Tesla’s production depends on supply chains and manufacturers around the world, but where in the US are Tesla cars made?
Tesla vehicles sold in the US are also largely manufactured here. Tesla manufactures most of its vehicles at its Fremont plant in California. It has also recently opened auto and parts factories in the United States and around the world.
In this article, we will discuss how Tesla’s car production works and where Tesla vehicles are manufactured. In addition, we review all current and future manufacturing facilities in the US and around the world, including Tesla’s solar panels and Gig factories for battery manufacturing.
We obtained the data used in this article from publicly available industry data and from Tesla itself.
How Tesla’s production works
Tesla cars are manufactured in factories owned by the company around the world. There are many supply chains involved because not all parts are manufactured in the same place. This is not unusual, as automakers abandoned the all-in-one factory model decades ago.
However, Tesla has done a fantastic job in recent years of centralizing (or “consolidating”) its parts supply and manufacturing facilities. For example, batteries previously supplied by Panasonic are now manufactured in-house for many vehicles. This has been in the works for a long time and is a big production goal for Tesla.
Where are Tesla cars assembled?
The first Tesla vehicles were manufactured and partially assembled by Lotus in Great Britain. In 2010, Tesla manufactured most of its vehicles almost entirely in the United States. This is still true as most Tesla cars are made in the USA.
Tesla’s current production and storage facilities
Tesla has multiple parts, manufacturing and support facilities throughout the United States. Here are the current factories involved in car production across the country.
1. Tesla Fremont Plant (California)
Tesla’s main long-term manufacturing facility is the Tesla Fremont Factory, located in Fremont, California. Tesla manufactures the Model S, Model 3, Model X and Model Y here. In the future, the second generation Tesla Roadster will also be manufactured here.
Tesla’s Fremont factory is huge. The former General Motors and Toyota manufacturing facility spans 5,300,000 square feet. This facility is large enough to house and handle the entire assembly process of countless Tesla vehicles.
The factory currently employs around 10,000 people and is one of the region’s largest employers under one roof. As a testament to the ingenuity of American manufacturing, the Fremont factory entered its third life as a Tesla factory in 2010.
2. Tesla Lathrop Plant (California)
Tesla’s Lathrop facility in Lathrop, California looks like a shoebox compared to the massive Fremont facility. However, it remains a very large facility that plays an important role in the production of Tesla’s regional vehicles. The Lathrop plant occupies approximately 500,000 square feet of floor space.
Tesla purchased the Lathrop plant, which was converted to a parts warehouse and distribution facility in 2014. The facility, once used by Chrysler for a similar purpose, was designed to support the nearby Fremont plant.
Tesla added about 65,000 square feet to the facility to accommodate larger and more complex parts storage needs. Lathrop’s facility is also much more efficient than Chrysler’s, as Tesla has innovative computerized inventory systems that were not available at the time.
3. Giga Texas (Austin, Texas)
Tesla’s new Gig factory is currently under construction, but is expected to open in 2021. Located in Austin, Texas, the all-new Tesla Gig factory is slated to produce the Model 3, Model Y, Cyber truck, and the upcoming Tesla Semi.
Giga’s factory in Texas employs about 10,000 people and has a capacity similar to Tesla’s massive factory in Fremont, California. The facility will be large, but we are not sure of the size of the finished site. Also, many other details about future plans are not yet available.
The factory will probably be the most modern and “technically similar” car factory in the world. This is one of Tesla’s first auto plants built from the ground up and includes many of the amenities often found in technology companies.
This includes walking paths and public leisure facilities, some of which are open to all area users who wish to use them.
Solar and Tesla energy storage facilities
Tesla also has several manufacturing facilities for its electricity and renewable energy storage systems. Much of this manufacturing is also in the United States, making Tesla one of the leaders in domestic technology manufacturing. Here are the US-based energy technology manufacturing facilities.
1. Giga Nevada (Plans County, Nevada)
One of Tesla’s most significant projects to date has been the Nevada Gigafactory. Built from the ground up and opened in 2016, the large facility is located in a relatively remote part of Storey County, Nevada. It’s not finished yet, but it’s currently operational.
Once completed, the Giga Nevada factory will be one of the largest facilities in the world. Currently, the building has an area of 5,300,000 square feet, which is equivalent in floor area to Tesla’s massive factory in Fremont. As of this writing, the Giga Nevada plant employs approximately 7,000 people.
The plant currently produces lithium-ion batteries, Tesla Powerwalls, Tesla Powerpacks and Tesla Megapacks. Eventually, the Nevada Gigafactory will become a central manufacturing site for Tesla’s electric semi-trailers.
It is also slated to begin production of the Tesla Semi ahead of the Gigafactory in Austin, making it the world’s first truly electric semi-trailer manufacturing facility.
2. Giga New York (Buffalo, New York)
The New York Gigafactory was born differently from other Tesla factories. It became owned by Tesla after SolarCity merged with the company. The factory, now operated by Tesla and in partnership with Panasonic, began producing its own solar devices and solar cells for the company in 2018.
The site isn’t entirely new, even before SolarCity got their hands on it. Located along the Buffalo River, the area was originally the site of Republic Steel’s massive factory and manufacturing facility. Currently, the New York Gigafactory manufactures the Tesla Solar Roof and Tesla Superchargers.
The factory, which was commissioned at the turn of the century, closed in 1984 and the site was used variously until it became a high-tech solar power station. Today it employs about 1,500 people and plans to eventually hire more than 1,500 additional workers as production reaches full capacity.
Tesla world production
Most of Tesla’s auto and parts production takes place in the United States, and much of it is exported to other countries. But due to the increase in overseas demand, especially in Europe and China, Tesla wants to open large manufacturing plants overseas to serve the local market.
1. Giga Shanghai (China)
Located in China’s main industrial hub, Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory is a massive manufacturing facility and one of the largest in the world. The factory was purpose-built to serve the Asian market and currently produces the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y.
The factory was built in approximately 12 months, a remarkable feat given its massive 9,300,000 square foot floor plan. The plant, which opened in 2019, currently employs around 2,000 people, despite teething problems.
The factory is highly automated and efficient, and its full production potential has not yet been realized.
2. Giga Berlin (Germany)
Germany is home to Tesla’s largest European manufacturing center to date and one of the most advanced. The plant, currently under construction, employs approximately 10,000 people. The factory is strategically located in Grünheide, Brandenburg, Germany, just outside Berlin and close to the railway.
And Germany was an obvious choice, with the world’s most advanced automakers and automotive manufacturing expertise. The facility, which began construction in 2019, is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.
The state-of-the-art Giga Berlin factory (also known as Gigafactory Europe or Gigafactory 4) manufactures and assembles the Tesla Model Y. It also produces battery packs for various Tesla vehicles, as well as powertrains and powertrain components.
