Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk said on Thursday that the electric vehicle maker’s Giga Texas is the most advanced car factory on earth, likening its technology to being made by aliens.
What Happened: Musk was hosting a grand party in Austin, Texas, to celebrate the opening of Giga Texas.
He said Tesla's newest factory is the world's largest by volume and surpasses the Burj Khalifa's height if the world's tallest skyscraper were placed on its side.
“The factory is the product. The building is the most advanced car factory that the world has ever seen,” Musk told a cheering crowd at the giant party named Cyber Rodeo.
“Alien technology … exactly. You know if a factory is so advanced it feels like an alien has landed."
Musk said Giga Texas will make half a million units of compact electric crossover Model Ys and over time, become the biggest cell factory in the world.
See Also: Elon Musk Gives Cybertruck Update At 'Cyber Rodeo' Event
On Texas: Austin doubles up as corporate headquarters for Tesla. Musk said Tesla will begin making the Cybertruck at Giga Texas next year and follow up more launches including the electric Roadster and semi-trucks.
“We needed a place that was really big. There is no place like Texas.”
Spread over 3.3 square miles, Giga Texas is the largest Tesla factory. In comparison, the EV maker’s recently opened Giga Berlin is spread over 1.2 square miles. Both factories have an initial capacity of 500,000 units a year. Giga Shanghai is spread over 0.33 square miles and has an annual capacity of 450,000 units.
Price Action: Tesla stock closed 1.1% higher at $1,057.3 a share on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro.
