Tesla is planning to expand its Model Y production lines at the Fremont facility located in Silicon Valley, California.
According to two applications that were spotted on Fremont’s Public Access website, there are several planned advancements of “General Assembly 4.5,” which has been designated for Model Y production at the production facility.
In the past, GA 4.5 was also responsible for the production of the Model 3 sedan in late 2018. GA 4.5 is effectively an outdoor tent that Tesla placed outside of the main building. It currently holds five production lines, with the most recent being installed in September 2019. Tesla planned to expand GA 4.5 in April 2020 but had to find solutions to handle stormwater drainage.
The applications are named “4.5 Expansion Rev 1” and “F20-0048-F DCM2 Arch & MEP.” DCM2 could refer to a second die-cast machine in GA 4.5 that will allow the Model Y to be manufactured with a single-piece casting design.
“The current version of Model Y has basically two big high-pressure die-cast [HPDC] aluminum castings that are joined, and there’s still a bunch of other bits that are attached. Later this year. We’ll transition to the rear underbody being a single-piece casting that also integrates the rear crash rails,” CEO Elon Musk said earlier this year.
The IDRA OL6100 CS, dubbed as the “Giga Press.” (Credit: IDRA)
It was reported in early June that Tesla was planning to purchase the massive “Giga Press” for Model Y production. But now, the name of the application seems to infer that Tesla is planning to install a second die-cast machine for the Model Y to increase production volume.
Additionally, the F20-0048-F DCM2 Arch & MEP application shows Tesla’s planned expansion of a new “canopy structure” that will connect to the main assembly building.
The expansion is broken down into Mechanical, Process, and Controls.
Mechanical
“Process cooling water & natural gas piping distribution design from existing ab utility mains to new casting area outside. Industrial water to serve process equipment. New cooling tower & distribution pump added to existing ab cooling tower yard.”
Process
“Installation of soft water system with distribution piping & accessories. Installation of new compressed air header with filters, distribution & accessories. Installation of new argon and nitrogen distribution with accessories. Installation of new trade waste piping from the tie point inside the building to dcm2 area with pipes, pumps & accessories.”
Controls
“Installation of new sensors on chilled water lines to monitor & control process Installation & networking of new VFD’s to provide control of cooling tower.”
Tesla is preparing for a massive push of the Model Y crossover as demand for the company’s vehicles continues to increase. After delivering 90,650 cars in Q2 2020, the next step is to begin increasing production and delivery figures to sustain growth and increase the consecutive streak of profitable quarters for the electric automaker.
In early June, Musk indicated via email to Fremont employees that the company needed to continue to increase the production of the Model Y by stating that rectifications were to be minimized and that everyone’s effort was appreciated. “I want you to know that it really makes a difference to Tesla right now,” the Tesla frontman said in the email.
After ditching the plans to produce the Standard Range Model Y due to range deficiencies, Tesla can focus on the Long Range and Performance configurations of the vehicle, which have been widely popular within the community thus far.
Tesla’s Long Range and Performance Model Y variants are available for $49,990 and $59,990 respectively.
Investor's Corner
Tesla gets bold Robotaxi prediction from Wall Street firm
Last week, Andrew Percoco took over Tesla analysis for Morgan Stanley from Adam Jonas, who covered the stock for years. Percoco seems to be less optimistic and bullish on Tesla shares, while still being fair and balanced in his analysis.
Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) received a bold Robotaxi prediction from Morgan Stanley, which anticipates a dramatic increase in the size of the company’s autonomous ride-hailing suite in the coming years.
Last week, Andrew Percoco took over Tesla analysis for Morgan Stanley from Adam Jonas, who covered the stock for years. Percoco seems to be less optimistic and bullish on Tesla shares, while still being fair and balanced in his analysis.
Percoco dug into the Robotaxi fleet and its expansion in the coming years in his latest note, released on Tuesday. The firm expects Tesla to increase the Robotaxi fleet size to 1,000 vehicles in 2026. However, that’s small-scale compared to what they expect from Tesla in a decade.
Tesla expands Robotaxi app access once again, this time on a global scale
By 2035, Morgan Stanley believes there will be one million Robotaxis on the road across multiple cities, a major jump and a considerable fleet size. We assume this means the fleet of vehicles Tesla will operate internally, and not including passenger-owned vehicles that could be added through software updates.
He also listed three specific catalysts that investors should pay attention to, as these will represent the company being on track to achieve its Robotaxi dreams:
- Opening Robotaxi to the public without a Safety Monitor. Timing is unclear, but it appears that Tesla is getting closer by the day.
- Improvement in safety metrics without the Safety Monitor. Tesla’s ability to improve its safety metrics as it scales miles driven without the Safety Monitor is imperative as it looks to scale in new states and cities in 2026.
- Cybercab start of production, targeted for April 2026. Tesla’s Cybercab is a purpose-built vehicle (no steering wheel or pedals, only two seats) that is expected to be produced through its state-of-the-art unboxed manufacturing process, offering further cost reductions and thus accelerating adoption over time.
Robotaxi stands to be one of Tesla’s most significant revenue contributors, especially as the company plans to continue expanding its ride-hailing service across the world in the coming years.
Its current deployment strategy is controlled and conservative to avoid any drastic and potentially program-ruining incidents.
So far, the program, which is active in Austin and the California Bay Area, has been widely successful.
News
Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment
This suggests that the addition of the Model Y L to Tesla China’s lineup will not result in a case of cannibalization, but a possible case of “premiumization” instead.
Tesla’s domestic sales in China held steady in November with around 73,000 units delivered, but a closer look at the Model Y L’s numbers hints at an emerging shift towards pricier variants that could very well be boosting average selling prices and margins.
This suggests that the addition of the Model Y L to Tesla China’s lineup will not result in a case of cannibalization, but a possible case of “premiumization” instead.
Tesla China’s November domestic numbers
Data from the a Passenger Car Association (CPCA) indicated that Tesla China saw domestic deliveries of about 73,000 vehicles in November 2025. This number included 34,000 standard Model Y units, 26,000 Model 3 units, and 13,000 Model Y L units, as per industry watchers.
This means that the Model Y L accounted for roughly 27% of Tesla China’s total Model Y sales, despite the variant carrying a ~28% premium over the base RWD Model Y that is estimated to have dominated last year’s mix.
As per industry watcher @TSLAFanMtl, this suggests that Tesla China’s sales have moved towards more premium variants this year. Thus, direct year-over-year sales comparisons might miss the bigger picture. This is true even for the regular Model Y, as another premium trim, the Long Range RWD variant, was also added to the lineup this 2025.
November 2025 momentum
While Tesla China’s overall sales this year have seen challenges, the Model Y and Model 3 have remained strong sellers in the country. This is especially impressive as the Model Y and Model 3 are premium-priced vehicles, and they compete in the world’s most competitive electric vehicle market. Tesla China is also yet to roll out the latest capabilities of FSD in China, which means that its vehicles in the country could not tap into their latest capabilities yet.
Aggregated results from November suggest that the Tesla Model Y took the crown as China’s #1 best-selling SUV during the month, with roughly 34,000 deliveries. With the Model Y L, this number is even higher. The Tesla Model 3 also had a stellar month, seeing 25,700 deliveries during November 2025.
Cybertruck
Tesla Cybertruck earns IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award
To commemorate the accolade, the official Cybertruck account celebrated the milestone on X.
The Tesla Cybertruck has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest honor, earning a Top Safety Pick+ rating for 2025 models built after April 2025.
The full-size electric pickup truck’s safety rating is partly due to the vehicle’s strong performance in updated crash tests, superior front crash prevention, and effective headlights, among other factors. To commemorate the accolade, the official Cybertruck account celebrated the milestone on X.
Cybertruck’s IIHS rating
As per the IIHS, beginning with 2025 Cybertruck models built after April 2025, changes were made to the front underbody structure and footwell to improve occupant safety in driver-side and passenger-side small overlap front crashes. The moderate overlap front test earned a good rating, and the updated side impact test also received stellar marks.
The Cybertruck’s front crash prevention earned a good rating in pedestrian scenarios, with the standard Collision Avoidance Assist avoiding collisions in day and night tests across child, adult crossing, and parallel paths. Headlights with high-beam assist compensated for limitations, contributing to the top award.
Safest and most autonomous pickup
The Cybertruck is one of only two full-size pickups to receive the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick + rating. It is also the only one equipped with advanced self-driving features via Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) system. Thanks to FSD, the Cybertruck can navigate inner city streets and highways on its own with minimal supervision, adding a layer of safety beyond passive crash protection.
Community reactions poured in, with users praising the vehicle’s safety rating amidst skepticism from critics. Tesla itself highlighted this by starting its X post with a short clip of a Cybertruck critic who predicted that the vehicle will likely not pass safety tests. The only question now is, of course, if the vehicle’s Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS will help the Cybertruck improve its sales.
Tesla gets bold Robotaxi prediction from Wall Street firm
Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment
