Tesla announced on social media on Tuesday (January 24, 2023) that it would invest an additional $3.6 billion in heavy-duty truck and expanded battery manufacturing in Nevada.
Tesla aims to eventually hire 3,000 more staff across two new locations, according to its public comments.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Tesla’s plans expand the company’s manufacturing footprint beyond the property it is already developing outside of Reno in Sparks, Nevada.
In a statement, Tesla said that its new facilities would include a 100 GWh battery cell factory, where it anticipates having the capacity to produce battery cells for 2 million light duty vehicles annually, as well as a high-volume factory where it will eventually produce its class 8 heavy-duty, fully electric truck, the Tesla Semi.
Tesla began construction of its first battery factory in Nevada in 2014. It operates this plant today with a key cell supplier, co-tenant and co-investor in the factory, Panasonic. The sprawling factory is known as GF1, Giga Nevada or the original Tesla Gigafactory. It primarily manufactures and supplies Tesla’s Fremont, California, vehicle assembly plant with high-voltage battery packs.
Republican Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo revealed details about Tesla’s plans for expansion in the state early on Monday. Tesla confirmed the plans on Tuesday ahead of its fourth-quarter earnings update, which is scheduled for Wednesday after markets close.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk held a ceremony in Nevada in December to kick off deliveries of the company’s Tesla Semi to a key early customer, PepsiCo. When Tesla first revealed its plans to manufacture the Semi, it had intended to begin manufacturing in 2019, however this was postponed until 2022. The company is not yet manufacturing a high volume of Semi trucks, but is making some at the Nevada Gigafactory.
Since that announcement, both Tesla supporters and detractors have shared pictures of Tesla Semi trucks they’ve spotted on the road with Pepsi Frito Lay branding, some of which are broken down on the shoulder.
In its fourth-quarter delivery report, Tesla omitted to mention how many trucks it has made or sold, as well as the cost of each one.
The company is expected to share further details on its Semi program in its Q4 earnings call.
