Tesla is charging ahead with Panasonic on plans for a giant new battery factory.
The two companies announced their plans on Thursday to open a new factory in the United States.
Neither company has revealed where in the U.S. the facility might be built; the competition remains fierce.
Contenders reportedly include Stockton, California; Arizona; Nevada; and New Mexico.
Tesla says the factory would provide 6,500 jobs by 2020, which would be split among two major operations: producing batteries for Panasonic’s operations and producing batteries for the packs Tesla uses in its vehicles.
By the time the factory is up and running, Tesla plans to crank out about 500,000 Model III cars per year. More details may be coming later on Thursday; Tesla is expected to report on its quarterly earnings after the markets close.