Tesla ramps up Gigafactory Texas to thousands of units per week, adds new Model Y version

Tesla has managed to ramp up production at Gigafactory Texas to thousands of units per week, adding production of the Model Y Long Range on top of the Standard Range version.

The automaker is being secretive about data on its production ramp at Gigafactory Texas.

It is one of Tesla’s most important projects, as it invested billions of dollars in the giant factory, and it will not recoup that money until the plant reaches volume production.

After slowly starting production of the Model Y late in 2021, Tesla has been gradually ramping up and started deliveries of Texas-built Model Y vehicles in April.

The ramp up has been difficult as Tesla has been building the Model Ys at Gigafactory Texas with its new 4680 battery cell and structural battery pack, which have been the bottleneck.

Tesla has been aiming to produce 10,000 vehicles per week at the factory by the end of the year.

The current production rate of Gigafactory Texas has been unknown, but it was believed to be less than a thousand Model Y vehicles per week.

Now Electrek has obtained inside information for the first time that gives us a better idea of Tesla’s production rate at the new factory.

Sources familiar with the matter say that Tesla has managed to ramp up production since adding a new version of the Model Y, Model Y Long Range, and it now produces several thousand vehicles per week.

One source said that Tesla is making as many as 5,000 vehicles available to deliver per week from Gigafactory Texas, but it’s not clear if that’s a sustainable rate. Another source said that Tesla is capable of producing at least 2,000 Model Ys per week at the plant since adding the Model Y Long Range to the mix.

However, some buyers taking delivery of the Model Y Long Range from Gigafactory Texas are being told by their Tesla advisors that the vehicle is equipped with the 2170 cells and not the new cell format.

Recent drone flyovers of the factory show that Tesla is getting hundreds of cars out every day. In this flyover by Joe Tegtmeyer from Monday June 27, we can see Tesla prepping more than 300 Model Ys for delivery in the parking lot:

Electrek’s Take

Anywhere between 2,000 and 5,000 units of production capacity in a week would be incredible for Gigafactory Texas for just a few months after starting production.

However, it depends on how sustainable that production capacity is going to be over the coming weeks and months.

Also, it is a little disappointing if Tesla is only achieving those levels by making the Model Y Long Range with 2170 cells instead of the new 4680 cell, which is clearly going to be the new standard going forward; Tesla needs to figure out how to ramp up production of the new cell modules.