Tesla will invest more than $3.6 billion to expand its manufacturing footprint in Nevada, the company announced yesterday.
The EV maker plans to build two new factories: a battery plant to produce 4680 battery cells, as well as its first high-volume semi truck factory. The company said the cell factory will produce enough batteries to power 1.5 million light duty vehicles a year.
As part of the project, Tesla plans to hire 3,000 workers.
The investments add to Tesla's existing 5.4 million-square-foot gigafactory in the state, which began producing battery cells in 2017. Since launching the gigafactory project in 2014, the company has spent $6.2 billion in Nevada, employing more than 10,000 people, according to a 2022 Tesla economic and fiscal impact analysis.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo applauded the expansion in his state of the state speech on Monday.
"Whether it’s closing the lithium loop, unlocking innovation and investment in logistics, entertainment, science and technology, or embracing entrepreneurship, the message is, that Nevada is ready to partner," Lombardo said. "I am looking forward to joining Elon Musk and the team at Tesla tomorrow when they unveil plans to build a brand new ... advanced manufacturing facility in northern Nevada for the company’s all-electric semi-trucks."
Tesla's EV semi trucks, one of its newer ventures, have made headlines in recent months as the EV company made its first delivery of the vehicles to PepsiCo at an event in December. The beverage company first ordered Tesla EV semis in 2017 and plans to roll out 100 of the trucks this year, PepsiCo VP Mike O'Connell told Reuters last month.
Tesla's contract manufacturers have also been expanding in recent months. In July, Panasonic, which counts Tesla as one of its biggest customers, announced plans to open a $4 billion battery manufacturing site in Kansas.
