A few weeks ago, we reported on the rapid progress at Giga Berlin, and because Tesla personifies progress, we can now report on how Giga Texas is going. In July, Tesla confirmed the site near Austin as the next Gigafactory and almost two months later, things have moved quickly for the EV auto manufacturer.
Ground preparation has been underway to clear the 2,000-acre piece of land initially planned for the production of the Cybertruck. And it’s not going to be a production plant exclusively for the Cybertruck because Tesla also plans to produce the Model Y and Model 3 and the Semi truck at the Texan factory.
The next US-based Gigafactory is moving into construction at quite a pace that matches, or may even exceed that of Giga Berlin. A recent presentation from Tesla indicates the EV company is on track with its schedule. The timeline for the buildout was included in Tesla’s “Travis County Colorado River Project Partner Pre‐Qualification Presentation” posted to the City of Austin website. It included a rough timeframe for the upcoming Cybertruck and Semi factory and revealed that Giga Texas’ “First Dry-In” is set for December 30, 2020, and its “First Substantial Completion” is scheduled for May 1, 2021.
At the dry-in stage, the installation of weather-sensitive materials and equipment can start, which probably refers to Tesla’s Cybertruck’s production equipment at Giga Texas as “First Substantial Completion.” It refers to the phase when a construction project is completed to a point where it can be used for its intended purpose. And according to Tesla’s schedule, it’s aiming to have the installation of the Cybertruck’s production equipment done by May. After which time, Tesla can start trial runs of the electric pickup truck before the end of the second quarter in 2021.
While it may look like an ambitious target, the equipment for the Cybertruck production line will probably require less time to set up if running comparisons with the Model 3 and Model Y line in Fremont and Shanghai. The Cybertuck won’t use stamping machines and neither will it require a paint shop.
Currently, Tesla estimates that Cybertruck deliveries could begin in late 2021, with the Tri-Motor AWD and Dual-Motor AWD variants being released first. The entry level truck, which will cost less than $40,000, will go into production later with releases expected for 2022.
The Cybertruck created quite a stir with its unique design to accommodate a possible apocalypse and one lucky person has already had the pleasure of giving the prototype a test drive. Earlier this year, Jay Leno and Elon Musk went for a drive for an episode recording of Jay Leno’s Garage.
Leno’s feedback included comments like, “It feels very much like any other Tesla. You get instant acceleration,” and “The greenhouse is fabulous, I love how open it appears to be” referring to the truck’s windshield, side windows and a transparent glass roof that gives the vehicle’s interior a bright and open feel.
When Jay Leno asked Musk what he intends to change between the prototype and actual production model, the Tesla boss said he doesn’t want to make any substantial changes to the truck.
“At Tesla, we always want to have the production car be better than the show car. It always drove me crazy when manufacturers would come out with this cool-looking show car and then the actual production car would be way worse. We won’t do show cars that aren’t real.”
As said, straight from the horse’s mouth, we can expect an improved design of the Cybertruck that we’ve seen to date and it seems likely the vehicle will be ready as per Tesla’s schedule.
Disclaimer:
Tesla, Inc. was not involved in the development of this document and did not provide any input or otherwise edit, review or authorize it.
