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Tesla is looking to build on-site housing for Gigafactory 1 employees, says Elon Musk
At some point in the future, some employees working at Tesla’s Gigafactory 1 in Nevada would be able to simply walk or bike to their homes after a shift at the massive facility. Tesla is looking to expand Gigafactory 1, with Elon Musk recently stating during a conversation with NV Gov. Brian Sandoval that he envisions the company to hire more than 20,000 people for the factory. To help house this upcoming influx of workers, Musk noted that Tesla is looking to create an on-site housing compound in Gigafactory 1’s premises.
Tesla’s NV Gigafactory is less than 30% complete, but it already employs roughly 7,000 people. During a technology and innovation summit held at the factory on Tuesday, Elon Musk stated that in order for Gigafactory 1 to hit its target number of employees, the area needs to offer more infrastructure, such as schools, buildings, roads, and affordable housing. As a way to address the need for more housing units for Gigafactory 1’s future workers, Musk noted that Tesla is considering a project that involves building a housing compound for its employees.
“The biggest constraint on growth here is housing and infrastructure. We’re looking at creating a housing compound on site at the Gigafactory, using kind of high-quality mobile homes,” Musk stated.
Nevada’s real estate market was affected by the arrival of Gigafactory 1. The state of Nevada took a blow during the housing crash and recession, and by 2010, the state had a 14% unemployment rate, with more than 175,000 Nevada residents being unemployed. When Brian Sandoval became governor after winning the 2010 race, Nevada was ranked as one of the worst states in terms of bankruptcies and home foreclosures. To push the state’s recovery, Sandoval worked to attract tech companies to set up shop in the state. One of these companies was Tesla, which chose Nevada as the site for its Gigafactory 1.
Gigafactory 1 is located about 25 miles east of Reno, NV. For now, many of the facility’s employees live in Reno, as well as several surrounding cities linked to the battery factory via I-80 and the newly-completed Hwy 50, such as Carson City, Fernley, and Sparks. Real-estate prices in areas around Gigafactory 1 have risen over the past years. In Reno alone, the average monthly rent is now $1,318 per month, a 58% increase over rental rates six years ago. In the Reno/Sparks area, median home prices recently hit an all-time high, reaching $389,000 in July. Considering Musk’s new guidance, Gigafactory 1’s employees would almost triple once the facility is complete. Thus, there is definitely a need for practical, affordable housing around the facility.
It remains to be seen what type of housing Tesla would introduce for Gigafactory 1’s employees. That said, the housing initiative does go in line with some ideas that Elon Musk recently expressed. During his now-infamous podcast with Joe Rogan, for one, Musk teased the concept of a smart home with a more efficient air conditioning system. Musk’s side venture, The Boring Company, has also developed the Boring Bricks, which are designed as a cost-effective way to construct homes. Considering Elon Musk’s penchant for the creative, there is a good chance that Tesla’s on-site housing compound at Gigafactory 1 might feature some notable elements as well.
The concept of the mill towns, or settlements that are built around factories, have been around since the late 1800’s. In recent years, some of Silicon Valley’s most prominent companies have explored a rather similar concept. Last year, for example, Google and Facebook issued a proposal to build self-contained towns near their respective headquarters. These towns would feature amenities such as their own grocery stores, shops, cafes, movie theaters, gyms, and hundreds of apartments that can accommodate the companies’ expanding employee base. If Elon Musk’s words would prove to be true, it might only be a matter of time before a sort of “Tesla town” emerges just outside of Reno, Nevada.
Tesla has officially put the Cybercab up for sale, revealing a bargain price and a $299 per month “Autonomy Subscription” that could hit customer hands as soon as December.
The offer requires a $299 monthly Autonomy Subscription, with the first month included in the purchase price, along with a $1,000 non-refundable order deposit. Tesla’s ordering interface shows deliveries targeted for Austin, Texas.
Tesla says that the Cybercab is making transportation more efficient, affordable and accessible than ever before, and that buyers can order their own Cybercab for personal use.
🚨🚨🚨 BREAKING: Tesla Cybercab is officially on sale for $29,990 with a $299/mo “Autonomy Subscription”
Delivery slotted for December! HUGE!
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
The Cybercab is Tesla’s dedicated robotaxi, a gold-finished, two-passenger vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, designed from the outset for unsupervised autonomous operation. It has been in limited Robotaxi service in Austin since September 2026, operating alongside Tesla’s larger fleet of Model Y vehicles.
Production takes place at Gigafactory Texas, which launched earlier this year. Tesla has stated for some time that it planned to put Cybercabs on sale by the end of the year, and it looks like they will come through on that promise if everything goes according to plan.
The Autonomy Subscription is mandatory for the vehicle to operate because it is void of a steering wheel and pedals. Tesla notes that the subscription and regular vehicle maintenance are required, indicating that personal owners will depend on the company’s software and service infrastructure rather than traditional ownership models.
One month of the subscription is included with purchase and subsequent months are billed separately until canceled.
This limited personal-sales opening marks a shift from Tesla’s earlier emphasis on fleet and transport-as-a-service operations. During the Q3 2026 Earnings Call, executives indicated that the vast majority of Cybercabs would remain Tesla-owned and used for rideshare service, while still aiming to place some vehicles with customers by year-end.
Elon Musk has previously targeted a price below $30,000, which was a huge point of emphasis for the Cybercab being the central point of Tesla’s “transportation-as-a-service” model.
Availability remains restricted to invited customers rather than a public order page, and the initial deliveries are expected only in the Austin area where unsupervised Robotaxi operations are already active. Buyers will need to accept the geographic and operational constraints of current autonomous deployment, as the vehicle cannot be driven manually outside supported zones.
The move gives a small number of early buyers the chance to own Tesla’s dedicated autonomous vehicle at the long-discussed sub-$30,000 price point, while the bulk of production continues to support the company’s expanding Robotaxi network.
UPDATE: The FAA has granted the license for Starship Flight 15.
Starship Flight 15 License has been granted by the FAA!
Let’s go! https://t.co/DugsgjvYAe
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
SpaceX is set to attempt its 15th test flight of Starship this evening from Starbase, Texas.
SpaceX is targeting Starship Flight 15 for a launch as soon as today, Friday, November 13, pending an FAA Flight License, during a 75-minute window that opens at 4:45 p.m. CT (5:45 p.m. ET) from Orbital Launch Pad 2 at Starbase, Texas. The flight remains pending final regulatory approval.
WATCH Starship Flight 15 here:
https://t.co/C6GnCHyF8p
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
The mission, using Booster 22 and Ship 42, aims to achieve the first full recovery of an orbital launch system. Primary objectives include a tower catch of the Super Heavy booster roughly six and a half minutes after liftoff and the first-ever tower catch of a Starship upper stage after more than 22 hours in space.
SpaceX will perform Starship double catch attempt with Flight 15
Between those catches, Ship 42 is planned to enter a low Earth orbit of about 275 km, complete roughly 14 orbits, and deploy 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites (Starlink Group 31-2). Three of those satellites carry cameras to inspect the ship’s heat shield in orbit and help controllers decide whether the vehicle is healthy enough for a return to the tower.
Contingency ocean splashdown options exist if either stage is not cleared for catch.
To watch the attempt, check the link to the broadcast in both X posts in this article. The live webcast is scheduled to begin about 30 minutes before liftoff and is planned to continue through the ship catch the next day, with the possibility of extended onboard views during the orbital coast via Starlink.
Because the schedule is dynamic, check back here or on our social media channels for the latest updates on window timing and regulatory status. A successful dual catch would mark a major milestone toward making Starship a rapidly reusable rocket capable of frequent flights.
WATCH Starship Flight 15 here:
https://t.co/C6GnCHyF8p
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
Tesla has trimmed its Model Y offerings as its Standard All-Wheel-Drive configuration has been removed from the online configurator after roughly nine months on sale. The move follows the removal of the Cybertruck, as its trims have also been minimized as that vehicle heads for total discontinuation at the end of Summer 2027.
Launched in February 2026 as a mid-tier dual-motor option between the Rear-Wheel-Drive model and the Premium trims, the Standard All-Wheel-Drive Model Y offered 294 miles of range and a 4.6-second 0-60 mph time in a stripped-down package.
🚨 Tesla has pulled the $41,990 Model Y AWD from its U.S. configurator after nine months on sale.
The cheapest AWD Model Y you can order is now the $49,990 Premium AWD, with Premium deliveries quoted for Jan–Mar 2027.
The $39,990 RWD stays, and AWD units remain in inventory. https://t.co/uROJp2lVpx
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) November 13, 2026
With it gone, the cheapest new AWD Model Y buyers can configure is now the Premium AWD at $49,990, with estimated deliveries pushed into January–March 2027. The $39,990 rear-wheel-drive Model Y remains available for custom orders, and some AWD units are still listed in inventory.
The move arrives days after Tesla sharply narrowed its Cybertruck lineup. New orders for the Dual Motor AWD and Premium AWD versions have been disabled, leaving only the high-performance Cyberbeast—priced around $109,990 before fees—as the sole configurable option.
Elon Musk has stated that Cybertruck production at Gigafactory Texas will wind down around the middle to late summer of 2027 to free manufacturing space for greater Cybercab output. Tesla has raised prices on remaining trims and is prioritizing higher-margin builds while working through an existing order backlog that exceeds what the line can complete before conversion.
These parallel decisions reflect a broader effort to simplify Tesla’s retail customer lineup. Lower-volume or lower-margin variants are being phased out or deprioritized in favor of core, higher-spec models that generate stronger profitability and clearer production planning.
For the Model Y, this concentrates volume on the remaining RWD and Premium configurations while Premium deliveries already stretch into 2027. For the Cybertruck, it accelerates the transition away from a stainless-steel pickup that underperformed relative to initial volume expectations.
Tesla Model Y Standard Full Review: Is it worth the lower price?
The freed capacity and reduced complexity directly support Cybercab scaling. Tesla began pilot Cybercab production at Giga Texas in early 2026, launched paid autonomous rides in Austin in September, and is preparing for substantial volume growth.
By streamlining the existing vehicle portfolio, the company is reallocating factory space, engineering attention, and supply-chain resources toward its purpose-built Robotaxi, which lacks a steering wheel or pedals and is designed exclusively for unsupervised autonomy.
The result is a leaner retail lineup today and a clearer path to high-volume Cybercab deployment tomorrow.
Tesla Cybercab goes on sale for $29,990, slated for December deliveries
SpaceX Starship Flight 15: How to watch the double catch attempt
