> Tesla's Fremont factory was the former NUMMI plant (GM/Toyota, operating since 1962). It was grandfathered in. When Tesla needed to expand battery production, they built the Gigafactory in Reno, Nevada — not California — because the permitting for battery cell manufacturing was effectively impossible. The Cybertruck factory went to Austin, Texas.
replyWhat part am I misreading? How is it that tesla expanded their cell manufacturing in 2023 in California when it was "effectively impossible"?
> How is it that tesla expanded their cell manufacturing in 2023 in California
replyThey didn't, they built it in Reno.
The website is garbage. Bad guy anti manufacturing California put out a grant to build impossible to build lithium battery cell manufacturing capacity in California. https://www.grants.ca.gov/grants/gfo-24-304-california-batte...
replyThat grant is only for nonprofits and only for "pilot manufacturing and testing", not useful mass manufacturing.
replyIt is a battery cell manufacturing line and with the intent to facilitate providing research resources to California battery business. Considering the claim was that you couldn't make lithium batteries in CA, having a new manufacturing line shows that's incorrect. It also shows the state sees it as a need. I haven't seen anyone provide any info showing it isn't possible.
replyIt's a pilot program, nobody said you can't uneconomically do research, but you can't build things in quantity.
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Thanks for posting. It says "The facility will support production of Tesla’s 4680 battery cell technology" (emphasis mine)
replySo they may be doing simpler portions of manufacturing. The article didn't claim you couldn't build any part of a battery without grandfathering.