Giga Texas

The Heart of Tesla

Giga Texas, located on a 2,500-acre site along the Colorado River in southeastern Travis County near Austin, is Tesla's crown jewel. The facility serves as both Tesla's global corporate headquarters and a major vehicle production plant. With over 10 million square feet of floor space, it is one of the largest buildings in the world.

Tesla moved its corporate headquarters from Palo Alto, California to Austin in 2021, citing Texas's business-friendly environment, lower cost of living, and central U.S. location. CEO Elon Musk relocated personally to Austin, and the executive team now operates from offices within the Gigafactory complex.

The factory began vehicle production in April 2022 and has rapidly scaled to become one of Tesla's highest-capacity facilities. The site includes vehicle assembly lines, a paint shop, body shop, battery cell production, and extensive testing facilities.

Vehicles & Production

Giga Texas produces two vehicles: the Model Y and the Cybertruck. The Model Y built in Texas features the innovative structural battery pack with 4680 cells and front/rear mega-castings -- the most advanced manufacturing techniques in Tesla's lineup. These vehicles represent a generational leap in production efficiency.

The Cybertruck is produced exclusively at Giga Texas. The unique stainless steel exoskeleton requires specialized manufacturing equipment not found at any other Tesla factory, including massive stamping presses and custom welding stations for the ultra-hard 30X cold-rolled steel. Cybertruck production has ramped to over 2,500 units per week.

Combined annual production capacity for both vehicles exceeds 500,000 units, with plans to expand further. The expansive site provides ample room for new production lines, and Tesla has hinted at producing future vehicle models at Giga Texas, including the next-generation affordable Tesla.

4680 Battery Cell Production

Giga Texas houses a dedicated 4680 battery cell production facility, marking Tesla's most significant step toward in-house battery manufacturing. The 4680 cells are five times larger than the previous 2170 cells, with six times more energy and a simpler, tabless design that reduces internal resistance and improves thermal performance.

The structural battery pack used in Texas-built vehicles integrates these cells directly into the vehicle's body structure, replacing traditional floor pan components. This innovation reduces total part count by approximately 370 parts, lowers weight by 10%, and increases range by 14%. Tesla continues to scale 4680 production with the goal of eventually producing all battery cells in-house.