Take a peek inside Tesla’s massive ‘Gigafactory’

By Stephen Edelstein December 29, 2015

tesla gigafactory gearboxes nevada feature

Tesla has big plans for the battery “Gigafactory” it’s building near Reno, Nevada. For one, the Silicon Valley carmaker expects it to be the largest producer of lithium-ion battery cells in the world. But Tesla is keeping the Gigafactory under a cloak of secrecy that makes it seem like another Nevada landmark, Area 51.

While there has been some successful video surveillance by drones, Tesla doesn’t allow photographers onto the site. Commercial photographer James Lipman managed to finagle his way onto the property, and posted a few shots on his Instagram account (via Business Insider). They indicate that Tesla is making progress, but that there is still work to be done.

Related Videos

An exterior photo shows some of Tesla’s Supercharger DC fast-charging stations installed on “Electric Avenue,” with the incomplete structure of what is presumably the main factory building in the background. There’s also a minimalist waiting room with a giant Tesla logo on the wall, along with the name “Gigafactory 1.” Tesla has said this factory won’t be only one of its kind, although it hasn’t broken ground at any additional sites.

When it’s completed, the Gigafactory is expected to be the world’s second largest building by volume. The entire project will carry an estimated price tag of $5 billion, some of which will be covered by Panasonic, which is partnering with Tesla on the Gigafactory venture. Panasonic currently supplies batteries for Tesla’s electric cars, and will help oversee battery production.

The main objective of the Gigafactory is to provide the economy of scale needed to make Tesla’s upcoming Model 3 electric car viable at a $35,000 price point. The Model 3 will be a sedan smaller than the current Model S, with a range of 200 miles. That’s only 30 miles less than the least-expensive Model S, but at half the price. The higher-volume Model 3 will be crucial in meeting Tesla’s goal of selling 500,000 cars per year by 2020.

Tesla plans to unveil the Model 3 in March, and will begin taking orders at that time. Production isn’t set to start until 2017, though, and the Gigafactory will have to be running at full steam by then. But given Tesla’s record of missing its own deadlines for car launches, don’t be surprised if the Model 3 arrives a little late.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Cars

How much does an electric car battery cost?

electrify america evgo and chargepoint interoperability agreement for electric car charging station

Electric cars are often hailed as being cheaper to operate and repair than gas-powered cars. It makes sense — on the operation side, you only need to pay for electricity (not gasoline), and on the repair side, there’s no motor or transmission to deal with.

But electric cars have other costly repairs, and while in total they do generally cost less than repairs for gasoline cars, it’s worth knowing about the potential costs ahead of time. Perhaps the most obvious, and one of the most costly, has to do with an electric car’s battery. After all, while all cars have batteries, those in electric cars are far bigger and more advanced — and thus can cost quite a bit to replace.
How much does an electric car battery cost?

Cars

Tesla Cybertruck prototype spotted with minor changes

A Tesla Cybertruck prototype.

What appears to be a new Tesla Cybertruck prototype has been spotted testing on public roads.

As relayed by Electrek, Twitter user Greg posted a photo Thursday showing a Cybertruck with a different front-end design from what we've seen previously. The front bumper has a more distinct rectangular opening, possibly for cooling. This prototype also has triangular side mirrors, as opposed to the squared-off ones seen previously.

Cars

Why you should consider a plug-in hybrid in 2023

2020 audi q5 tfsi e first drive review phev 19

EVs are all the rage — and it makes sense. Electric vehicles allow you to avoid high gas prices and feel good about not impacting the environment as much, plus they’re usually sleek, stylish, and fast.

But in 2023, owning an EV isn’t for everyone. After all, charging stations, while improving, still aren’t as common as they should be -- and depending on your car, they sometimes aren’t all that fast. If you’re worried about those issues, there’s an alternative — a plug-in hybrid (also known as a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, or PHEV). These are cars that essentially offer the best of both worlds: A battery and electric motor for quick, clean trips around town, and a gas engine for longer road trips.
What makes a PHEV so great?