Tesla, the world’s largest electric car manufacturer, has a potential annual output to produce roughly 2 million electric vehicles annually.
Considering that in Q4, the company produced and sold more than 400,000 units, we can assume that the plants are already running at over 1.6 million units per year, with a target to achieve 1.8 million sales in 2023.
In this post, we will walk through Tesla‘s EV manufacturing plants to see what’s new at each of the sites and what is the progress related to the Tesla Semi Class 8 all-electric truck and the Tesla Cybertruck pickup.
Tesla’s Fremont factory has the potential to produce up to 550,000 Model 3/Model Y a year, plus up to 100,000 refreshed Model S/Model X.
According to Tesla, each of its EV factories produced a record number of vehicles in 2022, so also Fremont is running at its peak.
Tesla Factory in Fremont, California
Tesla Fremont Factory: Model S & X general assembly
Tesla’s first gigafactory is a lithium-ion battery cell plant, which makes 2170-type cylindrical battery cells in partnership with Panasonic, as well as other products (drive units, power electronics, energy storage systems, and parts).
Earlier this month, Tesla officially announced a $3.6 billion investment at the site to produce also the all-new 4680-type cylindrical battery cells (100 GWh per year with a potential for more) and Tesla Semi electric trucks (potentially roughly 50,000 Tesla Semi per year).
The Tesla Semi’s status is currently “Pilot production,” described also as limited production by Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk. The previous status was “Early production” in the Q3 2022 financial report and “In development” in the Q2 2022 financial report.
Tesla Giga Nevada (Tesla Gigafactory 1)
Tesla Giga Nevada: Expansion Plans (Tesla Q4 2022 report)
The Tesla Giga Shanghai plant has the potential to produce over 750,000 Model 3/Model Y per year. The plant remains the company’s export hub.
“Since our Shanghai factory has been successfully running near full capacity for several months, we do not expect meaningful sequential volume increases in the near term. Gigafactory Shanghai remains out main export hub, supplying vehicles to most markets outside of North America.”
Tesla Giga Shanghai (Tesla Gigafactory 3)
Tesla Giga Shanghai: Body Shop (Tesla Q4 2022 report)
Tesla Giga Berlin in Grünheide near Berlin, Germany produces the Tesla Model Y (powered by 2170-type cylindrical battery cells) since March 2022.
In December, the company announced that 3,000 Tesla Model Y were produced in a single week for the very first time. The capacity is estimated at over 250,000 annually.
At some point in the future, the company intends to start production of a new version powered by 4680-type cylindrical battery cells. Meanwhile, customers can select new premium paint colors:
“We also introduced two new multi-layer paint colors from our advanced paint shop at our Berlin factory – Quicksilver and Midnight Cherry Red.”
Tesla Giga Berlin (Tesla Gigafactory 4)
Tesla Giga Berlin: Tesla Model Y paint shop (Tesla Q4 2022 report)
Tesla Giga Texas in Austin started production of the Tesla Model Y in April 2022. This version of the Model Y is equipped with 4680-type cylindrical cells and a structural battery pack.
However, because the supply of 4680-type cells is limited, the plant later started production of the “legacy” version with 2170-type batteries and non-structural batteries.
According to the company, the plant recently produced 3,000 Model Y (all versions) in a single week. Meanwhile, the supply of 4680-type cylindrical battery cells increased to 1 million units per week, which is enough for more than 1,000 electric cars (a third of the plant’s production).
It’s important to note that the 4680-type cylindrical battery cells are produced now also locally at Giga Texas (on top of Tesla’s Kato Road pilot facility in Fremont, California). Unfortunately, we don’t know the production rate.
In mid-2023, the Giga Texas plant will start production of the Tesla Cybertruck all-electric pickup (current status “Tooling”), although Tesla says that we have to wait until 2024 for volume production.
Tesla Giga Texas (Tesla Gigafactory 5)
Tesla Giga Texas: 4680-type battery cell production (Tesla Q4 2022 report)
Tesla installed manufacturing capacity
- Total of over 1,900,000 per year (up to 650,000 at the Tesla Factory, over 750,000 at the Giga Shanghai and over 250,000 at the two new plants: Giga Berlin and Giga Texas).
Production sites (vehicles/battery systems)
- Tesla Factory in Fremont, California
- Model S/X (capacity of up to 100,000 annually) Model S since mid-2012, Model X since late 2015
- Model 3/Y (capacity of up to 550,000 annually now), Model 3 since mid-2017, Model Y since January 2020
- Total output of up to 650,000 S/X/3/Y
- Tesla Gigafactory 1 in Nevada
- related to lithium-ion cell, module and pack production, energy storage products and drive units/power electronics
- nearby, there is also a Tesla Semi pilot facility
- Semi status: “Pilot production” (undisclosed capacity, production since Q4 2022)
- 4680-type cylindrical battery cells to be produced in the future (100 GWh/year)
- Tesla Gigafactory 2 in New York
- Related to solar and some energy storage products
- Tesla Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai, China
- Model 3/Y (capacity of over 750,000 annually)
Model 3 since late 2019, Model Y since December 2020
- Model 3/Y (capacity of over 750,000 annually)
- Tesla Gigafactory 4 in Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany, Europe
- Model Y (capacity of over 250,000 annually)
Model Y since March 2022
- Model Y (capacity of over 250,000 annually)
- Tesla Gigafactory 5 in Austin, Texas
- Model Y (capacity of over 250,000 annually)
Model Y since April 2022 - Cybertruck: “tooling”
unveiled in late 2019 - 4680-type cylindrical battery cells (undisclosed rate)
- Model Y (capacity of over 250,000 annually)
- Tesla Kato Road pilot facility in Fremont, California
- related to Tesla’s 4680-type cylindrical battery cells
target: 10 GWh/year cell production
- related to Tesla’s 4680-type cylindrical battery cells
- Tesla Megapack factory in Lathrop, California
- Unassigned models
- Roadster: “in development”, unassigned
potentially will be assigned to the Fremont Factory (our guess) - “Robotaxi and Others”: “in development”, unassigned
- Roadster: “in development”, unassigned
