News
[Photos] Preparations for Tesla’s Gigafactory event are well underway
New aerial photos obtained by Teslarati show party preparations for Tesla’s upcoming July 29 Gigafactory event are well underway. Photos of Tesla’s $5 billion high-tech battery plant located 20 miles east of Reno, Nevada reveal that the electric automaker turned energy company has perched a large white tent off the main road, rightfully named Electric Avenue, that leads into the Gigafactory.
Several tractor trailers are seen surrounding the tent with a pair of trailers positioned in a way that would suggest cargo was being unloaded into the tent. Taking into account that commercial tractor trailers are generally 53 feet in length, we approximate the tent to be about 210 feet in length and 105 feet wide, or twice the size of a professional NBA basketball court.
- Tesla Gigafactory event prepartions seen in aerial photo
- A newly perched white tent is seen near the entrance to the Gigafactory
- Tesla Gigafactory, July 24, 2016
Also seen in the photos taken on Sunday, July 24 by local flight instructor Josh Mcdonald are roughly 2,000 newly painted parking spaces located directly west of Tesla’s Gigafactory 1. Tesla will be providing valet parking for those driving to Gigafactory 1 via Electric Avenue, but will also have shuttle service departing from downtown Reno to the battery plant. Though Tesla has not disclosed the planned attendance figure for the highly anticipated event, we know CEO Elon Musk isn’t one to shy away from throwing a good party. Both the Tesla ‘D event’ and the Model X unveiling each drew between 4,000 – 6,000 in attendance.
Looking forward to the Gigafactory opening party on Friday next week. The scale blows me away every time I see it.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 22, 2016
Tesla will also be providing factory tours of Gigafactory 1 as well as “test rides” according to event details outlined on the company’s official invitation to the July 29 party. There’s been speculation that Tesla will be providing event attendees rides in the final version of the Model 3 which completed design late last month.
We know that Musk has said in the past that Tesla will “do the obvious thing” regarding Autopilot on the Model 3. Contrary to Tesla’s current semi-autonomous driving feature which has seen its share of negative press after the first fatality occurred behind the wheel of a Model S on Autopilot, many believe that the obvious thing in this case is a fully autonomous vehicle capable of driving on its own with no human intervention.
Looking at a close up of the area near the white tent, we can see a section leading to a paved road that runs alongside the expansive parking lot, and around the outer perimeter of the factory lot. Zooming into the photo even more and you can see the paved road is painted with very clear lane markings, perhaps to ensure that Autopilot 2.0 sensors have all of the cues needed for a successful demo. What we’re seeing here might in fact be a test track where rides will take place.

Test rides might be originating from near the white tent and on the paved road surrounding the outer perimeter of the Gigafactory 1 lot.
Musk’s vision for the future includes the use of Tesla’s battery plant as the supplier of li-ion cells for its upcoming fleet of Tesla trucks, semis and home and commercial energy solutions.
Tesla broke ground on its first Gigafactory in June 2014 and is expected to produce 105 gigawatt hours of battery cells when it reaches full production in 2020, and becomes the world’s largest producer and consumer of li-ion battery cells.
The four completed sections of the Gigafactory to date represents only 15% of the overall total size when completed. Josh Mcdonald of Nevada Tailwheel tells us, “Tesla has begun construction on the next phase of the Gigafactory as seen from the newly graded sections with concrete and steel pylons forming the base of the foundation directly to the north and south of the factory”.
We’ve outlined in red a few key areas of the Gigafactory seen from the aerial photo. Among the areas outlined are new sections north and south of the existing building, a helicopter landing zone and the security guard shack on Electric Avenue.
News
Tesla scores major court win as judge rejects race bias class action
The ruling means the 2017 lawsuit cannot proceed as a class action because plaintiff attorneys were unable to secure testimony commitments from at least 200 workers.
Tesla scored a significant legal victory in California after a state judge reversed a class certification in a high-profile race harassment case involving 6,000 Black workers at its Fremont plant. The ruling means the 2017 lawsuit cannot proceed as a class action because plaintiff attorneys were unable to secure testimony commitments from at least 200 workers ahead of a 2026 trial, a threshold the judge viewed as necessary to reliably represent the full group.
No class action
In a late-Friday order, California Superior Court Judge Peter Borkon concluded that the suit could not remain a class action, stating he could not confidently apply the experiences of a much smaller group of testifying workers to thousands of potential class members. His ruling reverses a 2024 decision by a different judge who had certified the case under the belief that a trial of that size would be manageable, as noted in a Reuters report.
The lawsuit was originally filed by former assembly-line worker Marcus Vaughn, who alleged that Black employees at Tesla’s Fremont factory were exposed to various forms of racially hostile conduct, including slurs, graffiti, and instances of disturbing objects appearing in work areas. Tesla has previously said it does not tolerate harassment and has removed employees found responsible for misconduct. Neither Tesla nor the plaintiffs’ legal team immediately commented on the latest ruling.
Tesla’s legal challenges
While the decertification narrows the scope of this particular case, Tesla still faces additional litigation over similar allegations. A separate trial involving related claims brought by a California state civil rights agency is scheduled just two months after the now-vacated class trial date. The company is also contending with federal race discrimination claims filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alongside several individual lawsuits it has already resolved.
For now, the reversal removes the large-scale exposure Tesla would have faced in a unified class trial, shifting the dispute back to individual claims rather than a single mass action. The case is Vaughn v. Tesla, filed in Alameda County Superior Court.
@teslarati With a pedestrian in the crosswalk, Tesla Full Self-Driving shows off its courtesy. Human drivers? Not so much. #tesla #teslafsd #fullselfdriving ♬ AMERICAN HEART – Maxwell Luke
News
Tesla Holiday Update is incoming, and the wishlist is Merry and Bright
There are a handful of big wishes, and we’ve seen a lot of different requests out there based on what owners are saying on social media. Nevertheless, what Tesla should bring and what Tesla will bring are two different things.
Tesla’s Holiday Update is going to be on its way soon, and although we have no idea what the company is planning to implement into vehicles with the 2025 iteration.
However, the wishlist is extensive, and owners are hoping to get a vast array of new features, both useful and artificial. That’s the fun thing about owning a Tesla — not everything is necessary, and it’s okay for your car to be fun.
There are a handful of big wishes, and we’ve seen a lot of different requests out there based on what owners are saying on social media. Nevertheless, what Tesla should bring and what Tesla will bring are two different things.
🚨 All I Want for Christmas (in the Tesla Holiday Update) is:
1. More streaming platforms
2. Summon for Cybertruck
3. Easier Navigation adjustment for a preferred route instead of the optimal choiceWhat else? pic.twitter.com/qapS1jXAuB
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 16, 2025
In past years, Tesla has brought both useful things and fun things with the Holiday Update. The Custom Lock Sound, new Light Shows, and even High Fidelity Park Assist have all come in past updates, among many other things. But for 2025, people want even more, and here’s what we have seen most frequently thus far:
More Streaming Platforms
This is a personal request of ours, and it’s something that we feel is long overdue.
Sure, Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu are all great — but there’s a lot of meat left on that bone. HBOMax, Paramount+, and even YouTube TV would be a great option for those of us who have subscriptions and want to watch Live Events while Supercharging or eating in our cars.
The fact that Tesla has not added more platforms to its in-car Theater in a few years has been, dare I say, disappointing?
Full Self-Driving for Europe
This is something not even Santa can help with. Although his Elves are known for their high productivity, we’re not even sure they could convince European regulators to open the door for FSD’s entrance into the market.
Tesla deploys Unsupervised FSD in Europe for the first time—with a twist
FSD is definitely capable of handling European driving conditions, but regulators are truly dragging their feet through the mud with the approval process. Tesla has tested FSD in several countries in Europe, but nothing has been set in stone yet.
Deeper Grok Integration
Many owners have said something about how Grok is truly not super in-tune with the vehicles. This is something any owner will experience.
It seems Grok should be capable of handling all in-car requests; everything from changing the A/C to a specific temperature to adding a stop within the Navigation should be handled by Grok.
Instead, Grok cannot handle those things currently. You have to speak to the car itself using the microphone button on the steering wheel.
Interestingly, some vehicles already have the Grok logo replacing the microphone. It is likely the most realistic request of all.
‘Learn’ Mode for Full Self-Driving Arrival Options
Although it is great for public destinations, FSD still does not allow you to choose a set parking spot at your residence. It also does not allow you to choose preferences for parking in large parking lots.
Renters, and even those who live in purchased townhomes, often have assigned parking spots. Full Self-Driving v14 has done a great job of doing half the work, but there have been too many times when I’ve arrived home, the car pulls me into a spot, and I’m forced to manually back out and park in my assigned space.
Many people also do not like to park toward the entrance of a store, me included. Parking away from the front of a store eliminates parking congestion and usually is a safer bet for your vehicle to keep from being dinged by careless drivers who swing their doors open.
Navigation Adjustments
Sometimes you don’t want to turn left on the street the navigation chooses. Maybe you want to go a block down and check out that new Portuguese restaurant that just opened on the way to your next destination.
This is only possible currently by inputting a waypoint that would take you that way. Instead, the center screen could be opened, and the driver should be able to select an alternative route by simply touching a street they’d rather travel on.
Investor's Corner
Tesla wins $508 price target from Stifel as Robotaxi rollout gains speed
The firm cited meaningful progress in Tesla’s robotaxi roadmap, ongoing Full Self-Driving enhancements, and the company’s long-term growth initiatives.
Tesla received another round of bullish analyst updates this week, led by Stifel, raising its price target to $508 from $483 while reaffirming a “Buy” rating. The firm cited meaningful progress in Tesla’s robotaxi roadmap, ongoing Full Self-Driving enhancements, and the company’s long-term growth initiatives.
Robotaxi rollout, FSD updates, and new affordable cars
Stifel expects Tesla’s robotaxi fleet to expand into 8–10 major metropolitan areas by the end of 2025, including Austin, where early deployments without safety drivers are targeted before year-end. Additional markets under evaluation include Nevada, Florida, and Arizona, as noted in an Investing.com report. The firm also highlighted strong early performance for FSD Version 14, with upcoming releases adding new “reasoning capabilities” designed to improve complex decision-making using full 360-degree vision.
Tesla has also taken steps to offset the loss of U.S. EV tax credits by launching the Model Y Standard and Model 3 Standard at $39,990 and $36,990, Stifel noted. Both vehicles deliver more than 300 miles of range and are positioned to sustain demand despite shifting incentives. Stifel raised its EBITDA forecasts to $14.9 billion for 2025 and $19.5 billion for 2026, assigning partial valuation weightings to Tesla’s FSD, robotaxi, and Optimus initiatives.
TD Cowen also places an optimistic price target
TD Cowen reiterated its Buy rating with a $509 price target after a research tour of Giga Texas, citing production scale and operational execution as key strengths. The firm posted its optimistic price target following a recent Mobility Bus tour in Austin. The tour included a visit to Giga Texas, which offered fresh insights into the company’s operations and prospects.
Additional analyst movements include Truist Securities maintaining its Hold rating following shareholder approval of Elon Musk’s compensation plan, viewing the vote as reducing leadership uncertainty.
@teslarati Tesla Full Self-Driving yields for pedestrians while human drivers do not…the future is here! #tesla #teslafsd #fullselfdriving ♬ 2 Little 2 Late – Levi & Mario
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