- Tesla currently has five massive Gigafactories building batteries and electric vehicles.
- The company also has plans to build a sixth Gigafactory in Mexico.
- Here’s a look at Tesla’s Gigafactories, which Elon Musk said he wants to build 10-12 of in the next several years.
Elon Musk has hinted at plans to expand Tesla’s Gigafactory network as the company aims to meet his ambition to build as many as 20 million electric cars a year.
“Ultimately we will end up building, I don’t know, probably at least 10 or 12 Gigafactories,” Musk said at Tesla’s annual meeting in 2022.
Here’s a look at Tesla’s Gigafactories and why they’re so critical to the company’s growth plans.
How many Tesla Gigafactories exist?
Tesla currently has six massive Gigafactories. They’re located in Fremont, California; Sparks, Nevada; Berlin, Germany; Shanghai, China; Austin, Texas; and Buffalo, New York.
In May, Tesla confirmed plans to build a Gigafactory in Mexico. The plant will sit in the industrial hub of Monterrey.
Do Tesla Gigafactories produce cars?
Tesla’s Gigafactories do a mix of battery and electric car production, depending on the location.
- Fremont, California — Tesla’s first factory — has manufacturing capacity for 550,000 Model S and Model X vehicles annually and 100,000 Model S and X vehicles.
- Tesla’s Nevada factory is where it will eventually produce the Tesla Semi thanks to a 3.6. billion investment it announced in 2023. Right now the Gigafatory produces batteries and electric motors.
- Tesla’s Berlin Gigafactory, which opened in 2022, manufactures battery cells and has capacity for over 35,000 Model Y cars per year.
- In Shanghai, China, Tesla builds Model 3 and Y cars, with capacity to ship more than 750,000 cars annually.
- Tesla’s Gigafactory near Austin Texas — the company’s global headquarters — produces Model Y cars and is the future manufacturing home of the Tesla Cybertruck.
- Buffalo, New York is home to Tesla’s Gigfactory where it produces batteries alongside its partner Panasonic.
Musk has said he hopes to build 10 to 12 more Gigafactories to reach his goal of making 20 million cars a year by 2030.
Can Gigafactories power the world? Are they sustainable?
Musk has said it would take 100 Gigafactories to supply the world with all of its energy.
Many of the Gigafactories have solar panels on the roof, including an array of panels that spell out Tesla on the roof of Gigafactory Austin. When it was under construction, Musk promised an “ecological paradise” with walking trails along the neighboring river for the public to enjoy.
In Nevada, Gigafactory 1 was built without a natural gas connection, Tesla said in its 2019 impact report. The company “engineered thermal systems to maximize heat recovery resulting in significant energy efficiency gains compared to standard industrial designs,” including heat pumps and the naturally dry desert air for the dehumidification necessary for some battery processes.
Tesla says its Berlin Gigafactory is its “most advanced, sustainable and efficient facility yet.” The plant was initially met with opposition from local environmental groups who decried the loss of forest land for the factory.
How much electricity does a Gigafactory use?
Ahead of the Nevada Gigavactory’s construction, state officials estimated it would need up to 2,300 GWh of electricity per year. For context, an average American home uses only about 10,000 KWh annually, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
How many batteries will a Gigafactory produce?
The Gigafactory Nevada, which opened in 2014, has to-date produced:
- 7.3 billion battery cells (37 GWh+ annually)
- 1.5 million battery packs
- 3.6 million drive units
In Berlin, Tesla currently builds 5,000 cars per week, a milestone it took 1 year to hit. It’s a model Tesla’s set to copy for new factories like in Texas and helps support the company’s goals of 25,000 cars per year per factory.
How expensive is a Gigafactory to build?
Tesla’s planned Gigafactory in Mexico would cost $10 billion, making it the most expensive Gigafactory yet. For comparison, the Berlin Gigafactory — the second most expensive facility — cost around $5.5 billion, according to Reuters.
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