A recent report from China has suggested that Tesla Gigafactory Mexico is now expected to start vehicle production around Q1 2025. The electric vehicle maker reportedly shared the updated target timeframe to component suppliers in China.
With the update in mind, it would appear that Gigafactory Mexico’s production may end up starting one or two quarters later than initially expected. Citing people reportedly familiar with the matter, China-based publication Late Post noted that Tesla ended up underestimating the difficulty of building a facility in Mexico.
As per the publication, Tesla has reportedly informed its suppliers that if they fail to complete localized production in Mexico by 2025, they might not only find it difficult to secure orders from the upcoming facility, they may also lose their export deals to Tesla’s American factories.
As per reports, Tesla might not provide additional assistance to Chinese suppliers that would be setting up shop in Mexico, nor did the EV maker promise to provide orders to Chinese companies overseas. This does not mean to say that Tesla’s suppliers will not benefit from an investment in Mexico.
Citing a supplier from the EV maker, the publication noted that Tesla, for selected partners, at least, will adopt a purchase price in Mexico that’s 18%-20% higher than its orders in China. With such a setup in place, the supplier estimated that building a factory in Mexico would increase gross margins by around 3 points.
Tesla Gigafactory Mexico is arguably the most ambitious vehicle production facility from the electric vehicle maker. The upcoming factory is expected to have a production capacity of 2 million vehicles, and estimates suggest that Tesla’s investment would be around $10 billion. Giga Mexico is also expected to employ around 7,000 workers.
As a car factory, Giga Mexico is tasked with the production of Tesla’s next-generation vehicle, which is expected to be priced at about $25,000 range. Such a vehicle requires a notable amount of production innovations on Tesla’s part, as the upcoming EV would be produced at volumes that far exceed that of the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover.
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