Elon Musk Draws From International Bench to Kickstart Tesla Austin Production
Elon Musk, now running Twitter on top of a handful of other companies, may be overloaded but at least recognizes the need for help. Automotive News reported that the Tesla CEO brought a veteran exec from the company’s Shanghai Gigafactory to Austin, where the automaker plans to ramp up Model Y and Cybertruck production.
Tom Zhu was involved in the buildout of Tesla’s Supercharger network and helped manage the construction of the Shanghai facility. He came with a team of engineers from China to push the Austin factory through the last stages of construction and tooling.
Tesla is counting on the Austin plant to help its vehicles meet the new Inflation Reduction Act's requirements. The rules state that an EV and its battery must be produced in North America to qualify. Tesla’s also staring down record demand for its vehicles, so another production outlet would release some pressure.
Battery development is another concern for the automaker, as it’s having a more challenging time than expected rolling out its new 4680 battery. The company has claimed a significant cost reduction with the batteries. Still, production is slower than desired, leading it to opt for an older battery in the Model Y to meet demand. The big question will be whether Tesla can push its production volume far enough to support an eventual Cybertruck release.
[Image: Roschetzky Photography via Shutterstock]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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If the whole EV thing doesn't work out, Tesla should go into the construction business.
(Impressive time to build that plant, is what I'm saying.)
Makes sense. Giga Shanghai now produces Model Ys at an annual rate > a million units, making it the most productive auto factory on earth. Working that magic at Austin, while also getting the CyberTruck into production in '23 are major milestones for Tesla's ongoing success.
I were Musk, I'd be leaning HARD on the Texas legislature to end that state's BS restrictions on selling Teslas there - the company spent billions on this plant, and will spend billions more employing Texans to work there.
I searched for an appropriate article to make this comment, but there was no exact fit anywhere, but this is the closest I found. I did my 90 min walk in the nearby park today as I do almost every day, and there was a grey car in the lot that, from the back, looked a little like a Porsche to me. I went closer, and sure it was. Not a 911, or a Cayman, but a BEV Taycan. I really was not impressed. The back was not nearly as attractive as the 911 or even the Cayman/Boxster. The front beak was also unremarkable. From the outside the whole car looks smaller than the huge vehicle it really is. (It's probably the curvy exterior, straight lines make the car look bigger). The worst thing for such an expensive car was the awful paintjob color choice. It was a dull gray, not really metallic, not silver, just an industrial, bleak gray. Not even the far more attractive GUNMETAL Gray. It sure ruined the expensive car's looks.