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Tesla Model 3 production line in Gigafactory 3 China is coming to life
Recent reports from Chinese media are pointing to the Phase 1 construction of Tesla’s Gigafactory 3 site being almost complete. This is quite remarkable considering that work on the complex only started about eight months ago, a time when Gigafactory 3 was but an empty, muddy field save for a handful of pile drivers.
A recent news segment from China mentioned that the completion of the facility’s Phase 1 buildout is approaching. Local reports have also noted that the general assembly building, the main facility inside the Gigafactory 3 complex, will be covered with solar panels in the future, similar to Tesla’s designs for its other facilities such as Gigafactory 1 in Nevada.Â
Apart from these updates, a number of new pictures from the factory’s interior have also emerged. Among these are floors filled with red and yellow production robots, as well as a massive machine that appears to be a stamping press for Model 3 body panels. An exterior shot of Gigafactory 3 also depicts the surrounding areas of the massive electric car production facility being cleaned up in preparation for operations.Â
The images and videos from local Chinese media highlight the incredible speed that is currently being showcased by Tesla and its Chinese partner in the buildout of the Shanghai-based electric car production facility. Gigafactory 3 already had an incredibly aggressive timeframe from Elon Musk to begin with, but the facility seems to be on track to come to life even earlier than the Tesla CEO’s already-optimistic estimates.Â
The Gigafactory 3 complex was recently visited by Musk during his trip to China, which saw the Tesla CEO meet with numerous government officials about further projects in the country. Among these was Xiao Yaqing, director of the State Administration of Markets Supervision, Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng, and Vice Minister of Industry and Informatization Xin Guobin. Reports from the meetings noted that Musk’s projects, including that of The Boring Company, were even presented as potential mass transportation ideas for the country.Â
With Gigafactory 3’s Phase 1 construction almost complete, the activation of the massive electric car production facility could very well be determined by the completion of the southwest substation, which is expected to be finished within this month. This means that barring any unexpected delays, Tesla could very well activate Gigafactory 3 and start trial Model 3 production runs as early as the end of September.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s xAI, creator of Grok and Grokipedia, celebrates its third birthday
xAI Memphis highlighted several of its milestones over the years in its celebratory post.Â
Elon Muskâs artificial intelligence startup xAI has marked its third anniversary. The update was shared in a post from the xAI Memphis account on social media platform X.
xAI Memphis highlighted several of its milestones over the years in its celebratory post.Â
As per xAI, it has built three massive data centers in the city, launched a coherent cluster of 330,000 GBs, created over 3,000 jobs, and paid over $30 million in taxes to local communities.
xAIâs Memphis operation has become a key part of the companyâs infrastructure as the company works to train and deploy its Grok artificial intelligence models. Elon Musk has been quite optimistic about Grokâs potential, noting in the past that the large language model might have a shot at achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI).
xAIâs Memphisâ crown jewel is its Colossus supercomputer cluster. The project was announced in 2024 and has since become the home of one of the worldâs largest AI compute facilities. The first phase of Colossus reached its initial 100,000 GPU operational milestone in just 122 days, or just about four months.
Industry figures such as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang have praised the facility, noting that projects of similar scale typically take two to four years to complete.
xAI has cited Memphisâ central location, skilled workforce, and industrial infrastructure as key reasons for selecting the city as the home of its AI training operations. The company has also emphasized plans to expand the site further as it scales compute capacity for Grok and future AI models.
News
Tesla Sweden’s Megapack Supercharger near Arlanda continues to aggravate IF Metall union
The charging site, located in Arlandastad outside Stockholm, appears to be operating despite ongoing union blockade measures tied to Teslaâs labor dispute in the country.
Tesla Swedenâs Megapack-powered Supercharger station near Arlanda Airport has continued to aggravate Swedish labor union IF Metall. The charging site, located in Arlandastad outside Stockholm, appears to be operating despite ongoing union blockade measures tied to Teslaâs labor dispute in the country.
Comments about the site were shared by IF Metall representatives in remarks to Swedish publication CarUp.
The Arlandastad location includes eight Tesla Superchargers powered by a Megapack battery system. Unlike traditional charging stations that rely on direct grid connections, the site uses a large battery installation to store electricity and power the chargers.
According to the Swedish publication, the setup allowed the station to come online despite sympathy measures from Swedenâs electriciansâ union, which has attempted to prevent companies from cooperating with Tesla as part of the broader labor conflict.
IF Metall press manager Jesper Pettersson indicated that the union was not aware that the Superchargers had already been connected and activated.
âWe do not know the details around this. But it is further proof of how Tesla systematically finds loopholes to circumvent the sympathy measures through active strikebreaking. Every time this happens it gives us reason to sharpen our conflict measures,â Pettersson said.
Union representatives also noted that the Megapack appears to be charged using electrical cables routed through nearby terrain, though the exact power source remains under review.
The Megapack-powered site has then prompted questions from Swedish labor unions about how electricity is being supplied to the system.
IF Metall has submitted a report to Swedenâs Energy Market Inspectorate asking the regulator to review whether the electricity supply arrangement complies with national regulations. The Megapack is reportedly charged using electricity from a local company, though the provider has not been publicly identified.
Peter Lydell, an ombudsman at IF Metall, previously stated that Swedish law limits electricity trading to companies with proper authorization.
âThe legislation states that only companies that engage in electricity trading may supply electricity to other parties. You may not supply electricity without a permit, then you are engaging in illegal electricity trading. That is why we have reported thisâŚ
âThis is about a company that helps Tesla circumvent the conflict measures that exist. It is clear that it is troublesome and it can also have consequences,â Lydell said.
IF Metall and Tesla Swedenâs conflict has been going on for over two years now.
Elon Musk
Starbase after dark: Musk’s latest photo captures a Spaceport on the brink of history
SpaceX’s Starbase city in Boca Chica, Texas is rapidly transforming the southern tip of the Lone Star State into one of the most ambitious launch complexes in history.
A striking nighttime photograph of SpaceX’s Starbase facility in Boca Chica, Texas, shared recently by Elon Musk on X, offers a dramatic glimpse of an operation that is rapidly transforming the southern tip of the Lone Star State into one of the most ambitious launch complexes in history.
The most immediately visible change in the photo is the presence of two fully erected Starship launch towers dominating the coastal skyline. The second orbital launch pad, known as Pad B, now features its fully erected tower, OLIT-3, which stands approximately 474 feet tall and incorporates an integrated water-cooled flame trench designed to minimize damage and reduce turnaround time between launches. The dual-tower silhouette against the night sky signals a decisive shift from experimental testing facility to high-cadence launch operations.
Grok Image concept of Elon Musk’s latest Starbase photo via X
Back at Starbase, Pad 2 is approaching hardware completion, with upgraded chopstick arms, a new chilldown vent system, and all 20 hold-down arms now fitted with protective doors to shield them from the intense exhaust of up to 33 Raptor 3 engines, according to a deeper dive by NASASpaceFlight.
SpaceX has also received approval to nearly double the footprint of the Starbase launch site, with groundwork already underway to add LNG liquefaction plants, expanded propellant storage, and additional ground support infrastructure.
The photo also carries a milestone civic dimension. Starbase officially became a Texas city in May 2025 after a community vote, with SpaceX employees elected as mayor and commissioners of the newly incorporated municipality. That legal status streamlines launch approvals and gives SpaceX direct control over local infrastructure decisions.
The FAA has approved an increase in launches from Starbase in Texas from five to twenty-five per year, clearing the runway for the kind of flight frequency needed to fulfill Starship’s ultimate mission of ferrying cargo and crew to the Moon, servicing the Department of Defense, deploying next-generation Starlink satellites, and eventually establishing Elon Musk’s long sought after goal of a self-sustaining human presence on Mars.
Seen from above in the dark, Starbase looks less like a test site and more like a spaceport.