Tesla has officially broken ground on the $3.6 billion expansion of Gigafactory Nevada, which will add 4 million square feet of manufacturing space and two new facilities for Semi and 4680 cell production.
Tesla announced the project nearly a year ago, on January 24, 2023. The project is expected to add 6,500 additional full-time employees and produce enough 4680 cells for 2 million light-duty vehicles every year.
The company has been working through the early processes of permitting and other things, like tax breaks, for which Tesla received $330 million.
Now, Tesla has finally broken ground on the project, according to drone footage from Zanegler:
There is already a significant footprint of ground being excavated right next to the main structure of Gigafactory Nevada, where one of the facilities, either for the Semi of 4680 cell lines, will be built:
The project will bring major leaps forward in the Semi project, which has ramped very slowly. Tesla has sent several units to Pepsi, which has been using the units for local deliveries, giving the company a look into what it should expect in terms of efficiency and real-world performance.
Additionally, the 4680 project has been behind schedule for the most part.
Tesla has been able to ramp production of the cell, but not to initially expected levels. Suppliers like Panasonic are expected to produce the cell in the near future.
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