Gigafactory
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Elon Musk: Berlin 'gigafactory' will build Teslas starting with the Model Y
After launching manufacturing facilities in the US and China, Tesla's next location is apparently in Europe. Reuters and CNBC report that while speaking at an awards ceremony in Germany, Elon Musk announced the company's 'Gigafactory 4' will be located in the Berlin area. Musk later tweeted out "Giga Berlin," and said that the location "Will build batteries, powertrains & vehicles, starting with Model Y." This follows its current facilities in Nevada, Buffalo and its newest addition in Shanghai, China. Apparently this one will also include an engineering and design center. Tesla bought a German engineering firm in 2016 to help build the Model 3, and it appears those efforts will grow as it launches production of the Model Y, and, presumably, the electric "cybertruck" that's supposed to be revealed next week.
Tesla turns a profit as it spins up trial production in Shanghai
Tesla had hoped to deliver 100,000 vehicles during the second half of 2019. The company has fallen short but just barely. More importantly, it was able to turn a $143 million profit and it reports that the Shanghai plant is ahead of schedule.
Tesla will begin selling its own in-house insurance 'in a month'
Tesla released its Q1 2019 earnings on Wednesday and despite having a significant slowdown from the previous quarter, the company remains confident that it will meet its ambitious production goals for the year.
Tesla and Panasonic hold off on Gigafactory expansion
Tesla and Panasonic are delaying plans to expand the electric car maker's Gigafactory 1 battery plant in Nevada. The two companies decided to freeze spending on the world's largest EV battery plant following less-than-stellar demand of new Teslas, reported Nikkei Asian Review. The two companies had initially planned to raise capacity by 50 percent by next year. Panasonic has also apparently canceled plans to invest in Tesla's new Gigafactory in Shanghai, as well.
Tesla's Shanghai assembly plant could be completed by May
Tesla's Shanghai-based Gigafactory could have its assembly plant ready as soon as May and its production line operational by the end of the year, according to Reuters. The news service reports that a Shanghai city government official made the comments "on the sidelines" of an annual parliamentary meeting in Beijing this week, although no further details were given.
Tesla shoots down leaked Model Y production schedule
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said its notorious Model 3 manufacturing issues almost bled the company dry. So it's no wonder everyone is interested in whether it's learned from past mistakes ahead of the launch of its new EV, the Model Y. The latest news suggests that as recently as October, Tesla was pursuing an aggressive production schedule for the crossover SUV.
Tesla buys the land it needs for its Shanghai Gigafactory
Tesla has secured an 860,000 square meter plot of land in Shanghai for its first overseas Gigafactory after signing an agreement with the local government. The EV-maker confirmed the purchase on Chinese social media, complete with pics from the signing ceremony of the "land transfer agreement." Though Tesla didn't reveal the price, Reuters reports that the Shanghai Bureau of Planning and Land Resources said that the plot fetched 973 million yuan ($140.51 million) at auction.
Fire at Tesla's Gigafactory briefly disrupts production
Tesla just had to contend with another fire at one of its facilities. The electric car maker and county emergency staff have reported that a fire broke out in the Gigafactory in Nevada late on Saturday, leading to a halt in production as the company evacuated the building. The company thankfully faced no injuries and resumed operations early on Sunday, but it's not clear what damage was done or how much this might affect the plant's battery and motor output.
Tesla enhances security following report of ex-employee threat
Yesterday, Tesla filed a lawsuit against a former employee, Martin Tripp, who allegedly stole gigabytes of data from the company and shared it with unspecified outside parties. Today, the company increased security at the Gigafactory because, according to CNBC, a friend of Tripp's called Tesla and warned them that Tripp was threatening to "shoot the place up." We've reached out to Tesla for comment.
Tesla’s Gigafactory might be behind a global battery shortage
Tesla has been besieged by reports of production delays and quality control issues lately, and now it's coming under fire for problems at its Gigafactory, which have led to a global shortage of cylindrical batteries. According to sources quoted by etnews, it's now "impossible" to purchase cylindrical batteries in Japan -- where most of the world's electronics manufacturing happens -- because Gigafactory has hoovered up the supplies needed to create them, but has failed to do so.
Tesla has only produced 260 Model 3s so far
Tesla delivered its first batch of Model 3s to their owners at the end of July and production was supposed to steadily ramp up during the following months. Elon Musk predicted that around 100 cars would be produced in August, 1,500 in September and 20,000 in December, with 10,000 cars per week being the production target in 2018. But so far that plan has failed. In a recap on third quarter vehicle production and deliveries, Tesla said that only 260 Model 3s were produced and just 220 were delivered.
Tesla will open '2 or 3' more Gigafactories in the US
It's no secret that Tesla wants to open Gigafactories around the world to keep up with demand for electric cars and storage batteries, but how many of those will open in the US? Now we know: Elon Musk has confirmed that "2 or 3" additional factories will open in the US over the "next few years." He's not offering a firm timetable, to no one's surprise (the first factory isn't even finished yet), but the news makes it clearer than ever that Tesla expects plenty of demand.
A renewable planet is almost inevitable
When the leader of the free world denies climate change and fills his cabinet with like-minded individuals, it's hard not to panic. The world is, after all, hurtling toward an irrevocable ecological catastrophe that threatens all of our lives. There may be a reason to be slightly less pessimistic, however, thanks to the mechanics of the energy business. Shortly before leaving the White House, Barack Obama said that clean power had an "irreversible momentum," and it looks as if there might be evidence to justify his optimism.
Tesla will manufacture Model 3 parts at the Gigafactory
Nevada governor Brian Sandoval has announced that Tesla will bring some of its manufacturing for the Model 3 across from California. At a speech outlining policy initiatives for the last two years of his term, Sandoval revealed that the car company will build electric motors and gearboxes in the state.
Volkswagen's modern Microbus remake, and more in the week that was
The Volkswagen microbus is one of the most iconic vehicles of all time, and now the automaker is set to revive the classic for the modern era. Meet the I.D. Buzz: VW's all-electric, self-driving microbus of the future. In other auto news, Nissan debuted a stylish Vmotion 2.0 sedan packed with self-driving technology, and the Chevrolet Bolt was named the 2017 North American Car of the Year. IKEA is known for its flat-pack furniture, but it's branching out into urban mobility by launching its very first bike. The Sladda is a chainless aluminum cycle that can be kitted out with front and rear racks, panniers and even a towable cart.
Toyota's futuristic Concept-i, and more in the week that was
After years of anticipation, Faraday Future unveiled its "Tesla-killer" FF91 electric car this week -- and it's even faster than a Model S in ludicrous mode. Meanwhile, Nissan announced that its next-gen Leaf EV will be able to drive itself on the highway, and Toyota debuted a futuristic concept car that takes the wheel when drivers get sleepy. China is making a huge investment in high-speed rail to the tune of over $500 billion, and Israel is testing electric roads that wirelessly charge electric vehicles as they drive.
Tesla's Gigafactory ramps up to full battery production
Following earlier production tests, Tesla's Gigafactory is now pumping out Powerwall 2 and Powerpack 2 energy storage products at full speed, with Model 3 cell production set to follow next quarter. By 2018, it'll produce 35 GWh of lithium-ion cells per year, "nearly as much as the rest of the entire world's battery production combined," the company wrote.
Drone footage shows Tesla's Gigafactory taking shape
To deliver the Model 3 and its dream of an affordable, yet reliable electric car, Tesla needs the Gigafactory. The complex in Nevada will be used to produce batteries at an unprecedented scale, besting the might of every other factory in the world combined. Before that can happen, however, Elon Musk needs to build the darn place. Fresh footage by Matthew Roberts, shot with a DJI Phantom 3 drone in 4K, shows how far the project has progressed. As expected, there's still a long way to go -- only a handful of the 21 Gigafactory "blocks" have been completed so far. Even so, it's an enormous building that dominates the picturesque desert landscape.
Tesla's master plan was realized in 2016
Tesla started in 2006 as a niche electric sports car manufacturer. Its 2008 Roadster had an insane range of 244 miles and an equally bonkers price of more than $100,000. It was the first step in CEO Elon Musk's 2006 master plan to eventually bring a high-range, reasonably priced EV to the masses. Ten years later, that strategy is finally about to pay off.
Donald Trump's environmental plan and more in the week that was
The Hyperloop keeps getting realer by the day. This week, architects unveiled detailed plans for a next-gen transportation system that will travel from Dubai to Abu Dhabi in just 12 minutes. Meanwhile, Elon Musk announced big plans to build a second Gigafactory in Europe that will produce lithium-ion batteries and electric cars. Gogoro rolled out a faster, more powerful version of its battery-swapping electric Smartscooter, while Vespa delighted fans with plans to launch an all-electric model next year. And MIT teamed up with NASA to develop a new "morphing" airplane wing that could revolutionize aviation.
