Tesla has begun the construction of high-volume production facilities for the Semi electric truck at Giga Nevada. However, contrary to original plans for expanding the existing Gigafactory to accommodate the new production lines, the EV maker is throwing up a separate building from the scratch, according to new footage of the massive site uploaded to YouTube.
The official mention of the new facilities was made early in 2023, where Tesla said it would spend $3.6 billion on expanding Giga Nevada to include space to build the Semi electric truck and 4680 batteries. The building would have eventually become the single largest facility in the world by adding 4 million square feet of space. However, plans appear to have changed as it seems the Semi will now be produced in a brand new building that is situated apart from the existing factory.
YouTuber “Zanegler Tesla Semi Stalker” flew a drone over Giga Nevada and covered what he believed was a ground-breaking ceremony for a factory for the Semi’s mass-production. The soil-turning occurred outside of portion of the site meant for the expansion of the original building.
The YouTuber also claimed Tesla informed its staff that it was building an entirely new building.
Tesla spent the time between the original announcement and now putting in place all the necessary permits and working out tax breaks.
PepsiCo has incorporated 21 Tesla Semi electric trucks into its fleet, primarily used for deliveries within a 100-mile radius, involving several stops. These trucks operate for up to 12 hours a day. Notably, three of these trucks are dedicated to long-haul trucking, handling routes varying between 250 to 450 miles. To support this, Tesla has installed 750 kW Megachargers at PepsiCo facilities, enabling the trucks to charge to 80% capacity in less than 45 minutes. This initiative is part of PepsiCo’s broader aim to completely eliminate emissions from its operations by 2040, and the company has placed one of the largest orders for Tesla Semi trucks as part of this strategy.
