You can't produce electric cars without battery packs, and getting the cells and packs isn't necessarily easy across the industry. There's not enough mining or refining, and most cells and packs are produced by foreign companies, which isn't helpful for the new EV tax credit. However, Tesla has proven since early on that it can secure the batteries it needs to crank out many more EVs than its rivals, and now it's adding to its advantage.
We reported some time ago that Tesla was planning a new battery production line to be located on the second floor of its original factory, in Fremont, California. The information was available in various local filings, which were discovered and shared by Teslarati. The publication also shared that the line is Tesla's second battery-related project at the factory. The EV maker is reportedly also constructing an initial Cybertruck battery pack line nearby.
The original filings with the City of Fremont related to the battery pack assembly line date back to at least September 2022. Essentially, they just revealed that the project was likely to become a reality, though, as usual, Tesla hasn't made any official announcements.
The publication notes that the new battery production line has separate filings from those associated with the Cybertruck line. The filing for the second line has a different name and is listed as a separate project. For example, Tesla specifies the Cybertruck line with the filing title, “CTA Battery B-Build.” The second line is titled “Pack B-Build” in the separate filings.
At any rate, the latest filings related to the second battery assembly line at Fremont show that it has been under construction for many months now, and it may end up being larger than originally intended. Tesla is now adding an additional tooling station and three more air drops. The company filed for permits in September 2022, made revisions in December 2022, and installed the first tools on the line in February 2023.
Tesla also produces batteries in partnership with Panasonic at its Nevada Gigafactory. In addition, it's making its own proprietary 4680 battery cells at an assembly line on Kato Road, near the Fremont factory. The company also built two other newer battery assembly lines recently. This is all a very clear indication that Tesla has every intent to continue ramping up EV production and sales in a big way going forward.
