Tesla’s Giga Texas expansion project, which will make way for an “ecological paradise” open to the public just outside the automotive production facility, has been approved by the City of Austin.
On September 21, we originally reported that Tesla was planning to revise its original application for Giga Texas, showing a proposed expansion of the site. The Limits of Construction (LOC) in both acreage and square footage had increased by 12 acres and 500,000 square feet, as shown in documents seen by Teslarati. Acreage increased from 268 to 280, while square footage expanded from 11,674,080, to 12,196,800.
Tesla adds 500k square feet to Gigafactory Texas for ‘ecological paradise’
Documents did not outline what the expansion would be used for, but as Giga Texas is expected to build hundreds of thousands of vehicles per year, we speculated it could be to increase production output in the coming years. However, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told us that it the expansion was filed to make way for the “ecological paradise” the automaker planned to build on-site, which will essentially act as a public park.
Musk also indicated that while Tesla did file to expand Giga Texas, the project won’t begin immediately. Instead, Giga Texas needs to be financially “on its feet,” as Musk stated earlier this year that both this factory and Giga Berlin, the other site Tesla gained operational approval for this year, were “gigantic money furnaces.”
Musk said in 2020, when Tesla announced that it would build its newest factory in Texas just outside Austin, that the plant would have an “ecological paradise” that would feature a boardwalk and other activities to highlight the areas surrounding the factory. Musk reiterated to Teslarati that this was still the plan, as well as a path that would allow visitors to walk, bike, or kayak to downtown Austin. Musk also stated Tesla could develop an electric boat for the Colorado River, which would be available to visitors for potential travel into the City.
Tesla can move forward with the project whenever as of now, as the City of Austin approved the project just eight days after Tesla initially filed it. The proposed application was examined and passed all relevant processes, including a Mapping Review, Addressing Review, Environmental Assessment, and Drainage Plan, among several others. The overall Site Plan review was completed on September 28.
Be sure to check back to Teslarati for updates on this project. As it moves forward, we will be following the application and development of the site.
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk hints what Tesla’s new vehicle will be
After Musk’s post earlier this week, many considered the possibility that the Tesla CEO was potentially talking about the Roadster, which is slated for an unveiling (again) next month. Some considered the possibility of the Robovan, which was unveiled back in 2024.
Elon Musk hinted at what Tesla’s new vehicle will be just a day or so after he essentially confirmed the company is developing something that will eventually be available for consumers.
Earlier this week, Musk said that something “way cooler than a minivan” was on the way from Tesla after a fan posted on X that the company needed to build something for larger families. Requesting this type of vehicle has been a move of many Tesla fans over the years, but now, the urgency is even higher for this type of car because of the company’s decision to sunset the Model X.
Following reports of Musk’s plans to build something that will be cooler than a minivan, speculation consisted of what could possibly be on the way.
Tesla has teased a CyberSUV for quite a while, and there were even some clay models built by the company that were strategically placed in a promotional video.
After Musk’s post earlier this week, many considered the possibility that the Tesla CEO was potentially talking about the Roadster, which is slated for an unveiling (again) next month. Some considered the possibility of the Robovan, which was unveiled back in 2024.
However, a new post from Musk seems to indicate that it will be a new project altogether. After one follower of Musk’s said:
“If Tesla makes a car with 3 rows of seats, each with its own pair of doors so nobody has to climb over anybody else to get to their seat, they will create a baby boom the likes of which we haven’t seen in 80 years.”
Musk’s reply was simple but definitely shed more insight into the company’s plans, as he said:
“Noted.”
Musk’s simple one-word answer might be enough to essentially expect something large, like a full-sized SUV. This would be an incredible addition to the Tesla lineup, especially as the Model X is going away.
Noted
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 26, 2026
Even the Model X is not quite big enough, and not comparable to vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe, so a three-row, six-door SUV might be exactly what Tesla fans want.
It certainly does not sound like Tesla is planning to launch the Model Y L in the U.S., at least not exclusively, or use that car, which is currently built in China, to solve the needs of a larger family.
Tesla gives big hint that it will build Cyber SUV, smaller Cybertruck
It seems the time has certainly come for Tesla to answer the call of what consumers want. This has long been requested, and although the company’s sights are ultimately set on achieving full autonomy, there is still a need for larger families, and a full-size SUV could be a great addition for Tesla as it moves into the second quarter of 2026.
Energy
Tesla’s newest “Folding V4 Superchargers” are key to its most aggressive expansion yet
Tesla’s folding V4 Supercharger ships 33% more per truck, cuts deployment time and cost significantly.
Tesla is rolling out a folding V4 Supercharger design, an engineering change that allows 33% more units to fit on a single delivery truck, cuts deployment time in half, and reduces overall installation cost by roughly 20%.
The folding mechanism addresses one of the least glamorous but most consequential bottlenecks in charging infrastructure: getting hardware from factory floor to job site efficiently. By collapsing the form factor for transit and unfolding into an operational configuration on arrival, the new design dramatically reduces the logistics overhead that has historically slowed Supercharger rollouts, particularly at large or remote sites where multiple units are needed simultaneously.
The timing aligns with a broader acceleration in Tesla’s network strategy. In March 2026, Tesla’s Gigafactory New York produced its final V3 Supercharger cabinet after more than seven years and 15,000 units, pivoting entirely to V4 cabinet production. The V4 cabinet itself is already a generational leap, delivering up to 500 kW per stall for passenger vehicles and up to 1.2 MW for the Tesla Semi, while supporting twice the stalls per cabinet at three times the power density of its predecessor. The folding transport innovation layers logistical efficiency on top of that technical foundation.
Tesla launches first ‘true’ East Coast V4 Supercharger: here’s what that means
Tesla Charging’s Director Max de Zegher, commenting on the V4 cabinet when it launched, captured the operational philosophy behind these changes: “Posts can peak up to 500kW for cars, but we need less than 1MW across 8 posts to deliver maximum power to cars 99% of the time.” The design philosophy has always been about maximizing real-world throughput, not just peak specs, and the folding transport upgrade extends that thinking into the supply chain itself.
Posts can peak up to 500kW for cars, but we need less than 1MW across 8 posts to deliver maximum power to cars 99% of the time.
No more DC busbar between cabinets. Power comes from a single V4 cabinet to 8 stalls. Easier to install, cheaper, more reliable.
Introducing Folding Unit Superchargers
– V4 cabinet with 500kW charging
– 8 posts per unit
– 2 units per truck
– 2 configurations: folded, unfoldedFaster. Cheaper. Better. pic.twitter.com/YyALz0U5cA
— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) March 25, 2026
The network is expanding rapidly on multiple fronts. The first true 500 kW V4 Supercharger on the East Coast opened in Kissimmee, Florida in March 2026, followed closely by a new site in Nashville, Tennessee. A public Megacharger for the Tesla Semi launched in Ontario, California in early March, with 37 additional Megacharger sites targeted for completion by end of year. Meanwhile, more than 27,500 Supercharger stalls are now accessible to non-Tesla EVs from brands including Ford, GM, Rivian, Hyundai, and most recently Stellantis, whose Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Fiat, and Maserati BEV customers gained access in March 2026.
As Tesla pushes toward a denser, faster, and more open charging network, innovations like the folding V4 Supercharger reflect the company’s growing focus on deployment velocity, not just hardware performance. Getting chargers to the ground faster, cheaper, and in greater volume per shipment may ultimately matter as much as the kilowatts they deliver.
Elon Musk
The Boring Company clears final Nashville hurdle: Music City loop is full speed ahead
The Boring Company has cleared its final Nashville hurdles, putting the Music City Loop on track for 2026.
The Boring Company has cleared one of its most significant regulatory milestones yet, securing a key easement from the Music City Center in Nashville just days ago, the latest in a series of approvals that have pushed the Music City Loop project firmly into construction reality.
On March 24, 2026, the Convention Center Authority voted to grant The Boring Company access to an easement along the west side of the Music City Center property, allowing tunneling beneath the privately owned venue. The move follows a unanimous 7-0 vote by the Metro Nashville Airport Authority on February 18, and a joint state and federal approval from the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration on February 25. Together, these green lights have cleared the path for a roughly 10-mile underground tunnel connecting downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport, with potential extensions into midtown along West End Avenue.
Music City Loop could highlight The Boring Company’s real disruption
Nashville was selected by The Boring Company largely because of its rapid population growth and the strain that growth has placed on surface infrastructure. Traffic has become a persistent problem for residents, convention visitors, and airport travelers alike. The Music City Loop promises an approximately 8-minute underground transit time between downtown and the Nashville International Airport (BNA), removing thousands of vehicles from surface roads daily while operating as a fully electric, zero-emissions system at no cost to taxpayers.
The project fits squarely within a broader vision Musk has championed for years. In responding to a breakdown of the Loop’s construction costs, Musk posted on X: “Tunnels are so underrated.” The comment reflected a longstanding belief that underground transit represents one of the most cost-effective and scalable infrastructure solutions available. The Boring Company has claimed it can build 13 miles of twin tunnels in Nashville for between $240 million and $300 million total, a fraction of what comparable projects cost elsewhere in the country.

Image Credit: The Boring Company/Twitter
The Las Vegas Loop, The Boring Company’s first operational system, has served as a proof of concept. During the CONEXPO trade show in March 2026, the Vegas Loop transported approximately 82,000 passengers over five days at the Las Vegas Convention Center, demonstrating the system’s capacity during large-scale events. Nashville draws millions of convention visitors and tourists each year, and local business leaders have pointed to that same capacity as a major draw for supporting the project.
The Music City Loop was first announced in July 2025. Construction began within hours of the February 25 state approval, with The Boring Company’s Prufrock tunneling machine already in the ground the same evening. The first operational segment is targeted for late 2026, with the full route expected to be complete by 2029. The project represents one of the largest privately funded infrastructure efforts currently underway in the United States.