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Tesla Gigafactory is still ahead of schedule, but behind on job creation

According to a new report from the Reno Gazette-Journal, the Tesla Gigafactory is still ahead of schedule, but it is falling short on job creation and capital investment projections for the project. It would be important to note that RGJ is making these claims based on the most recent data available – dated September 30 and June 30 – while comparing the numbers to the state’s projections for the end of 2015.

In its analysis, RGJ assumes that Tesla is still falling short in the fourth quarter because it was lagging so far behind in September. 
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Panasonic confirms it plans to invest $1.6 billion in the Tesla Gigafactory

Panasonic confirmed being a partner in Tesla’s battery factory early in the development of the project, but other than some estimates from Tesla, the electronic giant never committed to a dollar amount in investment until today.

Tesla made clear its plan to remain in control of the project and to contribute the majority of the estimated $4 billion to $5 billion investment required to build its massive battery factory. Panasonic confirmed today that it plans to invest between $1.5 billion and $1.6 billion in the Gigafactory.
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Hyperloop test track with low-pressure tube is under-construction in Nevada

Hyperloop Technologies Inc. announced last month a deal with Nevada officials to build a new test track for “Propulsion Open Air Test” (POAT) in the state.

Open air track aside and more interestingly, the company is also working on a 3 km full-scale and full speed enclosed prototype with a low-pressure environment and the latest images from the site (see above) show it’s already under-construction.
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Tesla passes its state audit for the Gigafactory, earns $9.6 million in tax credits

An audit of the Tesla’s job creation and value of its investment was due on Oct. 1, but Tesla asked for an extension and now the report was finally made available during the holidays.

Independent auditors concluded Tesla met all conditions for the first eight months after lawmakers approved the incentive package (Oct. 17, 2014, through June 30)
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583 construction workers and 82 permanent employees are now working at Tesla’s Gigafactory [RGJ Report]

Earlier this week, the Reno Gazette-Journal published its latest progress report on Tesla’s Gigafactory. I suggest reading the entire lengthy piece to get a good idea of the impact of the Gigafactory on the region, but the paper can get obnoxiously whiny about the state and local government’s support of the project, so I compiled the bulletpoints and facts from RGJ’s document digging for a quick overview here:
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Hyperloop Tech announces a new “open-air” test track capable of 335 mph in Nevada by early 2016

Hyperloop Technologies Inc. announced today a deal with Nevada officials to build a new test track for “Propulsion Open Air Test” (POAT) in the state. Hardware will begin arriving this month at the Apex Industrial Park in the City of North Las Vegas, and testing should begin in early 2016.
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Gannett photographers charged w/felony assault w/deadly weapon on Tesla Gigafactory employees

Last Friday, two journalists from Gannett’s Reno Gazette Journal (RGJ)  were  in an altercation with two Tesla safety managers on Tesla’s property at the Gigafactory near Reno. One of the individuals, RGJ photographer Andy Barron was arrested and charged for battery with a deadly weapon by the Storey County Sheriff’s department.
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Tesla to invest $1 million in battery research at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas

Tesla battery cells

When Tesla Motors negotiated with the state of Nevada to build its battery factory in the desert east of Reno, the state government agreed to give the automaker up to $1.3 billion in tax incentives over 20 years to build the $5 billion project.

But the deal came with several requirements the company needs to meet to get access to the tax breaks. Most of which have to do with employment – Tesla is expected to create up to 6,500 jobs through the Gigafactory once it operates at full capacity in 2020 – but a lesser known requirement was for Tesla to invest in educational research in the state and this week the company fulfilled the commitment by signing an agreement to invest $1 million in battery research with the University of Nevada in Las Vegas (UNLV) over the next 5 years.
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Jefferies predicts Tesla will achieve a 50%+ reduction in battery cost by 2020

Tesla battery cells

In a new note issued today, Jefferies analyst Dan Dolev increased his price target on Tesla Motors to $365 following a new analysis on the company’s battery business. When Tesla first announced its “Gigafactory“, it forecasted a ~30% reduction in battery cost through economy of scale and improved chemistry, but since then Tesla executives revealed that 30% might have been conservative and Jefferies seems to agree.
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Tesla is ramping up spending on its battery factory – Gigafactory is more “space efficient” than expected

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The state of Nevada gave an update on the developments of Tesla’s Gigafactory for the second quarter of the year. The company needs to keep up with the state’s requirements in order to get access to the $1.3 billion incentive package the state offered to secure the 6,500 jobs the factory is expected to create in Nevada and so far, so good for Tesla. 
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Tesla releases shareholder report, breaks ground on Gigafactory site in Reno Nevada, Conference call at 5:30 ET

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From today’s Shareholder Report(PDF):

In June, we broke ground just outside Reno, Nevada on a site that could potentially be the location for the Gigafactory. Consistent with our strategy to identify and break ground on multiple sites, we continue to evaluate other locations in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas. The final site for the first Gigafactory will be determined in the next few months, once we have full visibility and agreement on the relevant incentives and processes for enabling the Gigafactory to be fully operational to meet the timing for Model 3. We see these concurrent efforts as prudent. This vehicle will be
our third-generation product and will substantially broaden the addressable market for Tesla, helping to accelerate the transition towards sustainable transportation. Any potentially duplicative investments are minor compared to the revenue that could be lost if the launch of Model 3 were affected by any delays at our primary Gigafactory site.

Conference call will be at 5:30 here. Stock is down in after hours on unit shipment numbers.

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