Tesla has big expansion plans for its first gigafactory near Reno, Nevada. The automaker has announced that it is investing $3.6 billion to build two new factories in the complex and hire 3,000 additional workers. That’s larger than the company’s initial investment ($3.5 billion) when it committed to building the facility in 2014. One of the new Nevada factories will make its Type 4680 batteries, while the other will be Tesla’s first factory to mass-produce semi.
The automaker delivered its first production semi-finished product to Pepsi in December 2022, five years after it first demonstrated the electric rig and faced multiple delays. Tesla is currently making the truck in limited numbers but has long planned to start mass production in Nevada. The company’s semi uses less than 2kWh of energy per mile and can travel between 300 and 500 miles on a single charge. Tesla claims owners will enjoy estimated fuel savings of up to $200,000 within the first three years.
While the semi-factory will finally allow Tesla to mass-produce its trucks, its 4680 battery factory will help meet its goals of cutting battery costs in half and increasing production Sell 20 million electric vehicles by 2030. Tesla introduced the 4680 battery — so-called because its cells measure 46mm by 80mm — as a higher-capacity but cheaper option for powering its vehicles. After ReutersHowever, the company has had trouble increasing production due to the dry coating technique used to coat its cells. Tesla hasn’t said how it’s tackling these issues, but it has said the new factory will have the capacity to produce enough 4,680 batteries for 1.5 million light trucks each year.
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