Gigafactory Texas on 6 January 2023! This is where Model Y’s are built and soon Cyber Truck production will start!
It was a very busy day today at Giga Texas, with several areas of construction progress, production at full speed and continuing to ramp into the new year, and some very large IDRA parts in crates on heavy-lift trailers deliveries today!
Timestamps:
Video introduction with discussion & illustration: 0:06 to 4:01
Drone flight footage & infographics: 4:06 to 30:24
In the video introduction, I discuss a few interesting topics and highlights on the site today. First, I discuss the new Texas State Legislature that is now in session (they meet every other year) and one of the significant agenda items for Tesla and Giga Texas. This item is to allow auto manufacturers to sell directly to customers, and it passed, this would be a major victory for Tesla.
I also discuss the arrival of several significant IDRA parts for the 9K-ton Giga Press on the site today. These were first viewed on the east side heading to the south, then across the south end and then north along the west side, finally arriving at the casting machine section. I do a time-lapse of the movement of one of these items into the casting machine structure. Interestingly, these parts were rapidly moved inside and unloaded, and then the trucks and heavy lift trailers they had used for the IDRA parts were departing the site, possibly to get additional parts loaded up and then return to Giga Texas later today.
There is some significant progress to report on at the electrical switchyard. We see more steel assembly of the main switchyard components, work on the cable tray trenches, including the start of the third (of eventually 4) trenches that will connect the switchyard proper to the metal control room, and the assembly of the 3rd (of 4) large steel power poles on the north end! These large poles will allow for a reconfiguration of the power lines and connection form these lines to the electrical switchyard!
Finally, I discuss the rapid assembly of the steel structure for the west battery cathode building. There are now about 12 to 15 steel columns erected, supporting steel parts installed and expanding concrete footings to the south, even extending the length of the building by another 50 feet (~15 meters). The steel assembly is following closely behind the pouring of concrete footings, continuing to suggest this structure will go up very quickly!
Here are a few other highlights from today’s video:
Three receiving docks on the east side of the main building continue to have their concrete apron areas re-worked, including some new plumbing installation, form installation and preparation for rebar ahead of concrete pours.
We see many deliveries on the south end of General Assembly (3rd floor via temporary platform) and Stamping extension! This includes more robotic assembly machines covered in silver wrapping, and more components necessary for continued stamping machine assembly.
Also on the south end, we see more ground prep well underway to allow for major construction of the new foundation and eventually building extension construction project to begin.
On the west side of General Assembly, we see the new concrete apron has had one third already poured with concrete, another third with forms and rebar ready for concrete, and the north end being prepared for rebar. This is to support additional receiving dock construction.
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Be sure to check out additional Texas Gigafactory footage on these channels:
@Jeff Roberts
@Brad Sloan
Video, photos, illustrations, and commentary on this video is by me, Joe Tegtmeyer unless otherwise annotated.
Music in this video is obtained from the YouTube free and unrestricted and royalty-free use library. Ending song is Mr. Sunny Face – Wayne Jones
Drones used are DJI Mavic Mini, Mini 2 and Mavic Air 2.
Drone flight over Giga Texas is with permission of Tesla and CEO Elon Musk