Almost every day brings some new interesting sights at the Tesla Giga Austin plant, which is under construction in Texas.
During the recent drone flyover, Jeff Roberts noticed a fleet of 11 Tesla Model Y at the on-site Supercharging station (see at 4:50 and 8:42), which has 12 stalls.
Previously, the Tesla Cybertruck was also charging there.
We are not sure whether it's a test fleet or cars ready for customer deliveries. They are black and blue, with 19’’ Gemini Wheels, associated with the entry-level Model Y Long Range AWD version. A similar fleet was seen on January 17, and one of the cars was spotted driving outside the site.
It's interesting because the fleet of over 100 cars, seen on February 17, appears to be equipped with the same type of wheels.
On the other hand, some of the cars - equipped with 21" Überturbine Wheels, associated with the Performance version - were leaving the plant on a vehicle carrier.
It's still not clear what versions of the Made-in-Texas Tesla Model Y will be launched first:
- Long Range AWD (standard specs, but with 4680 cells)
- Performance (standard specs, but with 4680 cells)
- both (standard specs, but with 4680 cells)
- a completely new type/types with significantly different specs
The new structural battery pack with 4680-type cylindrical battery cells is expected to offer higher energy density, better charging characteristics, and lower cost, to name just a few of the main differences compared to the 2170-type batteries.
Tesla Giga Austin (Gigafactory 5) in Austin, Texas:
- works started on July 17, 2020 (announced on July 23, 2020)
- 2,481 acres of land (2,100 acres initially plus additional 381 acres acquired in September 2020)
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Model Y: launch is expected in Q1 2022 (an additional production site in the U.S.)
It will use the first to use 4680-type cylindrical cells and structural battery packs - Cybertruck: in development, unveiled in late 2019, production in 2023 at earliest
