AUSTIN, Tesla invited crowds of electric vehicle enthusiasts to Texas on Thursday for a massive celebration nicknamed “a “cyber rodeo” to celebrate the opening of a production facility the size of 100 soccer fields.
As visitors roamed the huge manufacturing complex dressed up in a unique nightclub appearance, photos and videos filled Twitter.
Under red and blue lighting, visitors mingled among industrial gear and Tesla models exhibited like museum artwork. Outside, automobiles were parked in a style resembling the Texas flag.
Work was still going on near the “gigafactory,” which was built with more steel than the Empire State Building in New York City, according to signs.
“It’s bigger than three Pentagons,” Elon Musk, Tesla’s flamboyant and controversial CEO, told the crowd inside the factory.
“This is the most modern automobile plant the world has ever seen; raw materials enter on one side and automobiles exit on the other.”
Musk arrived on stage in the first Tesla production car and was dressed in all black, complete with a cowboy hat and sunglasses.
He said that Tesla’s aim for this year would be to increase the manufacturing of current models.
“We’re going to ramp up to very gigantic proportions,” Musk said.
“This must occur in order for the world to shift to sustainable energy.”
– Goodbye Silicon Valley
Some people think that moving to a Republican-leaning state in the United States is a sign that Musk is leaving the liberal Silicon Valley society where he made his money.
The serial entrepreneur born in South Africa is currently the world’s wealthiest man. In 2003, Tesla was founded in Silicon Valley. The company moved its headquarters to Texas late last year, but the company still has its headquarters there.
Musk has had run-ins with California officials, most notably when health measures enforced during the epidemic forced Tesla’s Fremont facility to shut.
California is also looking into allegations of discrimination at Tesla’s manufacturing there.
Musk informed the gathering that Tesla would continue to develop in California but would soon run out of space.
“We needed a location that allowed us to grow enormously, and there is no place like Texas,” Musk said.
It remains to be known how Musk would handle conservative legislation in Texas, including the state’s new draconian abortion law and restrictions on transgender youngsters seeking health care.
A large part of Texas’ attractiveness stems from the absence of corporate or personal income taxes. Tesla obtained tax credits totaling more than $60 million to construct the facility.
While Musk has said that he wants to stop using fossil fuels that harm the environment, Texas is known for its oil rigs and gas-guzzling cars and trucks.
“I believe he is experiencing an identity crisis and has forgotten who his customer is, which will come back to bite him,” technology expert Rob Enderle said of Musk.
“He is leaning to the right; what he seems to forget is that the majority of people who purchase electric vehicles are lefties.”
– Cybertext
The facility, dubbed Giga Texas, began operations late last year. It is Tesla’s fifth and biggest gigafactory, manufacturing battery packs and automobiles.
In the beginning, Tesla made just one car at a time at a factory in Silicon Valley, but now the company has factories all over the world, including in the US states of New York and Nevada.
According to Edmunds analyst Jessica Caldwell, the Austin facility will make Model 3 and Y automobiles, as well as a Cybertruck pickup truck and a semi for transporting freight trailers.
Pickup trucks are a major commodity in the United States, and having a market-leading electric vehicle is critical.
Rivian, an electric truck manufacturer, has already begun deliveries.
“Riviera is the must-have vehicle right now,” said Enderle, an expert.
“The fact that Rivian was able to make a truck faster than Tesla shows that Tesla has a problem.”
According to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, Tesla demand is outpacing supply to the point that certain Model Y and Model 3 vehicles are being delivered months late in some areas of the globe.
“The answer is mostly concentrated in Austin and Berlin,” Ives said.
According to Musk, Tesla “has a chance” at starting manufacturing of its Optimus humanoid robot in Austin next year.
He stated that the robot will perform any task that humans dislike.
“We’re also going to make sure it’s safe; no ‘Terminator’ nonsense,” he said, alluding to the blockbuster action film about a cyborg killer.
