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Tesla finalizes agreement with Panasonic to manufacture solar cells from Buffalo, NY factory
Tesla will incorporate Panasonic cells into glass solar roof tiles when production begins in summer 2017
Tesla announced today that it has finalized an agreement with Panasonic that would allow both companies to begin manufacturing high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules from its Buffalo, NY factory. The update comes months after Tesla first announced that it had entered into a non-binding letter of intent with Panasonic under which the two companies would collaborate on the manufacturing and production of PV cells and modules. However, the agreement was only valid upon shareholders’ approval of Tesla’s acquisition of SolarCity – a deal that saw an overwhelming majority of voters approving the merger.
Tesla and Panasonic will initially build PV cells and modules for use in traditional solar panels, but will eventually incorporate Panasonic cells into Tesla’s Solar Roof product when production begins mid-2017. The PV cells will be integrated directly into the glass solar roof tiles which Tesla is offering in a variety of designs.
RECOMMENDED READ: How much will the Tesla Solar Roof cost?
As part of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s vision of the future, largely comprised of sustainable transportation and storage systems for renewable energy, Tesla’s solar products will be integrated with Panasonic cells and operate seamlessly with the company’s home and commercial energy storage products, Powerwall and Powerpack. Tesla indicates that it has plans to ramp up to 1 Gigawatt of PV module production by 2019.
Today’s announcement also reaffirms Tesla’s commitment to creating American-based jobs at Buffalo, NY, home to SolarCity’s solar factory. We had previously reported that SolarCity has begun holding workforce information sessions as the company prepares to hire nearly 1,400 workers for its $900 million solar factory located at Riverbend.
Expect to see more announcements from Tesla as it continues to fortify its long-standing partnership with Panasonic. Panasonic is an investor and strategic partner at the Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada where it manufactures cylindrical 18650 and 2170 lithium-ion cells used in Tesla’s fleet of vehicles and grid storage products.
Panasonic has agreed to cover capital costs required at the Buffalo, NY solar factory. In exchange, Tesla will continue on its long-term purchase commitment from Panasonic, namely, an extension into the purchase of Panasonic PV cells.
Read Tesla’s full announcement below:
Tesla and Panasonic have finalized an agreement this week to begin the manufacturing of photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules at the Buffalo, NY factory. These high-efficiency PV cells and modules will be used to produce solar panels in the non-solar roof products. When production of the solar roof begins, Tesla will also incorporate Panasonic’s cells into the many kinds of solar glass tile roofs that Tesla will be manufacturing. All of these solar products will work seamlessly with Tesla’s energy storage products, Powerwall and Powerpack. Production of the first PV modules will begin in summer 2017, and will ramp to 1 Gigawatt of module production by 2019.
As Tesla and Panasonic begin production, Buffalo will continue to expand Tesla’s American manufacturing base and create thousands of new jobs in the coming years. Tesla reaffirms SolarCity’s commitment to create over 1,400 jobs in Buffalo—including more than 500 manufacturing jobs. Panasonic, with its technological and manufacturing expertise in PV production, will also work with Tesla on developing PV next generation technology at SolarCity’s facility in Fremont, CA.
As part of the agreement, Panasonic will cover required capital costs in Buffalo and Tesla is making a long-term purchase commitment from Panasonic. The collaboration extends the established relationship between Tesla and Panasonic, which includes the production of electric vehicle and grid storage battery cells at the Tesla Gigafactory.
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Tesla loses Model Y program manager in second blow in single day
Tesla has lost its Model Y Program Manager, he announced on LinkedIn, marking the second major departure from the company today.
Emmanuel Lamacchia has been in the role for 4 years and 7 months, responsible for the rollout of the all-electric crossover in several markets.
The Model Y became the best-selling vehicle in the world for two years under Lamacchia’s watch, making this a huge loss for the company. However, it seems the decision was made under Lamacchia’s own initiative.
He confirmed his decision on LinkedIn:
“After 8 incredible years, I’m moving on from Tesla.
What a journey it’s been… from leading NPI for Model 3 and Model Y variants to becoming the Vehicle Program Manager for Model Y, the best-selling car in the world!
Leading the All-New Model Y launch was the highlight: converting all 4 factories across 3 continents in just 2 weeks. Something that had never been done before in the auto industry.
To the teams who made this possible: you should be incredibly proud. This achievement belongs to you: the engineers, designers, buyers, and associates in Fremont, Shanghai, Berlin, and Austin who turned an impossible timeline into reality.
Grateful to the leaders who trusted me with programs that stretched my capabilities and to the cross-functional partners who showed me that great solutions come from collaboration, not hierarchy.
Tesla taught me how to move fast without breaking things and how to scale from prototypes to millions of units.
Excited for what’s next. More to share soon.”
It marks the second major program loss for Tesla today, as it also bid farewell to Cybertruck and Model 3 Program Manager Siddhant Awasthi, who said he left voluntarily in “one of the hardest decisions of his life.”
Lamacchia was at Tesla for just a shade under eight years, and previously worked for Rolls-Royce for roughly the same amount of time.
After the loss of both Lamacchia and Awasthi today, Tesla has lost a handful of key executives in 2025, including:
- David Imai, Director of Design
- David Lau, VP of Software Engineering
- Mark Westfall, Head of Mechanical Engineering
- Prashant Menon, Regional Director in India
- Vineet Mehta, Head of Battery Architecture
- Omead Afshar, VP/Head of Sales and Manufacturing in North America
- Milan Kovac, Head of Optimus Team
- Jenna Ferrua, Director of HR
- Troy Jones, VP of Sales, Service, and Delivery
- Pete Bannon, VP of Hardware Engineering
- Piero Landolfi, Director of Service
News
Tesla prepares to expand Giga Texas with new Optimus production plant
Drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer recognized Tesla construction crews performing ground leveling and clearing efforts at the plant earlier today.
Tesla is preparing to expand Gigafactory Texas once again with a brand new facility that will house the eventual manufacturing efforts for Optimus, its humanoid robot.
It is already building some units on a Pilot line at the Fremont Factory in Northern California, but Tesla is planning to build the vast majority of its Optimus project at Gigafactory Texas.
Tesla Optimus gets its latest job, and it’s not in the company’s factories
It will build one million units per year in Fremont, but CEO Elon Musk said the company would build 10 million units every year in Texas at a new building at Giga Texas.
Musk said:
“I think there could be tens of billions of Optimus robots out there. Um, now obviously it’s very important we pay close attention to safety here. Then a 10 million unit uh per year production line here the I don’t know where we’re going to put the 100 million unit production line. on Mars. Maybe on Mars, I don’t know.”
Evidently, Tesla is ready to begin thinking about the production efforts of Optimus beyond a theoretical standpoint and is starting to prepare for the construction of the manufacturing plant on Giga Texas property.
Drone operator Joe Tegtmeyer recognized Tesla construction crews performing ground leveling and clearing efforts at the plant earlier today:
Giga Texas News!
A brand-new, stand-alone factory is starting construction! This follows the Shareholders meeting & info that a 10-million-per-year @Tesla_Optimus production facility “on the Giga Texas campus” will be built & enter into production in 2027!
Here are some… pic.twitter.com/7ig5DohfOt
— Joe Tegtmeyer 🚀 🤠🛸😎 (@JoeTegtmeyer) November 10, 2025
Production is still slated for 2027, at least at Gigafactory Texas. As previously mentioned, the company is building some units in Fremont for the time being, at least until subsequent versions of the Optimus project advance.
Tesla has done a great job of advancing Optimus forward, but it also has truly grand expectations for the project.
Musk said it could potentially be the biggest product in the history of the planet, as it will revolutionize the way humans perform tasks, probably eliminating monotonous tasks from everyday life.
News
Tesla reveals its first Semi customer after launch
Tesla revealed its first customer for the all-electric Semi truck after it launches next year. Who it truly is should not be a surprise.
The Semi is going to finally start deliveries to new companies outside of Tesla’s pilot program starting in 2026. The company has been building a dedicated production facility in Reno, Nevada, that has finally taken shape, but Tesla was evidently not finished with the Semi’s development.
Last week at the Annual Shareholder Meeting, Tesla said it had implemented some new designs into the Semi, helping with efficiency, updating its design, and making it a more suitable vehicle for hauling loads, as the changes also helped increase payload.
Tesla has obtained a lengthy list of companies that have committed to implementing the Semi in their own fleets, hoping to bring their logistics lineups up to date with electric powertrains and autonomous technologies.
While it is already operating a pilot program with PepsiCo. and Frito-Lay, Tesla will expand to other businesses, primarily using it internally after its launch.
Head of the Semi program at Tesla, Dan Priestley, said the company would be the first user of the vehicle after its launch next year. It has been using it to a certain extent, but the company has not been able to completely abandon gas haulers.
Instead, it will implement the Semi into its fleet for more sustainable vehicle logistics starting next year:
Tesla will be the first customer as we electrify our supply chain. This includes Texas operations.
— Dan Priestley (@danWpriestley) November 7, 2025
Tesla has already received orders for the Semi from a variety of large companies, including Walmart, Sysco, Anheuser-Busch, UPS, DHL, J.B. Hunt, among others.
Many analysts see the Tesla Semi as a major contributor to future growth and increasing value within the company, especially from a Wall Street perspective. Some firms say the Semi is one of several near and medium-term contributors to the company increasing its market cap.
Cantor Fitzgerald is just one of those firms, as last week it explicitly listed the Semi as a catalyst.
Analyst Andres Sheppard said, “Overall, we remain bullish on TSLA over the medium to long term. We continue to see meaningful future upside from Energy Storage & Deployment, FSD, Robotaxis/Cybercab, Semis, and Optimus Bots.”
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