Tesla has filed for environmental permits with the relevant authorities in Mexico to begin the first stage of construction of Giga Mexico. The permit are for a warehouse to be built on a 26 hectare site, and do not appear to be related to the main Gigafactory building.
According to a report by Mexico Now, Tesla Manufacturing Mexico requested the environmental permits from the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources on July 31, 2023. The permits describe the project as being for a warehouse on a property adjacent to the highway Monterrey-Saltillo, in the municipality of Santa Catarin.
The permit also indicates the warehouse project has an estimated cost of $90 million, a far cry from the more than $5 billion Tesla is expected to spend on the buildout of Giga Mexico, but an important first step in larger project.
The approval might take a while however, with Forbes Mexico reporting that Tesla’s subsidiary in Mexico will have to have up to 60 business days to approve the permits, allowing them to begin construction on what would be the first part of the Giga Mexico project.
Tesla does not appear to be waiting for that final approval as construction equipment has already arrived at the site earlier this week, suggesting that construction is about to begin. The company also recently hired a former Bosch factory executive who has years of experience as Technical Plant Manager and General Manager at the company’s Mexico division.
