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The Year of the ‘Giga Press’: How Tesla’s monster machines can complete Elon Musk’s 2nd Master Plan

(Credit: FoundryPlanet/YouTube)

Published

5 years ago

December 20, 2020

Simon Alvarez

One of the most exciting developments from Tesla eagerly awaited by the electric car community is the company’s use of its giant casting machines. Dubbed by its maker IDRA as the “Giga Press,” the house-sized monster machines are capable of producing single-cast pieces for Tesla’s vehicles, starting with the Model Y.

The Giga Press lives up to its name. Its physical footprint is formidable, measuring 20 meters x 7.5 meters x 6 meters. It also weighs a whopping 430 tons, or about five Space Shuttles. So massive is the Giga Press that it takes up to 24 flatbed trucks to transport its components.

When operating, the Giga Presses are no slouch, as they have a cycle time of ~80‒90 seconds, which translates to an output rate of 40‒45 completed castings per hour, or about ~1,000 castings per day. That’s over 300,000 castings per year, per machine.

A Platoon of Giga Presses

So far, Tesla has set up two Giga Presses on the grounds of the Fremont Factory. Flyovers of the site show that the two machines are already set up, though it remains to be seen when they would formally be deployed. Over in China, three other Giga Presses have been spotted in the Giga Shanghai complex, though the units were reportedly built by LK Machinery, IDRA’s parent company.

But what is rather remarkable is that Tesla has several more Giga Presses in order. Sandy Munro, in a recent interview with electric vehicle advocate Sean Mitchell, noted that he has heard through the grapevine that Tesla has ordered 11 more units of the Giga Presses. Previous reports point to Giga Berlin receiving eight of the machines, and flyovers at the Giga Texas site seem to reveal three isolation pits for the monster machines in the area.

Needless to say, the Giga Press is poised to become a key part of Tesla’s Gigafactories from now on. As Tesla rolls out its single-piece cast design for the vehicles in its lineup, the company’s platoon of Giga Press machines will likely play an even bigger role. This role will likely become prominent starting next year, 2021.

The Year of the Giga Press

Tesla has always been a rebel of sorts, and this became extremely prominent this year. 2020 will likely be known as the year when the world stopped, and automakers suffered deep wounds due to the pandemic. Tesla, being a company that has always swum against the current, thrived instead of dropped. It is even poised to end the year as the newest member of the S&P 500.

But 2020 is only the beginning of a new chapter in the Tesla story. With the company now on more stable footing, the electric car maker can focus on executing its ramp for 2021. This ramp would likely involve Tesla aiming to produce close to, or perhaps up to, a million vehicles in one year. Such a ramp would require the full deployment of its Giga Press machines.

There is little doubt that Giga Press No.1 and No.2 at the Fremont Factory will be deployed fully soon. Giga Press No.3, No.4, and No.5 at Gigafactory Shanghai will likely be operational in early 2021 as well. And with Gigafactory Berlin likely starting Model Y production sometime next year, there is a good chance that several of its Giga Presses would go live next year as well. These, as well as the speculated machines in the Cybertruck Gigafactory in Texas, should allow Tesla to turn 2021 into the year of the Giga Press.

A Multi-Segment Approach

Tesla is a company with a big goal, one which focuses on the Master Plan of its CEO. So far, Tesla has pretty much completed Elon Musk’s first Master Plan, but Part Deux still needs some worth to accomplish. This is especially true for one aspect of the CEO’s target—expanding the company’s vehicle product line to address all major segments.

So far, Tesla has vehicles that compete in the large sedan, midsize sedan, SUV, and crossover market. This is one of the reasons why there is still so much more for Tesla to do. Granted, the Cybertruck will address the pickup market, the Semi will address the long-haul segment, and the new Roadster will compete in the supercar market. But there are still other segments to tap. One of these is the compact car market, which is populated with small, low-cost vehicles that are extremely aggressively priced.

Tesla and Elon Musk have both noted that the company will be producing a $25,000 electric car that is smaller and cheaper than the Model 3. Such a vehicle would likely be equipped with the best innovations that the company can offer for it to be profitable. These include low-cost and disruptive tabless 4680 battery cells and massive single-piece casts that are produced with the Giga Press. And considering that both Giga Shanghai and Giga Berlin seem poised to produce the $25,000 Tesla, there seems to be a good chance that the company’s Giga Press platoon is only bound to get bigger in the near future.

Watch Sandy Munro and Sean Mitchell’s conversations about Tesla and its innovations in the video below.

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News

Tesla rolls out most aggressive Model Y lease deal in the US yet

With the promotion in place, customers would be able to take home a Model Y at a very low cost.

Published

4 hours ago

November 15, 2025

Simon Alvarez

(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has rolled out what could very well be its most aggressive promotion for Model Y leases in the United States yet. With the promotion in place, customers would be able to take home a Model Y at a very low cost.

Zero downpayment leases

The new Model Y lease promotion was initially reported on X, with industry watcher Sawyer Merritt stating that while the vehicles’ monthly payments are still similar to before, the cars can now be ordered with a $0 downpayment.

Tesla community members noted that this promotion would cut the full payment cost of Model Y leases by several thousand dollars, though prices were still a bit better when the $7,500 federal tax credit was still in effect. Despite this, a $0 downpayment would likely be appreciated by customers, as it lowers the entry point to the Tesla ecosystem by a notable margin.

NEWS: Tesla has just effectively lowered U.S. Model Y lease prices by $3,000 by eliminating the down payment. The starting monthly price stays the same at $479/mo, but now you can get that with $0 down (vs $3k before).

Plus, every new lease includes one free upgrade — your… pic.twitter.com/roT6dAZwRf— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) November 15, 2025

Premium freebies included

Apart from a $0 downpayment, customers of Model Y leases are also provided one free upgrade for their vehicles. These upgrades could be premium paint, such as Pearl White Multi-Coat, Deep Blue Metallic, Diamond Black, Quicksilver or Ultra Red, or 20″ Helix 2.0 Wheels. Customers could also opt for a White Interior or a Tow Hitch free of charge.

A look at Tesla’s Model Y order page shows that the promotion is available for all the Model Y Premium Rear-Wheel Drive and the Model Y Premium All-Wheel Drive. The Model Y Standard and the Model Y Performance are not eligible for the $0 downpayment or free premium upgrade promotion as of writing.

@teslarati 🚨 Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.1.7 is here and here’s some things it did extremely well! #tesla #teslafsd #fullselfdriving ♬ You Have It – Marscott

News

Tesla is looking to phase out China-made parts at US factories: report

Tesla has reportedly swapped out several China-made components already, aiming to complete the transition within the next two years.

Published

4 hours ago

November 15, 2025

Simon Alvarez

(Source: Tesla)

Tesla has reportedly started directing its suppliers to eliminate China-made components from vehicles built in the United States. This would make Tesla’s US-produced vehicles even more American-made.

The update was initially reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Accelerating North American sourcing

As per the WSJ report, the shift reportedly came amidst escalating tariff uncertainties between Washington and Beijing. Citing people reportedly familiar with the matter, the publication claimed that Tesla has already swapped out several China-made components, aiming to complete the transition within the next two years. The publication also claimed that Tesla has been reducing its reliance on China-based suppliers since the pandemic disrupted supply chains.

The company has quietly increased North American sourcing over the past two years as tariff concerns have intensified. If accurate, Tesla would likely end up with vehicles that are even more locally sourced than they are today. It would remain to be seen, however, if a change in suppliers for its US-made vehicles would result in price adjustments for cars like the Model 3 and Model Y.

Industry-wide reassessments

Tesla is not alone in reevaluating its dependence on China. Auto executives across the automotive industry have been in rapid-response mode amid shifting trade policies, chip supply anxiety, and concerns over rare-earth materials. Fluctuating tariffs between the United States and China during President Donald Trump’s current term have made pricing strategies quite unpredictable as well, as noted in a Reuters report.

General Motors this week issued a similar directive to thousands of suppliers, instructing them to remove China-origin components from their supply chains. The same is true for Stellantis, which also announced earlier this year that it was implementing several strategies to avoid tariffs that were placed by the Trump administration.

@teslarati 🚨 Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.1.7 is here and here’s some things it did extremely well! #tesla #teslafsd #fullselfdriving ♬ You Have It – Marscott

News

Tesla owners propose interesting theory about Apple CarPlay and EV tax credit

“100%. It’s needed for sales because for many prospective buyers, CarPlay is a nonnegotiable must-have. If they knew how good the Tesla UI is, they wouldn’t think they need CarPlay,” one owner said.

Published

1 day ago

November 14, 2025

Joey Klender

Credit: Tesla Raj/YouTube

Tesla is reportedly bracing for the integration of Apple’s well-known iOS automotive platform, CarPlay, into its vehicles after the company had avoided it for years.

However, now that it’s here, owners are more than clear that they do not want it, and they have their theories about why it’s on its way. Some believe it might have to do with the EV tax credit, or rather, the loss of it.

Owners are more interested in why Tesla is doing this now, especially considering that so many have been outspoken about the fact that they would not use it in favor of the company’s user interface (UI), which is extremely well done.

After Bloomberg reported that Tesla was working on Apple CarPlay integration, the reactions immediately started pouring in. From my perspective, having used both Apple CarPlay in two previous vehicles and going to Tesla’s in-house UI in my Model Y, both platforms definitely have their advantages.

However, Tesla’s UI just works with its vehicles, as it is intuitive and well-engineered for its cars specifically. Apple CarPlay was always good, but it was buggy at times, which could be attributed to the vehicle and not the software, and not as user-friendly, but that is subjective.

Nevertheless, upon the release of Bloomberg’s report, people immediately challenged the need for it:

Everyone thinks they need it. I would think that too if I didn’t know how good Tesla’s interface was. CarPlay is a crappy layer on top of crappy info-navs, and people think it’s an imperative because it provides a level of consistency from car to car. They have no clue how much…

— Rich Stafford (@r26174_rich) November 14, 2025

How can it not be when the best engineers choose Tesla over Apple and Tesla’s core focus is auto vs Apple being mobile. It’s what Tesla does every day. It’s a side project for Apple. Still Apple is much better than any other auto OEM who attract lesser talent and make digital…

— Emu (@confessedemu) November 14, 2025

Some fans proposed an interesting point: What if Tesla is using CarPlay as a counter to losing the $7,500 EV tax credit? Perhaps it is an interesting way to attract customers who have not owned a Tesla before but are more interested in having a vehicle equipped with CarPlay?

Tesla has made a handful of moves to attract people to its cars after losing the tax credit. This could be a small but potentially mighty strategy that will pull some carbuyers to Tesla, especially now that the Apple CarPlay box is checked.