Tesla will build an EV semi truck factory in Nevada, part of a more than $3.6 billion investment by the company to expand its manufacturing footprint in the state, it announced Tuesday.
The EV maker also announced plans to build a plant to produce 4680 battery cells. Tesla says the cell factory will produce enough batteries to power 1.5 million light-duty vehicles a year. It did not provide an estimate for how many Semi vehicles its “high-volume” truck factory would produce each year.
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.
The investments add to Tesla's existing footprint in Nevada, where its 5.4 million-square-foot gigafactory 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."
