Tesla to host 15,000-person grand opening next month at new Gigafactory in Austin, Texas
The $1.1 billion, 4.3-million square foot facility has already started production of the Model Y
Austin Mayor Steve Adler on Tesla moving its headquarters to the city, why it’s a ‘desirable place’ and his meeting with Elon Musk.
Travis County Commissioners approved a permit this week for Tesla to host a 15,000-person grand opening next month at the company's new Gigafactory in Austin, Texas.
The party is set for April 7 from 4:00 p.m. to midnight at the new manufacturing facility about 5 miles east of downtown Austin on Harold Green Road.
Travis County Fire Marshal Tony Callaway said Tuesday that the permit for the fireworks show is "conditional," depending on the weather at the time, which can be erratic in central Texas in April.
"Let's cancel the firework show if we need to," Commissioner Ann Howard told Callaway, noting that some residents who live nearby have voiced concerns about the fireworks show. "More power to you and your decision, and we've got your back if you need to pull the plug at the last minute."
A general view of construction site of the Tesla Gigafactory in Austin, Texas, U.S., October 25, 2021. Picture taken with a drone. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)
(REUTERS/Mike Blake)
Tesla moved their corporate headquarters from Palo Alto, California, to Austin late last year. CEO Elon Musk also moved his personal residence to Texas.
The $1.1 billion, 4.3-million square foot facility has already started producing the Model Y, Tesla said in its fourth-quarter earnings report earlier this year.
TESLA'S GIGA BERLIN A BIG WIN FOR INVESTORS
Commissioner Brigid Shea touted Tesla's move to Texas on Tuesday and rejected criticisms about the $65 million in tax rebates that the company will get from Travis County.
"They are targeting for the majority of their 5,000-plus jobs the people in Austin who have less than a college degree, and that's more than 50% of our population," Shea said Tuesday.
"Those are the people who are stuck in dead-end jobs, who don't have health insurance, who don't get retirement, who don't really have a ladder out of poverty. And I think this is a genuine opportunity and an important one for our community that will provide many, many benefits."
Construction of Tesla's Model Y started at Giga Texas earlier this year. (michael reynolds/Shutterstock)
The Giga Factory is expected to eventually produce the Cybertruck. (Tesla)
In Tesla’s Model 3 sedan, a single group of semiconductors enables features such as speaker control and voice recognition, according to a study. (Zhang Peng/LightRocket/Getty Images)
(Tesla)
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Not everyone is welcoming Tesla with open arms in Austin though. Paul DiFiore, an Austin resident and representative of the environmental group PODER, said Tesla hasn't done enough to engage with the community during the move.
"I urge you to consider rejecting this permit and forcing Tesla to delay their celebration until they start treating the community of Eastern Travis County as more than a workforce for Elon Musk, but rather as neighbors and partners," he said.