30.54; -97.5 (Hutto MegaSite, (Frame Switch, Texas))), located between the towns of Hutto and Taylor, north-east of the Greater Austin center as its next factory.[23][24] 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 2,100-acre (850 ha; 3.3 sq mi; 8.5 km2) site bordering Harold Green Road (later renamed Tesla Road) and Texas State Highway 130.[25] On June 16, 2020, the Commissioners' court of Travis County discussed a possible incentives package for Tesla.[26][27] In July 2020, the Del Valle Independent School District approved a tax incentives package worth $68 million, should the Tesla Gigafactory be built.[25] On July 22, 2020, during Tesla's second quarter 2020 earnings call, the company announced that location had been selected for its fifth Gigafactory.[3]

By the end of July 2020, construction had begun.[2] The Tesla Gigafactory received state tax incentives worth about $50 million through the Texas Tax Code Chapter 313 program.[28]

The first fully completed Tesla Model Y rolled off the line at Giga Texas in the last week of August 2021 under trial production.[29]

Tesla announced a manufacturing training program in cooperation with Austin Community College District on June 15, 2021.[30][31][32] The program was expected to start in August 2021 and the course was to last 14 weeks.[33]

In December 2021, Elon Musk estimated that Giga Texas will require a total investment of at least $10B and may employ as much as 20,000 employees within the company.[34] Observers have spotted production cars in and outside of the factory.[35] As of October 2023, the factory roof has 10 MW solar power.[36]

As of March 2022, Tesla battery manufacturers CATL and Panasonic are scouting sites for battery factories in the US, including Kansas, Oklahoma, Mexico and Canada.[37][38]

The State of Kansas and Panasonic announced in July 2022 that a Battery Factory location had been selected in De Soto, Kansas (at former Sunflower Army Ammunition facility). Large subsidies and abatements were granted to Panasonic, organized by Governor Laura Kelly.

Equipment

Die casting

Construction workers preparing three Giga Press foundations at the Giga Texas factory site in January 2021

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.[39][40]

On January 21, 2021, the first Giga Press components started to arrive on site in crates and shipping containers.[41][42] On January 22, 2021, the base frame of the first Giga Press was unboxed and craned into position.[43]

Ramp-up

Some time in late June 2022, Gigafactory Texas reached a run rate of 1,000 units a week.[44]

On December 15, 2022, Gigafactory Texas reached a run rate of 3,000 units a week.[45]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Hardison, Kathryn (September 20, 2023). "60K Tesla workers in Austin? That's the plan". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  2. 1 2 Lambert, Fred (July 25, 2020). "Watch Tesla start construction work at Gigafactory Texas in drone video". Electrek. Archived from the original on March 9, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Gastelu, Gary (July 23, 2020). "The Tesla Cybertruck will be built in Texas and is getting an interplanetary update". Fox News. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021.
  4. ↑ Musk, Elon [@elonmusk] (April 16, 2021). "@Model3Owners Limited production of Model Y this year, high volume next year" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 21, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  5. ↑ Lee-Jones, Sarah (April 6, 2022). "First Texas-Made Tesla Model Y Deliveries to Take Place at Cyber Rodeo". Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  6. ↑ Bursztynsky, Jessica (July 22, 2020). "Tesla will build its next Gigafactory near Austin, Texas". Business News and Finance. CNBC. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
  7. ↑ Vorrath, Sophie (July 22, 2020). "Giga Texas! Austin to build Tesla's new Cybertruck and Tesla Semi". The Driven. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  8. ↑ Isaacson, Walter (September 8, 2023). "Exclusive excerpt from Walter Isaacson's latest book: "Elon Musk"". Axios. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Tesla: Elon Musk says company headquarters will move to Texas". BBC News. October 8, 2021. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  10. ↑ Ohnsman, Alan. "Elon Musk Opens Tesla's 'Giga Texas' That He Says Is The Biggest U.S. Plant". Forbes. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  11. ↑ Hyatt, Kyle; Szymkowski, Sean (June 19, 2020). "Elon Musk says 'several' Tesla Cybertruck Gigafactory sites under consideration". Road. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020. asked if Tulsa, Oklahoma remains in the mix for a possible Tesla production site, Musk simply said the company continues to consider "several options." … looking for $68 million worth of property tax credits from a Travis County school district. … in the official documents that "eight states" were also under consideration.
  12. ↑ Isidore, Chris. "Your city may be in the running to build Elon Musk's new Cybertruck". CNN. Archived from the original on August 30, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  13. ↑ 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". markets.businessinsider.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  14. ↑ "Wichita makes pitch for Tesla Cybertruck factory". Kansas City Business Journal. April 29, 2020. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Tesla eyeing Austin, Tulsa for next electric vehicle assembly plant, according to reports". Dallas News. May 15, 2020. Archived from the original on August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  16. ↑ Korosec, Kirsten (March 11, 2020). "Tesla is eyeing Nashville for Cybertruck gigafactory". TechCrunch. Archived from the original on May 17, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020. Tesla is in talks with Nashville officials to locate a factory there that will produce its all-electric Cybertruck and Model Y crossover
  17. ↑ Krisher, Tom; Wallace, Terry (May 16, 2020). "Tesla picks Austin, Tulsa as finalists for new US factory". Associated Press. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020. Tesla has picked Austin, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma, as finalists for its new U.S. assembly plant … officials visited Tulsa … and were shown two sites. … site selection process is secret, … no final decision has been made. … new factory will be Tesla's biggest so far. … factory to be in the center of the country and closer to East Coast markets.
  18. 1 2 3 Szymkowski, Sean (May 18, 2019). "Tesla eyes Austin and Tulsa for Cybertruck production, report says". Roadshow. CNET. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020. narrowed it down to two cities to build a new US Gigafactory for Cybertruck production, and they are Austin, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma … Associated Press reported on the finalists … visited Tulsa to view two potential sites for the Gigafactory. … mayor G.T. Bynum said "…can't imagine a better place than Green Country."
  19. ↑ Szymkowski, Sean (May 18, 2020). "Tulsa mayor wants Tesla Cybertruck police vehicles, if company builds plant". Roadshow. CNET. Archived from the original on May 19, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2020. Mayor of Tulsa G.T. Bynum has a simple proposition: If Tesla builds its future Cybertruck Gigafactory in the Oklahoma city, he wants Cybertruck police vehicles … tweeted a rendering of a Cybertruck decked out in local police livery, following reports his city is a finalist among Tesla's choices. … added it would "only be right to buy local,"
  20. ↑ Mummolo, Burt (May 20, 2020). "Golden Driller transformed into Elon Musk". KTUL. Archived from the original on May 29, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020. at the Golden Driller... "Hey Kurt, we have some people who want to wrap the Driller!" That's the phone call Kurt Stenstrom of Meeks Group received over the weekend … "This is the first time the face has ever been wrapped," he said.
  21. ↑ Berg, Steve (May 20, 2020). "Golden Driller mysteriously sporting Tesla logos". KRMG-FM. Archived from the original on May 26, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2020. … workers were busy adorning the distinctive Tesla "T" on the chest of the iconic Golden Driller at the Tulsa County fairgrounds. The Tesla name also now appears on the belt buckle of the statue. … planning a news conference for
  22. ↑ O'Kane, Sean (July 22, 2020). "Tesla will build Cybertruck factory in Austin, Texas". The Verge. Archived from the original on August 23, 2020. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  23. ↑ Eichmiller, J.P. (September 3, 2014). "Hutto falls short in bid for Tesla battery factory". Community Impact. Archived from the original on May 23, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020. Hutto EDC, with the assistance of the city of Taylor, Hutto ISD , Williamson County and the state of Texas, put together an incentive package worth more than $800 million over 20 years. … cities of Hutto and Taylor had secured more than 1,000 acres of land south of the intersection of Hwy. 79 and FM 3349 to build the factory with rail access nearby. It was believed the factory would have brought approximately 6,500 jobs to the area.
  24. ↑ "Hutto MegaSite". Austin Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 17, 2020. +/- 1,486 acres … Industrial or Corporate headquarters … Access to BNSF and Union Pacific Class 1 railroads
  25. 1 2 Falcon, Russell (July 9, 2020). "Del Valle ISD approves land usage for Tesla 'Gigafactory' to be built". KXAN-TV. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2020. Del Valle Independent School District approved an incentive agreement with Tesla, … build a 4-5 million square-foot electric vehicle … Gigafactory at the intersection of State Highway 130 and Harold Green Road … 2,100 acres, … $68 million — by capping the property value for 10 years. … 5,000 jobs
  26. ↑ Klayman, Ben; Brooks, Brad (June 15, 2020). Adler, Leslie (ed.). "Tesla negotiating incentives for possible Texas vehicle assembly plant: report". Business. Reuters. Austin, Texas. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 15, 2020. negotiating possible incentives … Austin American-Statesman reported on … Travis County Commissioners Court is scheduled to discuss terms of the deal on
  27. ↑ Hawkins, Lori; Novak, Shonda (June 15, 2020). "Travis County considering Tesla incentives deal". Austin American-Statesman. Austin. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved June 16, 2020. Item 21 on Travis Commissioners Court agenda calls for the members to "Consider and take appropriate action on a project under Travis County Code Chapter 28." … Chapter 28 of the Travis County Code contains guidelines for economic development incentives. … United Auto Workers, … believes "that item 21 on the agenda is related to Tesla," … "…moratorium on economic incentives. In May, the commissioners lifted the moratorium for two months…" … will be talked about in "executive session," … UAW … sent a letter
  28. ↑ Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (June 6, 2020). "DEL VALLE ISD NO. 1496, COLORADO RIVER PROJECT, LLC Certification Packet". Archived from the original on January 25, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Report: First Pre-Production Tesla Model Y Seen At Giga Austin". InsideEVs. Archived from the original on October 10, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  30. ↑ ACC District 🦇 [@accdistrict] (June 15, 2021). "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" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 27, 2021 – via Twitter.
  31. ↑ "Tesla launches manufacturing training program in partnership with Austin Community College". kvue.com. June 15, 2021. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  32. ↑ "Tesla START | Tesla". Tesla. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  33. ↑ Pruitt, Sydney (June 15, 2021). "Tesla Launches National Manufacturing Technician Program with Austin Community College District | Austin Community College District". Austin Community College. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  34. ↑ Elon Musk [@elonmusk] (December 16, 2021). "Giga Texas is a $10B+ investment over time, generating at least 20k direct & 100k indirect jobs" (Tweet). Retrieved March 21, 2022 – via Twitter.
  35. ↑ John, Darryn (March 19, 2022). "First fully-built white Tesla Model Y spotted outside Giga Texas". Drive Tesla. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  36. ↑ Chambers, Ken (October 31, 2023). "East Austin factory would feature world's largest rooftop solar array". Austin Monitor.
  37. ↑ Coppola, Gabrielle (March 18, 2022). "Tesla Supplier CATL Weighs Sites for $5 Billion Battery Plant". Bloomberg News. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  38. ↑ Lambert, Fred (March 4, 2022). "Panasonic is planning a large battery cell factory in the US to supply Tesla's demand, report says". Electrek. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  39. ↑ Randy (January 18, 2021). Exceptional Weekend Progress – 2021-01-18 (5:00pm) (offset 04:30). Tesla Terafactory Texas Update. Retrieved January 20, 2021 – via YouTube.
  40. ↑ Tegtmeyer, Joe (January 19, 2021). Cyber Truck & Model Y Factory Construction Update (07:45AM) (offset 16:30). Tesla Gigafactory Texas – via Youtube.
  41. ↑ Tesla Owners of Austin [@AustinTeslaClub] (January 22, 2021). "Giga Press on site at Giga Texas!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  42. ↑ Roberts, Jeff (January 21, 2021). Idra Giga Press Casting Machines are at Giga Texas! (offset 09:48). Tesla Gigafactory Austin 4K. Del Valle. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  43. ↑ Texas Terafactory. Giga Press to Impress (offset 21:42). Del Valle. Retrieved January 23, 2021 – via Youtube.
  44. ↑ Lambert, Fred (June 29, 2022). "Tesla ramps up Gigafactory Texas to thousands of units per week, adds new Model Y version". electrek.co.
  45. ↑ "Giga Texas hits 3k Model Y builds/week. Congrats, Tesla team!". Twitter. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
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