

News
Tesla’s giant casting machine in Giga Texas comes alive amid trial runs
It won’t be an exaggeration to state that a good part of Tesla’s future is poised to be built on the back of the Giga Press, a house-sized machine that is capable of producing single-piece casts for the company’s vehicles. With the Giga Press, Tesla could effectively reach mainstream status in the automotive industry using a concept that it developed in-house.
Despite Gigafactory Texas still being in construction, Tesla has already completed the installation of the site’s first Giga Presses. And over the past weeks, images of the first front underbody megacast for the Made-in-Texas Model Y have started emerging online. Recent flyovers of the site have even shown hundreds of the massive casted parts being gathered around the facility, suggesting that Tesla is already calibrating its Model Y Giga Presses for their upcoming operations.
There’s a giant gigapress in Texas
and it’s making car parts for Tesla @elonmusk @Tesla
📷 @peterdog15 pic.twitter.com/47JqDlyq8B— Gail Alfar (@GailAlfarATX) May 26, 2021
It is then quite remarkable and satisfying to see the company’s Texas-based Giga Presses in action as they produce the Model Y’s single-piece casts. The video of the machines was captured by Jeff Roberts, a Tesla and EV advocate who has been following the progress of the Gigafactory Texas site since the project’s early days. The clip of the machines was brief, but it does hint that Tesla is wasting no time in ensuring that its casting machines are ready to hit the ground running.
Gigafactory Texas was announced and promoted by Elon Musk as Tesla’s Cybertruck factory, but the EV maker would be starting its operations with the production of the Model Y crossover instead. This should help Tesla start Giga Texas with a vehicle that it is already familiar with, though Elon Musk has confirmed a huge update for the Model Y that would be made in Texas. According to the CEO, Giga Texas’ Model Ys will launch with the company’s custom 4680 cells, the same batteries that are expected to be used for the Cybertruck.
Tesla has been incredibly conservative surrounding the updates on its 4680 cell production. In the first-quarter earnings call alone, Elon Musk estimated that Tesla was still about 12 to 18 months away from meaningful 4680 volume production. This seems a bit strange as the Model Y is a high-volume vehicle and thus would require a lot of batteries. If Tesla intends on starting Model Y production in Giga Texas later this year with plans for a full ramp in 2022, then the company may be understating its capabilities to mass-produce its 4680 cells.
For now, however, Gigafactory Texas continues to grow and develop at an astounding rate. Check out a recent flyover of the Giga Texas complex in the video below.

News
Tesla Unveils Model Y RWD 110 customized for Singapore

Tesla unveiled the Model Y RWD 110 for Singapore’s Category A certificate of entitlement (COE) rules. This custom SUV tweaks the updated Model Y, which was launched in Singapore in January.
Tesla tuned the Model 3 RWD 110 for Singapore before, and that customized version’s success spurred this Model Y adaptation. The Model Y RWD 110 runs at 110kW, down from 255kW in the standard RWD. It qualifies for Singapore’s Category A COE, unlike the Model Y 255kW version, which sits in Category B.
Category A COEs are for mass-market cars. They score lower premiums than Category B COEs. BMW and Mercedes-Benz register vehicles as Category A COEs in Singapore as well.
In Singapore, buyers need to pay the COE to register a car. The latest tender showed an SGD 22,388 gap between Category A and B premiums.
The Model Y RWD 110’s road tax is significantly reduced from SGD 3,478 to SGD 1,562 yearly. The Strait Times calculated that the cheaper Model Y in Singapore would save SGD 19,160 over a 10-year COE.
The Model Y RWD 110 matches the 255kW version otherwise. The more affordable Model Y’s battery size holds steady. Its energy use, equipment, and design stay the same.
Tesla prices the Model Y RWD 110 at SGD 103,476 before COE. The Model Y RWD 110 costs SGD 3,026 less than the 255kW version, excluding COE costs. It uses a 62.5kWh lithium iron phosphate battery.
Tesla has released cheaper versions of its cars before. For instance, it rolled out a more affordable Model 3 in Mexico last year. The cheaper Tesla Model 3 in Mexico did not use the same materials and had different features to reduce costs.
Tesla might consider releasing custom, cheaper versions of its vehicles in other countries. Industry sources in China hint at a “lower-priced Model Y” for the Chinese auto market, which keeps the Juniper’s battery and chassis
News
Tesla US Gigafactories shields from Trump’s 25% Tariffs
Tesla US Gigafactories Shielded from Trump’s 25% Tariffs

Tesla stocks climbed after U.S. President Donald Trump announced tariffs on imported cars and auto parts, standing out in the United States auto industry.
Automaker stocks tanked after President Trump slapped 25% tariffs on foreign autos and parts. Tesla slightly dodged the tariff blow thanks to local production. Its gigafactories in China and Germany don’t supply Tesla vehicles to the United States market. The company builds all U.S.-sold EVs in Fremont, California, or at Giga Austin in Texas.
TD Cowen analyst Itay Michaeli sees the American EV automaker as a winner in Trump’s tariffs games.
“Tesla [is] a relative beneficiary given [its] 100% U.S. production footprint, substantial U.S. sourcing, and with Model Y competing in a midsize crossover segment where close to ~50% of vehicles could be subject to tariffs,” Michaeli wrote on Thursday.
Rivian and Lucid also make all vehicles sold in the United States domestically. Ford hits 77% U.S. production, while Stellantis sits at 57%. Nissan and GM each clock in at 52%.
Trump’s 25% tariff on non-U.S.-made vehicles kicks in next week, on April 2, 2025. Elon Musk confirmed that Trump’s tariff will still affect Tesla, despite its plants in America.
Musk posted on X about tariff impacts. He said foreign-sourced parts will drive up costs. It’s not a small hit. Tesla warned of this in a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative. “Certain parts and components are difficult or impossible to source within the United States,” the letter stated, even with “aggressive localization.”
News
Nikola Motor founder Trevor Milton given full pardon by President Trump

Nikola Motor founder Trevor Milton has been given a full pardon by U.S. President Donald Trump in an unprecedented turn of events.
Trevor Milton Media announced late Thursday that the formerly jailed founder of the all-electric automaker that President Trump had “pledged to end the political weaponization of the Justice Department. This pardon marks a step toward fulfilling that commitment.”
Milton was sentenced to four years in prison in December 2023 after being found guilty of multiple counts of fraud.
Nikola founder Trevor Milton sentenced to four years in prison
“I was not a very seasoned CEO,” Milton said after his sentencing. Questions about the legitimacy of some Nikola product demonstrations and several statements that were found to be misleading regarding the company’s progress on its vehicles brought Milton to U.S. Federal Court to face two counts of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud.
Now, he is free.
Milton said in a statement:
“This pardon is not just about me—it’s about every American who has been railroaded by the government, and unfortunately, that’s a lot of people. It is no wonder why trust and confidence in the Justice Department has eroded to nothing. I wish judges would stop believing whatever the prosecutors feed them so Americans could trust the justice system again. Until that happens, our justice system will continue to erode until there is nothing left. The 90+% conviction rate in New York is appalling and is a result of prosecutors getting whatever they want and putting innocent people in prison. I saw firsthand the tactics they use to achieve those guaranteed convictions. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for his courage in standing up for what is right and for granting me this sacred pardon of innocence.”
Milton will now launch a documentary that is available for preview here.
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