Connect with us

News

Tesla begins Giga Press manufacturing at Fremont factory, first sighting in action

(Credit: FoundryPlanet/YouTube)

Published

on

A recent flyover of Tesla’s Fremont production factory in Northern California has revealed the first looks at the all-too-elusive Giga Press as it was spotted in action. The Giga Press is a machine Tesla is installing at its manufacturing plants to increase production efficiency and improve vehicle build quality.

A flyover of the plant from YouTuber Gabeincal shows several portions of the Fremont factory, including offloading recently completed vehicles into haulers for customer delivery. Looking for clues that would confirm details of the rumored Model S and Model X refresh, Gabeincal stumbled upon something else: the Giga Press.

The “house-sized” casting machine was installed at Tesla’s Fremont Factory in August 2020, a project that was confirmed by Elon Musk in a Tweet with @WholeMarsBlog. “Will be amazing to see it in operation,” Musk wrote. Biggest casting machine ever made. Will make rear body in a single piece, including crash rails.” The machine is 64 feet long, 17 feet tall, and weighs 410 tons, according to IDRA, the machine’s manufacturer.

Advertisement

Tesla has long planned for the inclusion of new processes that will make manufacturing vehicles easier. It is the key to delivering 1 million vehicles with only a few production plants in operation in 2021, even though two more are expected to begin operation later this year.

The Giga Press is part of Tesla’s global plan to increase production efforts across its manufacturing facilities. It has already been installed in Giga Shanghai, where Model Y production has recently started, and in Giga Berlin, where the same vehicle will be prioritized when production begins later this year. Parts of the Giga Press have also arrived in Austin at Tesla’s Giga Texas facility. It is a major step in the right direction for Tesla as its EVs are ahead in technology and battery quality, but manufacturing density is where Tesla lacks.

Other car companies build 20 million vehicles a year, and Tesla is just a newcomer in the grand scheme of the automotive industry. In order to catch up on years of experience, Tesla has refined its focus to improving manufacturing. The Giga Press is a way for Tesla to build more vehicles using fewer parts, it will also cut down on overall production time, allowing the company to build more vehicles every year.

ALSO READ:

Fascinating look at Tesla’s mammoth ‘Giga Press’ machine being assembled

Advertisement

The inspiration for the Giga Press was the Hot Wheels version of Tesla’s EVs. Musk said that “Sandy (Munro) accurately pointed out, the rear of the Model 3 looks like a patchwork quilt. It’s not great…The current version of the Model Y has basically two big high-pressure die-cast aluminum castings that are joined. Later this year, we will transition a single piece casting that also integrates the two rear crash rails.”

As Tesla continues to battle production efficiencies in its mission to expand and scale production, the Giga Press operation in Fremont will revolutionize the manufacturing processes for its vehicles moving forward.

Check out Gabeincal’s video of the Fremont Giga Press in action below. It begins at 5:15 and lasts around a minute and a half.

H/t: @TeslaNY on Twitter

Advertisement

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

Advertisement
Comments

News

Waymo temporarily halts service in select San Francisco and LA areas amid protests

The suspensions came after several Waymo Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis were vandalized and set ablaze during the demonstrations.

Published

on

Credit: ABC7/YouTube

Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle subsidiary, has suspended its driverless taxi operations in parts of Los Angeles and San Francisco amid violent protests linked to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in the state. 

The suspensions came after several Waymo Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis were vandalized and set ablaze during the demonstrations.

Waymo Catches Strays Amid Anti-ICE Protests

Protests erupted in Los Angeles and San Francisco in response to the Trump administration’s immigration raids, which ultimately resulted in California Governor Gavin Newsom calling the White House’s deployment of National Guard troops unconstitutional. 

Amidst the protests, images and videos emerged showing several Waymo robotaxis being defaced and destroyed. At least five Waymo robotaxis ended up being caught in the crossfire, and at least one vehicle ended up being burned to the ground. 

The incident resulted in the Los Angeles Police Department advising people to avoid downtown areas due to toxic fumes from the robotaxis’ burning lithium-ion batteries. As noted in a KRON4 report, Waymo ultimately halted service in affected areas “out of an abundance of caution.”

Advertisement

Robotaxi Sentiments

The cost of the attacks is notable. Each Waymo robotaxi is valued between $150,000 and $200,000, per a 2024 Wall Street Journal report. Interestingly enough, this is not the first time that Waymo’s robotaxis ended up on the receiving end of angry protesters. On February 24, a Jaguar I-PACE robotaxi was set ablaze and vandalized by a crowd in San Francisco. Videos taken at the time showed a mob of people attacking the vehicle. 

Despite the recent attacks on its robotaxis, Waymo has stated it has “no reason to believe” its vehicles were specifically targeted during the protests, as per a report from The Washington Post. A company spokesperson also noted that some of the Waymo robotaxis that were defaced and destroyed during the violent demonstrations had been completing drop-offs near the protest zones.

Continue Reading

Investor's Corner

xAI targets $5 billion debt offering to fuel company goals

Elon Musk’s xAI is targeting a $5B debt raise, led by Morgan Stanley, to scale its artificial intelligence efforts.

Published

on

(Credit: xAI)

xAI’s $5 billion debt offering, marketed by Morgan Stanley, underscores Elon Musk’s ambitious plans to expand the artificial intelligence venture. The xAI package comprises bonds and two loans, highlighting the company’s strategic push to fuel its artificial intelligence development.

Last week, Morgan Stanley began pitching a floating-rate term loan B at 97 cents on the dollar with a variable interest rate of 700 basis points over the SOFR benchmark, one source said. A second option offers a fixed-rate loan and bonds at 12%, with terms contingent on investor appetite. This “best efforts” transaction, where the debt size hinges on demand, reflects cautious lending in an uncertain economic climate.

According to Reuters sources, Morgan Stanley will not guarantee the issue volume or commit its own capital in the xAI deal, marking a shift from past commitments. The change in approach stems from lessons learned during Musk’s 2022 X acquisition when Morgan Stanley and six other banks held $13 billion in debt for over two years.

Morgan Stanley and the six other banks backing Musk’s X acquisition could only dispose of that debt earlier this year. They capitalized on X’s improved operating performance over the previous two quarters as traffic on the platform increased engagement around the U.S. presidential elections. This time, Morgan Stanley’s prudent strategy mitigates similar risks.

Advertisement

Beyond debt, xAI is in talks to raise $20 billion in equity, potentially valuing the company between $120 billion and $200 billion, sources said. In April, Musk hinted at a significant valuation adjustment for xAI, stating he was looking to put a “proper value” on xAI during an investor call.

As xAI pursues this $5 billion debt offering, its financial strategy positions it to lead the AI revolution, blending innovation with market opportunity.

Continue Reading

News

SpaceX to debut new Dragon capsule in Axiom Space launch

Ax-4’s launch marks the debut of SpaceX’s latest Crew Dragon and pushes Axiom closer to building its own space station.

Published

on

spacex-dragon-axiom-ax-4-mission-iss
(Credit: SpaceX)

Axiom Space’s Ax-4 mission targets the International Space Station (ISS) with a new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

The Axiom team will launch a new SpaceX Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday at 8:00 a.m. EDT (1200 GMT). The Ax-4 mission launch was initially set for Tuesday, June 10, but was delayed by one day due to expected high winds.

As Axiom Space’s fourth crewed mission to the ISS, Ax-4 marks the debut of an updated SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. “This is the first flight for this Dragon capsule, and it’s carrying an international crew—a perfect debut. We’ve upgraded storage, propulsion components, and the seat lash design for improved reliability and reuse,” said William Gerstenmaier, SpaceX’s vice president of build and flight reliability.

Axiom Space is a Houston-based private space infrastructure company. It has been launching private astronauts to the ISS for research and training since 2022, building expertise for its future station. With NASA planning to decommission the ISS by 2030, Axiom has laid the groundwork for the Axiom Station, the world’s first commercial space station. The company has already begun construction on its ISS replacement.

Advertisement

The Ax-4 mission’s research, spanning biological, life, and material sciences and Earth observation, will support this ambitious goal. Contributions from 31 countries underscore the mission’s global scope. The four-person crew will launch from Launch Complex 39A, embarking on a 14-day mission to conduct approximately 60 scientific studies.

“The AX-4 crew represents the very best of international collaboration, dedication, and human potential. Over the past 10 months, these astronauts have trained with focus and determination, each of them exceeding the required thresholds to ensure mission safety, scientific rigor, and operational excellence,” said Allen Flynt, Axiom Space’s chief of mission services.

The Ax-4 mission highlights Axiom’s commitment to advancing commercial space exploration. By leveraging SpaceX’s Dragon capsule and conducting diverse scientific experiments, Axiom is paving the way for its Axiom Station. This mission not only strengthens international collaborations but also positions Axiom as a leader in the evolving landscape of private space infrastructure.

Continue Reading

Trending