Tesla's Gigafactory is officially open for business
LAS VEGAS -- Tesla's enormous battery factory is now open for business. The company's Gigafactory, located in the Nevada desert outside of Reno, began producing its first batteries, Tesla announced.
The batteries produced there will help power Tesla's upcoming Model 3 and its energy storage products.
Tesla is producing the batteries in conjunction with Panasonic, which has made a large investment in the project. Panasonic will use cells produced at the factory in its products as well.
The factory's opening is good news for Tesla fans awaiting the company's upcoming Model 3, which has faced production delays. Beginning production of the cells that will power the Model 3 is a significant step toward making the car a reality -- though it's unlikely the factory's opening will impact the expected 2018 ship date.
The Gigafactory will also be key to Tesla's ambitious efforts in energy storage like its Powerwall and Solar Roof projects, which also rely on lithium ion batteries.
Though robots do much of the work at the factory, Tesla and Panasonic say as many as 6,500 people will be employed at the sprawling factory.
Karissa was Mashable's Senior Tech Reporter, and is based in San Francisco. She covers social media platforms, Silicon Valley, and the many ways technology is changing our lives. Her work has also appeared in Wired, Macworld, Popular Mechanics, and The Wirecutter. In her free time, she enjoys snowboarding and watching too many cat videos on Instagram. Follow her on Twitter @karissabe.
