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Tesla Gigafactory 3 construction in China begins with rapid buildout of perimeter fence
Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai is beginning to take shape, with construction work on the facility entering its first phases. Drone footage taken last Wednesday, for one, recently revealed that workers have seemingly finished laying a perimeter fence around Tesla’s 864,885-square meter plot of land in Shanghai’s Lingang Industrial Zone, paving the way for more work to be done.
The drone footage of Gigafactory 3’s perimeter fence comes just over a week after Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong and Vice Mayor Wu Qing met with Tesla’s leaders in China to check out the company’s new vehicles like the Model 3. During their visit, the officials urged Tesla and other parties involved in the facility’s construction to expedite the buildout of Gigafactory 3.
Tesla’s timeframe for Gigafactory 3 has always been ambitious. When the company initially announced that it plans to start vehicle production in the facility roughly two years after the site’s construction begins, many were dismissive. Tesla critics were quick to note that such a timeframe is too ambitious. Wall Street was equally skeptical, with Consumer Edge Research senior auto analyst James Albertine dubbing Gigafactory 3’s timeline as simply “not feasible.”
Tesla, for its part, eventually opted to change its initial timeline for the facility. Instead of taking a more conservative stance, though, Tesla did the opposite, stating in its Q3 2018 vehicle production and deliveries report that it would be accelerating the construction of Gigafactory 3 even more. Tesla further noted that it expects the project to be a “capital efficient and rapid buildout, using many lessons learned from the Model 3 ramp in North America.”
While the timeframe for Gigafactory 3 is undoubtedly ambitious, the company does enjoy the favor of the Chinese government, allowing Tesla to tap into local resources and manpower. Seemingly as a response to questions about Tesla’s ability to gain funding for the project, for example, reports emerged that local Shanghai banks have given the electric car maker low-interest loans amounting to 30% of the factory’s estimated costs. Tesla’s bid for the 864,885-square meter plot of land also went unchallenged, enabling the company to quickly prepare for the facility’s construction. With this in mind, it appears that the rapid buildout of Gigafactory 3’s perimeter fence is simply yet another sign that the government fully supports the project.
Chinese Media: After Tesla China announced the new pricing structure of Model S and X, many potential customers rush to their nearest Tesla stores to check out the vehicles, many of them were ordered right at the stores, demand largely increased. $TSLA #Tesla #China #TeslaChina pic.twitter.com/NnYUbvsbg4
— vincent (@vincent13031925) December 16, 2018
Gigafactory 3 will play a considerable role in Tesla’s expansion into the Chinese market. By producing vehicles locally, Tesla would be able to avoid the import tariffs placed on its vehicles coming from the United States, while allowing Tesla to release competitively priced cars to go against lower-priced EVs being produced by local carmakers.
China stands as the world’s largest market for electric cars, being a country that is aggressively pushing for sustainable transportation. With this in mind, Tesla’s success in the country would likely be dependent on how it could target the greater Chinese auto industry with its lower-priced vehicles. While the Model S and Model X are mostly seen as status symbols for the successful and wealthy, the luxury sedan and SUV nonetheless cater to the country’s upper class, which represents a much smaller market. With vehicles such as the Model Y and the Model 3 saturating the country from Gigafactory 3, Tesla could tap into China’s ever-growing mainstream electric car market, which is on pace to hit a milestone of 1 million EVs sold in 2018.
Watch the progress of Gigafactory 3 in the video below.
https://youtu.be/rx3mXjQg46U
News
Tesla Semi expands pilot program to Texas logistics firm: here’s what they said
Mone said the Tesla Semi it put into its fleet for this test recorded 1.64 kWh per mile efficiency, beating Tesla’s official 1.7 kWh per mile target and delivering a massive leap over conventional diesel trucks.
Tesla has expanded its Semi pilot program to a new region, as it has made it to Texas to be tested by logistics from Mone Transport. With the Semi entering production this year, Tesla is getting even more valuable data regarding the vehicle and its efficiency, which will help companies cut expenditures.
Mone Transport operates in Texas and on the Southern border, and it specializes in cross-border U.S.-Mexico freight operations. After completing some rigorous testing, Mone shared public results, which stand out when compared to efficiency metrics offered by diesel vehicles.
“Mone Transport recently had the opportunity to put the Tesla Semi to the test, and we’re thrilled with the results! Over 4,700 miles of operations at 1.64 kWh/mile in our Texas operation. We’re committed to providing zero-emission transportation to our customers!” the company said in a post on X.
🚨 Mone Transport just recorded an extremely impressive Tesla Semi test:
1.64 kWh per mile over 4,700 miles! https://t.co/xwS2dDeomP pic.twitter.com/oLZHoQgXsu
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) March 10, 2026
Mone said the Tesla Semi it put into its fleet for this test recorded 1.64 kWh per mile efficiency, beating Tesla’s official 1.7 kWh per mile target and delivering a massive leap over conventional diesel trucks.
Comparable Class 8 diesel semis, typically achieving 6-7 miles per gallon, consume roughly 5.5 kWh per mile in energy-equivalent terms, meaning the Semi uses three to four times less energy while also producing zero tailpipe emissions.
Tesla Semi undergoes major redesign as dedicated factory preps for deliveries
The performance of the Tesla Semi in Mone Transport’s testing aligns with data from other participants in the pilot program. ArcBest’s ABF Freight Division logged 4,494 miles over three weeks in 2025, averaging 1.55 kWh per mile across varied routes, including a grueling 7,200-foot Donner Pass climb. The truck “generally matched the performance of its diesel counterparts,” the carrier said.
PepsiCo, which operates the largest known Semi fleet, recorded 1.7 kWh per mile in North American Council for Freight Efficiency testing. Additional pilots showed similar gains: DHL hit 1.72 kWh per mile, and Saia achieved 1.73 kWh per mile.
These metrics underscore the Semi’s ability to slash operating costs through superior efficiency, lower maintenance, and zero-emission operation. As charging infrastructure scales and production ramps toward 2026 targets, participants like Mone Transport are proving electric semis can seamlessly integrate into freight networks, accelerating the industry’s shift to sustainable, high-performance trucking.
Tesla continues to prep for a more widespread presence of the Semi in the coming months as it recently launched the first public Semi Megacharger site in Los Angeles. It is working on building out infrastructure for regional runs on the West Coast initially, with plans to expand this to the other end of the country in the coming years.
Elon Musk
SpaceX weighs Nasdaq listing as company explores early index entry: report
The company is reportedly seeking early inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 index.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX is reportedly leaning toward listing its shares on the Nasdaq for a potential initial public offering (IPO) that could become the largest in history.
As per a recent report, the company is reportedly seeking early inclusion in the Nasdaq-100 index. The update was reported by Reuters, citing people familiar with the matter.
According to the publication, SpaceX is considering Nasdaq as the venue for its eventual IPO, though the New York Stock Exchange is also competing for the listing. Neither exchange has reportedly been informed of a final decision.
Reuters has previously reported that SpaceX could pursue an IPO as early as June, though the company’s plans could still change.
One of the publication’s sources also suggested that SpaceX is targeting a valuation of about $1.75 trillion for its IPO. At that level, the company would rank among the largest publicly traded firms in the United States by market capitalization.
Nasdaq has proposed a rule change that could accelerate the inclusion of newly listed megacap companies into the Nasdaq-100 index.
Under the proposed “Fast Entry” rule, a newly listed company could qualify for the index in less than a month if its market capitalization ranks among the top 40 companies already included in the Nasdaq-100.
If SpaceX is successful in achieving its target valuation of $1.75 trillion, it would become the sixth-largest company by market value in the United States, at least based on recent share prices.
Newly listed companies typically have to wait up to a year before becoming eligible for major indexes such as the Nasdaq-100 or S&P 500.
Inclusion in a major index can significantly broaden a company’s shareholder base because many institutional investors purchase shares through index-tracking funds.
According to Reuters, Nasdaq’s proposed fast-track rule is partly intended to attract highly valued private companies such as SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic to list on the exchange.
Elon Musk
The Boring Company’s Prufrock-2 emerges after completing new Vegas Loop tunnel
The new tunnel measures 2.28 miles, making it the company’s longest single Vegas Loop tunnel to date.
The Boring Company announced that its Prufrock-2 tunnel boring machine (TBM) has completed another Vegas Loop tunnel in Las Vegas. The company shared the update in a post on social media platform X.
According to The Boring Company’s post, the new tunnel measures 2.28 miles, making it the company’s longest single Vegas Loop tunnel to date.
The new tunnel marks the fourth tunnel constructed near Westgate Las Vegas as the Vegas Loop network continues expanding across the city.
The Boring Company also noted that the new tunnel surpassed its previous internal record of 2.26 miles for a single Vegas Loop segment.
Construction of the tunnel involved moving roughly 68,000 cubic yards of dirt. The excavation process also used about 4.8 miles of continuous conveyor belt, powered by six motors totaling 825 horsepower.
The Boring Company’s Prufrock-series all-electric tunnel boring machines are designed to support the rapid expansion of company’s underground transportation projects, including the growing Vegas Loop network. Prufrock machines are designed for reusability, thanks in no small part to their capability to be deployed and retrieved easily through their “porposing” feature.
The Vegas Loop, specifically the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) Loop segment, has already been used during major events. Most recently, the LVCC Loop supported the 2026 CONEXPO-CON/AGG construction trade show, which was held from March 3-7, 2026.
As per The Boring Company, the LVCC Loop transported roughly 82,000 passengers across the convention center campus during the event’s duration.
CONEXPO-CON/AGG is one of the largest construction trade shows in North America, drawing more than 140,000 construction professionals from 128 countries this year.
The LVCC Loop forms the initial segment of the broader Vegas Loop network, which remains under active development as The Boring Company continues building new tunnels throughout the city.
Tesla Semi expands pilot program to Texas logistics firm: here’s what they said
SpaceX weighs Nasdaq listing as company explores early index entry: report
