AUSTIN, Texas — Nearly a dozen new projects are being planned as Tesla prepares for a massive expansion of Giga Texas in Austin.
According to recent filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Tesla has submitted 10 filings for construction at the electric vehicle plant that would add more than 5 million square feet.
While it’s unclear what the expansion entails, the fillings show project names including Body in White, Castings, Cell 1 and Cell 2, Drive Unit, Paint, Plastics and Stamping.
The start date for the expansion was Oct. 25 with projected completion to be Dec. 31, 2025.
Tesla’s future in Texas
During a recent announcement of the Robotaxi, Elon Musk said he expects Tesla to launch the unsupervised Full-Self Driving system in Texas and California in 2025 with the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y.
However, those plans could be in jeopardy after reports of the system crashing in low-visibility conditions that led to a probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Tesla has also had to recall the Full-Driving System twice because it was programmed to run stop signs at slow speeds, and had other traffic laws disobeyed.
Meanwhile, Tesla’s expansion could mean more jobs for one of Travis County’s largest employers, which also announced it would lay off roughly 14,000 of its employees worldwide. Nearly 2,700 of those laid off were workers in Travis County and learned about the layoffs through an email.
Musk expanding his Texas empire
Court filings also revealed Musk’s plans to move social media site X’s headquarters from San Francisco to Bastrop.
Musk announced the move as a response to a new law in California that banned schools from requiring parental notification if a student identifies as transgender.
“Hyperloop Plaza” in Bastrop already houses The Boring Company, a Space X Starlink manufacturing facility and Musk’s “Boring Bodega.” X has employees at an office in Austin but a company representative said all employees will move to Bastrop.
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