Tesla has been aiming to enlarge Gigafactory Texas since the facility’s launch. But the extent of its intentions hasn’t been entirely apparent. The manufacturing capacity, surface area, and scope of the factory’s many projects are all expected to rise significantly due to the several expansion projects for which Tesla has just submitted formal documentation.
According to a report dated January 9, Tesla intends to put $770 million into building expansion projects to build additional structures covering an extra 1.4 million square feet. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation’s files contain plans for a number of initiatives. The enlargement plan calls for testing and producing battery cells, as well as producing cathodes, drive units, and die shops.
The enlargement project will eventually lead to a significant reworking of the plant’s present operations. The designated plans call for four distinct buildings, however, specifics may yet alter. Tesla has applied for the structures as “ground up and complete interior finish out of the production plant,” as new construction projects.
New Buildings of Tesla | Cell 1, Drive Unit, Cathode, and Cell Test Lab, Die Shop
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filings show expansion costs at the Austin location
According to the filing, “Cell 1” will be the name of Tesla’s largest new building, which will be 693,093 ft2. Construction of the Cell 1 building will last from January 23, 2023, until February 12, 2024. The cost will be roughly $368 million.
The second-largest building will cost around $85 million to construct and have a surface area of 423,032 square feet. The structure, known as the “Drive Unit,” whose construction will start on February 6 and remain until January 15, 2024.
The next-largest structure is suitably dubbed “Cathode,” and assuming they are the same project, it was first reported in February when Tesla filed for up to 36 acres. Although the comparable cathode naming pattern would imply that it is, Austin Business Journal reports that it is still unclear if this is the same facility that was in a file on February 2 of last year. According to reports, Tesla started work on this project last August.
Finally, the smallest of Tesla’s four new structures, the “Cell Test Lab,” will be 2,560 square feet in size. The Cell Test Lab will cost roughly $3.7 million. Its development will take place from January 30, 2023, until August 25, 2023.
The news comes ahead of Tesla’s ambitions to begin producing the Cybertruck at its Texas site later this year. It is just the most recent in the automaker’s aspirations to expand its operations globally. With these additions, Tesla will grow its position as Central Texas’ largest manufacturer while also adding essential, multi-stage production projects for the components required to make electric vehicles.
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