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Tesla Cybertruck will spawn the first ‘Terafactory’ in the US

(Credit: Tesla Cybertruck/Instagram)

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Tesla’s factories are unique in the way that they get more and more advanced with each iteration. From the Fremont factory to Gigafactory Berlin, Tesla’s facilities are getting progressively more sophisticated. This trend is set to continue with the company’s upcoming Cybertruck Gigafactory, which is poised to be formally announced in the near future.

During the first quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk and CFO Zachary Kirkhorn provided several interesting tidbits about an upcoming factory in the United States. The executives did not disclose what the facility will be used for, though previous tweets from Musk and wide speculation from the EV community suggest that it will be allotted for the production of the Cybertruck, and perhaps even the Semi.

According to Elon Musk, a formal announcement about the upcoming facility will be held as soon as May 2020. If Tesla is unable to meet this timeframe, Musk expects an announcement to be made within the next three months. He also mentioned that there would definitely be more Gigafactories that will be built within the next five years.

“I think we will announce the next Giga possibly as soon as a month. We may not — as soon as next month. This is not a prediction, just saying. That’s — that could happen. It will certainly be within three months and possibly one month. And that would be in the US. So as for how many will be in five years, I’m not — I don’t know right now what that number would be. I guess, several more than there are today. But I’m not sure, what exactly it would be in five years, but some number more than today,” Musk said.

Following Musk’s comments, Kirkhorn added that Tesla’s Gigafactories are getting larger. This is a notable observation, and it is definitely evident as seen in the company’s current projects. Plans for Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai show that the completed facility will be incredibly large, and Gigafactory 4 in Berlin is poised to be even bigger. Based on the CFO’s comments, it appears that the next factory in the US, which is possibly intended for the production of the Cybertruck, will be Tesla’s largest facility yet.

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With this in mind, Musk stated that the upcoming facility might be so large, it would probably need to be called the “Terafactory” instead. “It could arguably — it could start being called ‘Tera,’” Musk said. This suggests that the upcoming facility will be absolutely massive, since the “tera” in its name would likely refer to the utilization or production of batteries with terawatt-hours of storage capacity per year. That’s a pretty insane number, though it is something that seems to be in line with Tesla’s overall goal of accelerating the world’s transition to sustainable energy.

A new “Terafactory” for Tesla would actually make sense for the Cybertruck’s production facility. Tesla is yet to announce the battery specs of its monster pickup, though its massive size and weight suggests that it will require a large battery pack to run. Apart from this, the facility could also be the possible production site for the Tesla Semi, another vehicle that will also require a massive battery pack. If speculations prove right and Tesla’s next factory will indeed be allotted for the Cybertruck and the Semi, then its “Terafactory” moniker will definitely be well-justified.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla Robotaxi heads to a new major Texas city for the first time

The expansion of Tesla’s Robotaxi platform has been a major focus for the company as it attempts to gain regulatory permission to operate in new states. Recently, it gained approval for testing in both Arizona and Nevada.

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Credit: InnovatingCoin | X

Tesla is testing its Robotaxi in one major Texas city for the first time, as it appears the company will attempt to expand outside of Austin in a move that shows expansion remains a key focus.

Tesla ground-truth validation vehicles equipped with LiDAR rigs were spotted in Plano, Texas, a smaller city located northeast of downtown Dallas, the state’s third-most populous city.

Typically, this is a telltale sign that Tesla is preparing for Robotaxi operations in a new area. The company has utilized LiDAR-equipped ground-truth vehicles to essentially cross its Ts in regions that are unfamiliar to the company’s Robotaxi operations.

It also used them in the past with newer versions of Full Self-Driving before they were released to the public.

The expansion of Tesla’s Robotaxi platform has been a major focus for the company as it attempts to gain regulatory permission to operate in new states. Recently, it gained approval for testing in both Arizona and Nevada.

Many believe the ride-hailing service will soon be available in Florida as well.

However, this expansion would be the first where Tesla expands to a new city in a state where it is already operating. Texas was its first Robotaxi-active state, as it launched the service in Austin back on June 22.

It also expanded to California shortly after launching in Texas, as it introduced a large service area in the Bay Area. However, Tesla is doing things a little differently in California, as it is keeping its “Safety Monitors” in the driver’s seat for the duration of operation there.

Elon Musk says Tesla will take Safety Drivers out of Robotaxi: here’s when

In Texas, the driver’s seat is only occupied by a Safety Monitor when the route requires highway travel. This has been a point of criticism by Tesla Robotaxi skeptics, but it is a smart move in the name of safety, and will only be temporary.

It is simply a way to keep occupants safe and ensure the self-driving initiatives of not only Tesla, but also those of many other companies, continue to operate.

The appearance of a potential Robotaxi rig near Dallas could open the floodgates for more cities to gain access to the ride-hailing suite. There is still San Antonio and Houston, as well as some other smaller cities in Texas, for Tesla to access for its Robotaxi suite moving forward.

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Tesla is offering a crazy choice on Model 3 to help with end of quarter push

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla is offering a crazy choice on the Model 3 to help with its end-of-quarter push, but it is only available in Canada.

Tesla has been offering some pretty crazy incentives to help move vehicles in various markets, including discounts, Supercharging, and other offers.

In Canada, it is offering something pretty crazy: a $5,000 discount or Free Supercharging for life:

This would bring the price of the two Tesla Model 3 configurations:

  • Tesla Model 3 RWD – $49,990
  • Tesla Model 3 LRAWD – $56,990
  • Tesla Model 3 Performance – $64,990

The offer only stands if delivery is taken by September 30. The company describes the terms and conditions:

“Orders will default to $5,000 off total purchase price, deducted pre-tax. Requires you to contact Tesla to switch promotion to free Supercharging if desired. Supercharging promotion is tied to your Tesla Account and cannot be transferred to another vehicle, person or order, even in the case of ownership transfer. Used vehicles and vehicles used for commercial purposes (like taxi, rideshare and delivery services) are excluded from this promotion. You are still responsible for Supercharger fees, like idle and congestion fees, when applicable. Redeemable only at Tesla-owned Superchargers. Tesla reserves the right in its sole discretion to remove the free Supercharging from your vehicle in the event of excessive charging. “

The $5,000 discount in Canada, or the unlimited Free Supercharging, is a massive deal, as it benefits those looking for a deal or those who plan to use the car as a daily driver.

Tesla offers new deal on used inventory that you won’t want to pass up

Tesla has used a lot of different deals this quarter to help push cars out and bolster Q3 delivery figures.

  • Lifetime Free Supercharging or $5,000 discount on Model 3 in Canada
  • 1 Year Free Supercharging on Inventory Cybertruck, Model S, Model X in the U.S.
  • 18 Months free Supercharging on Model 3 in the U.S.
  • Lifetime Free Supercharging with Luxe Package on Model S and Model X in the U.S.
  • Up to $2,000 off Model 3 and Model Y Inventory in the U.S.

These deals have all contributed to an increase in demand and minimal vehicle inventory in various markets.

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Investor's Corner

Wall Street firm makes shock move for Tesla Q3 delivery prediction

“[The company should have] strong deliveries in the US as Tesla pushes, and consumers take advantage of, the $7,500 IRA EV tax credit before its expiry at the end of September 2025.” 

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(Credit: Tesla)

A Wall Street firm is making a shocking move ahead of Tesla’s Q3 delivery report, increasing its forecast for the quarter.

Tesla is set to report its deliveries for the third quarter sometime next week at the beginning of October. There has been quite a bit of speculation about Tesla’s performance in terms of deliveries for the quarter, as many firms and investors are curious about how strong it could be.

There have been a few things working in Tesla’s favor, including the removal of the $7,500 EV tax credit, which stimulated demand as consumers wanted to take advantage of the discount before it was no longer available.

Tesla also has launched an attractive revamp to the Model Y this year, which was the best-selling car in the world for the past two years. These two points have helped Tesla with demand specifically this year, but this quarter has been especially strong because of the tax credit phase-out.

With that being said, one Wall Street firm chose to push its delivery prediction for the third quarter up about ten percent.

Tesla makes a big change to reflect new IRS EV tax credit rules

UBS analysts said they adjusted their delivery targets for Tesla from 431,000 to 475,000, stating it was “more in line with buyside expectations in the 470-475k range.”

The firm continued:

“[The company should have] strong deliveries in the US as Tesla pushes, and consumers take advantage of, the $7,500 IRA EV tax credit before its expiry at the end of September 2025.” 

If it manages to reach what UBS thinks it will, deliveries would be the highest for Tesla since late 2024, and the firm believes it could “potentially [be] the highest ever” for the company in a single quarter.

Tesla delivered over 495,000 cars in Q4 2024, so it would truly need an anomaly to capture that crown in Q3.

For the full year, UBS believes Tesla will deliver 1.62 million cars in 2025.

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