American motor giant Tesla is making more and more of a case for electric vehicle travel—outspoken company CEO Elon Musk announced on Thursday that Tesla will invest $5 billion in a new, eco-friendly plant in Reno, NV. Using the plant’s solar, geothermal, and wind power, Musk hopes to drive the price of lithium-ion battery production down 30%, something that will help sustain their innovative supercharger stations.
Aligned perfectly with true north, the plant’s impact on its surroundings was crucial to Musk. “It’s a factory, but we care about aesthetics. Does it look good? Does it fit in with the rest of the environment?” Musk commented. Renderings of the plant show that it will be diamond-shaped, a design that Musk believes will minimize the grading necessary to begin building. In considering the factory’s potential location, Musk also searched for tax breaks, a front on which Nevada certainly delivered. The state will offer $1.3 billion in breaks over the next twenty years, and due to the plant’s economic stimulation, Nevada may profit up to $100 billion in the same timeframe.
Mass-producing lithium-ion batteries at a significantly reduced cost should allow Model S and Model X production to skyrocket, and Musk hopes to raise total Tesla vehicle output into the hundred thousands from around 35,000 currently. Panasonic corporation, one of Tesla’s main lithium-ion battery suppliers, sees the potential of the factory and will reportedly give financial support to Tesla throughout the construction process.
Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has given his full support to Musk’s vision–he claims that the factory will, “change Nevada forever” and describes Musk as, “…a rare visionary who has the courage to reach beyond and convert the unthinkable into reality.” Tesla chose Nevada over California, New Mexico, Texas, and Arizona for the “gigafactory,” and California legislature feels especially slighted, as Tesla’s headquarters are in Palo Alto.
To integrate the factory fully into its surroundings, Musk plans to allow tours and visitors daily, embracing the plant as a local landmark.
Please enjoy this TFLcar.com video review of the Tesla Model S.
Frank caught automotive fever early in life. Hailing from a long line of car fanatics, he was able to recite the year and model of every car that passed him by age five. His passion and love for the automobile have only grown since then. When not thinking about cars, he is reading, writing, learning, or dreaming about them. His area of expertise is in the realm of German and Italian cars, of which Porsche is a favorite. Frank currently resides in the heart of NASCAR country in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his family. He enjoys driving exotic cars in the beautiful Carolina weather.
