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Tesla Giga Nevada exceeds 6.5K Powerwall per week, on target to make 442 Megapacks in Q3

Credit: Tesla

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A recent meeting with Tesla employees has revealed that Gigafactory Nevada is hitting its stride in the production of the company’s battery storage products like the Powerwall and Megapack. The Powerwall and Megapack are invaluable components of Tesla Energy, which Elon Musk believes could eventually be larger than the company’s electric vehicle business. 

Gigafactory Nevada underwent leadership changes this year, with former Vice President of Gigafactory Operations Chris Lister leaving this summer. Taking his place is Hrushikesh “Hrushi” Sagar, who was promoted to oversee Giga Nevada. Sagar, who is also overseeing the Fremont Factory, will be reporting directly to CEO Elon Musk. 

On Thursday, Sagar held a meeting with hundreds of Gigafactory employees. During the meeting, whose audio and documents were shared with CNBC, Sagar and other Tesla executives talked about management changes, factory milestones, and some ambitious goals for Tesla’s facilities. 

Supporting an EV Ramp

Gigafactory Nevada does not produce vehicles, unlike Giga Shanghai, Giga Berlin, and Giga Texas. Instead, the facility is tasked with the production of 2170 batteries and powertrains that are used in the Model 3 sedan and the Model Y crossover. Gigafactory Nevada also produces key Tesla Energy products such as the Powerwall, a battery for residential customers, and the Megapack, a battery that’s designed for commercial use

Sagar noted that the Fremont Factory has been on a roll, producing 134,000 vehicles in the second quarter of 2022. He added that Fremont is now able to produce 12,000 vehicles per week, and the factory is looking to increase this to 14,000 cars per week. Giga Nevada, on the other hand, produced 283,473 powertrains in Q2 2022, allowing the facility to “feed” the company’s vehicle production facilities. 

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Sagar clarified that while he does not plan to spend most of his time in Giga Nevada, he does plan to work closely with key people in the facility, such as Energy Leader Matt Reddick, and Site Leader Eric Montgomery, who noted during the meeting that August 2022 was Giga Nevada’s second-best month of production, coming second only to October 2021. Montgomery also noted that Giga Nevada has to achieve a steady output of 8,800 high voltage battery packs per week to support the company’s aggressive vehicle production plans. 

Powerwalls and Megapacks

Powerwall production in Gigafactory Nevada is hitting its stride, with the facility exceeding 6,500 units of the residential battery system per week. Montgomery noted that Giga Nevada produced 37,600 Powerwalls in Q2 2022, and this is poised to increase by 22% in Q3 2022. Reddick, for his part, noted that Tesla is on target to produce 442 Megapack batteries for the third quarter. If successful, this would represent an 85% growth in Megapack production compared to the previous quarter. 

During the meeting, questions were asked about the potential location of the company’s next Gigafactory. While Sagar noted that he is not at liberty to reveal confidential information about Tesla’s plans, he noted that the company has some candidates for the next Gigafactory’s location. “I have some idea on the candidates but I don’t think I’m at liberty right now to disclose those candidates because of the confidentiality around some of those things. There is an exciting future for North America and all around the Americas,” Sagar said. 

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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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 plans for new 300+ stall Supercharger with a special surprise for Semi

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(Credit: Tesla Owners East Bay/Twitter)

Tesla is planning for a new 300+ stall Supercharger station that will be an expansion of an existing facility, and the company is planning to add a surprise for the Semi.

The Firebaugh, California Supercharger is currently 72 Superchargers, but Tesla filed for an expansion that will add 232 additional plugs for passenger vehicles, and it also plans to add 16 Semichargers.

This will be the biggest Supercharger station Tesla will have to date, just months after it finished the Supercharger Oasis in Lost Hills, California, which has 168 stalls. This will have 304 total Supercharger stalls, and then the additional 16 Megachargers.

The Firebaugh Supercharger is located on I-5, which is a major reason for why Tesla has chosen the location for additional Megacharger plug-ins, as Tesla Semi Program Manager Dan Priestley said on X earlier today.

The project was revealed by MarcoRP, a Supercharger tracker.

The expansion is a massive signal for charging demand, especially as Tesla’s Superchargers are opened to numerous automakers and are no longer exclusive to the company’s EVs. Additionally, the installation of Megachargers is a good sign to come for the Tesla Semi program, which aims to truly ramp up this year.

Tesla plans to launch production of the Semi later this year.

It could also mean Tesla is going to expand its footprint of large-scale Supercharger projects in the coming years, which would be a big boost as EV adoption continues to soar in the United States.

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Tesla makes two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has made two big interior changes to several Model Y vehicles in its lineup, and the changes come just as the new model year begins production.

Last year, Tesla launched the Model Y Standard, which separated the previous models into the “Premium” category. The Standard vehicles lack several features, including more premium interior materials, acoustic-lined glass, and storage.

@teslarati There are some BIG differences between the Tesla Model Y Standard and Tesla Model Y Premium #tesla #teslamodely ♬ Sia – Xeptemper

The Model Y “Premium” trims are now getting several new upgrades, which come after the company launched a seven-seat configuration of the vehicle last night in the North American market for an upcharge of $2,500.

The new Model Y seven-seat configuration did not come with just an additional row of seating; it also came with a slew of other goodies that now come standard and were previously only available on the Model Y Performance, which was launched late last year.

All Black Headliner

The new Tesla Model Y Premium trims will now come standard with a black headliner, something that many owners have been requesting for some time.

The previous grey headliner and trim within the vehicle is now gone; it will be all black on all of the Premium trims from here on out, a welcome change:

Credit: Tesla

Larger and Higher Resolution Center Touchscreen

The center touchscreen in the new Model Y Premium configuration is now larger and has a higher resolution than the previous version.

In last year’s Model Y configurations (apart from the Performance), the center touchscreen was 15.4″. Now, Tesla has decided to go with the 16″ version across all Premium trims, which is a nice step up. It was nice to see this in the Performance, but it is really great to see Tesla include this in the Model Y’s more Premium trim levels.

Tesla Model Y Seven Seater

Tesla launched the latest iteration of the seven-seater for the Model Y on Monday night. Traditionally, the Model Y seats five passengers in total, but there were calls for a more spacious version several years ago.

Tesla released it, but it was extremely tight in the back, basically reserving those back seats for only small people or children.

Credit: Tesla

The new configuration looks to be slightly more spacious in the third row, but not as much space as most would require or want. Instead,

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Lufthansa Group to equip Starlink on its 850-aircraft fleet

Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release.

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Credit: Lufthansa

Lufthansa Group has announced a partnership with Starlink that will bring high-speed internet connectivity to every aircraft across all its carriers. 

This means that aircraft across the group’s brands, from Lufthansa, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines to Brussels Airlines, would be able to enjoy high-speed internet access using the industry-leading satellite internet solution.

Starlink in-flight internet

Under the collaboration, Lufthansa Group will install Starlink technology on both its existing fleet and all newly delivered aircraft, as noted by the group in a press release

Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellites are expected to provide significantly higher bandwidth and lower latency than traditional in-flight Wi-Fi, which should enable streaming, online work, and other data-intensive applications for passengers during flights.

Starlink-powered internet is expected to be available on the first commercial flights as early as the second half of 2026. The rollout will continue through the decade, with the entire Lufthansa Group fleet scheduled to be fully equipped with Starlink by 2029. Once complete, no other European airline group will operate more Starlink-connected aircraft.

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Free high-speed access

As part of the initiative, Lufthansa Group will offer the new high-speed internet free of charge to all status customers and Travel ID users, regardless of cabin class. Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx shared his expectations for the program.

“In our anniversary year, in which we are celebrating Lufthansa’s 100th birthday, we have decided to introduce a new high-speed internet solution from Starlink for all our airlines. The Lufthansa Group is taking the next step and setting an essential milestone for the premium travel experience of our customers. 

“Connectivity on board plays an important role today, and with Starlink, we are not only investing in the best product on the market, but also in the satisfaction of our passengers,” Vranckx said. 

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