News
New Tesla Gigafactory projects revealed through latest building permits
Teslarati has learned that the total value of all building permits issued for the Tesla Gigafactory now stands at $386 million, or $63 million more than the last time Jack Cookson of BuildZoom checked in with the local building inspector’s office.
Perhaps the most surprising bit of information is that a permit was issued recently for a “temporary tent structure” for a “special event” costing $300,000 likely to be used for the Gigafactory Grand Opening party. We recently spotted the massive tent, the size of two NBA basketball courts, in newly captured aerial photos of the Gigafactory.
A newly perched white tent is seen near the entrance to the Gigafactory
“Section F Expansion” assumed to be one of the two new additions at the battery plant claimed the largest single permit by dollar at $22 million. There was also a permit issued for “seismic anchoring” totaling $9.4 million. Presumably, seismic anchoring is part of the foundation work for Section F.
We have to keep reminding ourselves that the current building represents less than 15% of the total size of the Gigafactory when finished. All the exterior walls except the main wall in front are temporary, designed to be broken through as new sections are added.
We’ve provided all of the notable permits filed for the Tesla Gigafactory via BuildZoom.
- The total value of work since we last checked in has been 63 million dollars, bringing the total for the entire project to 386 million dollars.
- First, and perhaps most relevant to the opening, is on July 18th Tesla filed a permit for a “temporary tent structure” for a “special event”. While I can’t be sure, the $300,000 tent might be for the grand opening.
- The biggest single permit was a 22 million dollar permit for the “Section F Expansion”.
- The first permits related to Panasonic work were issued to Tesla on June 28th and July 13th. The two permits are for the installation of Panasonic tools. The two permits were both designated to section B/C and totaled 16.2 million dollars.
- There was also 14.4 million dollars worth of addenda to sections D/E.
- There was 9.4 million dollars in seismic anchoring issued in permits.
- There was 350,000 dollars across two permits for contractor lunch tents, perhaps related to the increase in construction workers they recently took on.
- There was also a parking expansion and while I don’t know what a “Nitrogen Yard” is there was a permit for one.
As Panasonic executive vice president Yoshihiko Yamada explained at the Tuesday news conference, his company is fully committed to its partnership with Tesla. Panasonic took out two building permits of its own recently, both covering the installation of its proprietary machines and tools in sections B and C. The two permits together total $16.2 million.
The local building inspector’s office also recorded permits totaling $14.4 million for additional work in Sections D and E and $9.4 million in other miscellaneous work recently. They include an expansion to the parking area. Tesla made sure there was parking for 2,000 cars in time for the grand opening this weekend.
The pace of construction at the Gigafactory is accelerating. Workers are now busy seven days a week, working two shifts a day. In order to accommodate their needs, Tesla has applied for permits for two contractor lunch tents worth a total of $350,000.
Finally, Jack Cookson reports a permit application for a “Nitrogen Yard.” Exactly what that is or what role it will play in the production process remains unclear.
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announces major update with texting and driving on FSD
“Depending on context of surrounding traffic, yes,” Musk said in regards to FSD v14.2.1 allowing texting and driving.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced a major update with texting and driving capabilities on Full Self-Driving v14.2.1, the company’s latest version of the FSD suite.
Tesla Full Self-Driving, even in its most mature and capable versions, is still a Level 2 autonomous driving suite, meaning it requires attention from the vehicle operator.
You cannot sleep, and you should not take attention away from driving; ultimately, you are still solely responsible for what happens with the car.
The vehicles utilize a cabin-facing camera to enable attention monitoring, and if you take your eyes off the road for too long, you will be admonished and advised to pay attention. After five strikes, FSD and Autopilot will be disabled.
However, Musk announced at the Annual Shareholder Meeting in early November that the company would look at the statistics, but it aimed to allow people to text and drive “within the next month or two.”
He said:
“I am confident that, within the next month or two, we’re gonna look at the safety statistics, but we will allow you to text and drive.”
“I am confident that, within the next month or two, we’re gonna look at the safety statistics, but we will allow you to text and drive.”
Does anyone think v14.3 will enable this? pic.twitter.com/N2yn0SK70M
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 23, 2025
Today, Musk confirmed that the current version of Full Self-Driving, which is FSD v14.2.1, does allow for texting and driving “depending on context of surrounding traffic.”
Depending on context of surrounding traffic, yes
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 4, 2025
There are some legitimate questions with this capability, especially as laws in all 50 U.S. states specifically prohibit texting and driving. It will be interesting to see the legality of it, because if a police officer sees you texting, they won’t know that you’re on Full Self-Driving, and you’ll likely be pulled over.
Some states prohibit drivers from even holding a phone when the car is in motion.
It is certainly a move toward unsupervised Full Self-Driving operation, but it is worth noting that Musk’s words state it will only allow the vehicle operator to do it depending on the context of surrounding traffic.
He did not outline any specific conditions that FSD would allow a driver to text and drive.
News
Tesla Semi just got a huge vote of confidence from 300-truck fleet
The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.
The Tesla Semi is moving closer to broader fleet adoption, with Keller Logistics Group wrapping up a key pre-production planning session with the electric vehicle maker’s team this week.
The confidential meeting marks a major step for the mid-sized carrier in evaluating the electric truck for its regional routes.
Keller’s pre-production Tesla Semi sessions
Keller Logistics Group, a family-owned carrier with over 300 tractors and 1,000 trailers operating in the Midwest and Southeast, completed the session to assess the Tesla Semi’s fit for its operations. The company’s routes typically span 500-600 miles per day, positioning it as an ideal tester for the Semi’s day cab configuration in standard logistics scenarios.
Details remain under mutual NDA, but the meeting reportedly focused on matching the truck to yard, shuttle and regional applications while scrutinizing economics like infrastructure, maintenance and incentives.
What Keller’s executives are saying
CEO Bryan Keller described the approach as methodical. “For us, staying ahead isn’t a headline, it’s a habit. From electrification and yard automation to digital visibility and warehouse technology, our teams are continually pressure-testing what’s next. The Tesla Semi discussion is one more way we evaluate new tools against our standards for safety, uptime, and customer ROI. We don’t chase trends, we pressure-test what works,” Keller said.
Benjamin Pierce, Chief Strategy Officer, echoed these sentiments. “Electrification and next-generation powertrains are part of a much broader transformation. Whether it’s proprietary yard systems like YardLink™, solar and renewable logistics solutions, or real-time vehicle intelligence, Keller’s approach stays the same, test it, prove it, and deploy it only when it strengthens service and total cost for our customers,” Pierce said.
News
Tesla extends FSD Supervised ride-alongs in Europe by three months
Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe.
Tesla appears to be doubling down on its European Full Self-Driving (Supervised) push, with the company extending its demo ride-along program by three months until the end of March 2026. The update seems to have been implemented due to overwhelming demand.
Needless to say, it does appear that FSD fever is starting to catch in Europe.
Extended FSD demonstrations
Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager Ivan Komušanac shared on LinkedIn that the company is offering ride-along experiences in Germany, France and Italy while working toward FSD (Supervised) approval in Europe.
He noted that this provides a great feedback opportunity from the general public, encouraging participants to record and share their experiences. For those unable to book in December, Komušanac teased more slots as “Christmas presents.”
Tesla watcher Sawyer Merritt highlighted the extension on X, stating that dates now run from December 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026, in multiple cities including Stuttgart-Weinstadt, Frankfurt and Düsseldorf in Germany. This suggests that the FSD ride-along program in Europe has officially been extended until the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Building momentum for European approval
Replies to Merritt’s posts buzzed with excitement, with users like @AuzyMale noting that Cologne and Düsseldorf are already fully booked. This sentiment was echoed by numerous other Tesla enthusiasts on social media. Calls for the program’s expansion to other European territories have also started gaining steam, with some X users suggesting Switzerland and Finland as the next locations for FSD ride-alongs.
Ultimately, the Tesla EU Policy and Business Development Manager’s post aligns with the company’s broader FSD efforts in Europe. As per recent reports, Tesla recently demonstrated FSD’s capabilities for Rome officials. Reporters from media outlets in France and Germany have also published positive reviews of FSD’s capabilities on real-world roads.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk announces major update with texting and driving on FSD
Tesla Semi just got a huge vote of confidence from 300-truck fleet
