Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company is “scouting” locations to build a new U.S. factory that will produce its all-electric Cybertruck and Model Y crossover.
The “gigafactory,” the unit of measurement representing billions and a term Musk has used for its massive factories in Nevada, New York, China and soon Germany, will be located somewhere in “central” region of the country, according to his tweet.
“Scouting locations for Cybertruck Gigafactory. Will be central USA,” Musk tweeted Tuesday. He added that the factory would be used to produce Model Y crossovers for the East Coast market. The first Model Y vehicles are being produced at its plant in Fremont, Calif.
Tesla assembles its Model S, Model X and Model 3 vehicles in Fremont, Calif. at a factory that was once home to GM and Toyota’s New United Motor Manufacturing Inc (NUMMI) operation. Tesla acquired the factory in 2010. The first Model S was produced at the factory in June 2012.
Tesla turned its efforts to battery production and in June 2014 broke ground on its first “gigafactory” on land near Reno, Nevada. The massive structure, which has surpassed. 1.9 million square feet, is where Tesla produces battery packs and electric motors for its Model 3 vehicles. The company has a joint venture with Panasonic, which is making the lithium-ion cells.
Tesla also has a “gigafactory 2” in Buffalo, New York where it’s producing solar cells and modules.
In 2018, Tesla struck a deal with the Chinese government to build a factory in Shanghai, a milestone for Musk, who has long viewed China as a crucial market. The China factory started producing the Model 3 late last year. The first deliveries began in early January.
Tesla is now clearing land for another factory near Berlin. Once complete, this German factory will produce the Model 3 and Model Y for the European market.
from TechCrunch
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