In Austin, Texas, Tesla is planning to create not just another Gigafactory, but a massive one. For weeks, construction has been going on to build the $1.1 billion factory. And just recently, Tesla filed a site plan that gives us a glimpse of just how large this new factory will be. It will be gigantic. Which makes sense — in Texas, everything is bigger.
The sheer scale of Giga Austin is amazing 🤯 https://t.co/63dm6dJXoL
— Dan Burkland (@dburkland) September 16, 2020
The Austin American-Statesman noted that this site plan outlines Tesla’s current plan for 280 acres of the 2100 acre site. It includes an oblong factory building just east of Texas Highway 130 that will span from near the Colorado River north toward Harold Green Road. If you include the parking lots, the facility’s footprint amounts to 7.9 million square feet, or around 138 football fields.
The article pointed out that it’s still unclear what Tesla will do with its remaining 1,800 or so acres. Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives shared his thoughts with The Statesman. He anticipates a significant amount of additional development by Tesla at the site. “I see, ultimately, them making this much more than a typical factory,” Ives said. “It’s not just about the factory.”
Ives also believes that it is likely that Tesla will “take advantage of Austin’s engineering talent.” He believes that Tesla will build a separate research and development and design facilities at the site. According to the article, Ives and other analysts expect Tesla to locate some of its battery operations in the Austin area as well as the vehicle manufacturing plant. Tesla, Ives pointed out, will need a test-driving area as well. “There is a lot of wood to chop ahead” in terms of the development of the location beyond the initial 280 acres, he said.
During the Q2 Earnings Call, Elon Musk shared his vision of Tesla’s newest factory. “It’s about 2,000 acres, and we’re going to make it a factory that is going to be stunning. It’s right on the Colorado River, so there’s actually going to be a boardwalk where there’ll be a hiking and biking trail. It’s going to basically be an ecological paradise, birds in the trees, butterfly, fish in the stream, and they will be open to the public as well. So, not closed and only for Tesla.” Although the site plan that was recently filed doesn’t show the amenities in Elon Musk’s vision, Giga Texas is still being built and will most likely be revealed in later phases.
Giga Texas will be the factory where the Cybertruck and the Tesla Semi are initially made, as well as the Model 3 and Model Y for the eastern half of the country. Yes, this is going to be a colossal plant.
Could Tesla Be Designing Video Games At Giga Texas?
Tesla wants new video games to be made at Giga Texas https://t.co/KpqjYBMYPB pic.twitter.com/5NBj3auq45
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) September 1, 2020
AutobodyNews reported that Tesla wants new video games to be made at Giga Texas. The article stated that Tesla is planning to hire a series of video game and infotainment engineers who will be employed at the new Giga Texas production facility. Tesla posted a few job openings that entailed software engineering, software infotainment development, and video game development on its career website back in August. The job posts hinted at a new series of in-car video games and entertainment platforms that would entertain drivers as they are parked or at a Supercharger.
The job listings show that Tesla could be working toward creating a unique lineup of games that would keep drivers and passengers entertained during their downtime. One major goal of Tesla’s is to make the car as interactive as possible, which includes entertainment and gamification.
Whether or not Tesla plans to design video games at Giga Texas, one thing Tesla is known for is its entertainment. Seeing a car drive by itself, being able to sing karaoke (caraoke) in the car, Rainbow Road, and Dog Mode are just a few of Tesla’s unique differences from other automakers that show that Tesla is focused on making cars fun as well as safe.
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