Tesla To Increase Production Capacity, Expanding Nevada Gigafactory

With more than a million cars sold per year and with estimates of doubling that number very quickly, Tesla needs more batteries right away. This, among other reasons, is why it is going to expand its Nevada Gigafactory, aiming directly at a steady increase in production.

All the figures indicate that this is going to be the year in which Tesla exceeds one million EV units sold; a very special milestone, though in a few years will come to nothing as the expectations of being able to quickly double those figures are very high indeed. Given this high demand forecast for the future, Tesla needs to expand the Nevada Gigafactory in order to obtain a greater number of batteries with which to power its EV units. The growth plans are already underway, although nobody actually knows for sure the exact period of execution of said works in the plant the company shares with Panasonic in Nevada.

Within the Tesla factory network, the Nevada plant plays a key role. Although not mentioned in mass media very often, overshadowed by the figures and news from other factories such as the one in Fremont or Giga-Shanghai, the Gigafactory in Nevada has the important role of being the one that manufactures the batteries to regularly power the assembly lines. In recent years it has remained almost unchanged, but as published by Electrek, Tesla already has the plans and details on the table for a prompt expansion that will allow it to largely increase the number of cells and batteries produced there.

The Nevada plant is a partnership between Tesla and Panasonic. With shared operations, both companies work hard to ensure a constant flow of batteries in this sales expansion. At the time the plant was announced as one of the largest buildings in the world, although it currently only occupies 30% of its final estimated space; the new expansion will allow for expanding activities and improving processes in order to increase the production capacity of the factory.

When it was inaugurated, Panasonic and Tesla announced a production capacity of 105 GWh of cells per year; and 150 GWh of battery packs per year once the plant reached its maximum capacity. For now, the real production capacity is unknown, since in recent years the workers have committed themselves more to improving processes and optimizing the final product than any other thing. It is reasonable to assume that this expansion means both companies are ready to go one step further, increasing size and production.

This year will be remembered as the year of opening and expansion of almost all the plants that Tesla has throughout the world. Following the openings of the Giga Berlin and Giga Texas factories last March, just a few months later both locations have actually been quickly upgraded and expanded. The same has happened with the company's most important production center today, the Shanghai Gigafactory. The Chinese factory produces more cars than any other plant of the company, and thanks to its expansion it will be able to offer even higher performance.

Source: electrek

All images courtesy of Tesla Inc.

Nico Caballero is the VP of Finance of Cogency Power, specializing in solar energy. He also holds a Diploma in Electric Cars from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, and enjoys doing research about Tesla and EV batteries. He can be reached at @NicoTorqueNews on Twitter. Nico covers Tesla and electric vehicle latest happenings at Torque News.