UPDATE: Sept. 9, 2020: About a month after the official announcement naming Austin, Texas, as the site of Tesla's U.S. Cybertruck plant, progress can be seen at the 2,100-acre site.
Time-lapse video (below) shows progress on foundation prep work for the future site of Tesla’s $1.1 billion factory. Local Tesla enthusiasts have been posting updates since last month and one YouTuber, Jeff Roberts, has posted daily videos for more than a month now, documenting Tesla's progress on the former concrete plant site, according to Business Insider.
It shows trucks hauling dirt and brush as the site is prepped for construction. The foundation for future construction is becoming visible. Despite the obvious construction work being done, Tesla has not yet released the name of the contractor or contractors on the project.
Dive Brief:
- Tesla paid $97 million for 2,000 acres of land near Austin, Texas, according to the Austin Business Journal, where it’s building a $1.1 billion factory that will produce the manufacturer’s new Cybertruck.
- Elon Musk announced Austin as the site of the factory in late July, but work reportedly began on the site a few days earlier than the announcement.
- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told CNBC that Musk chose Austin because he wanted more “freedom” than some places like California would offer him. Musk chose Austin over runner-up Tulsa, Oklahoma, in an announcement on July 22, even after the city painted an iconic statue to resemble Musk.
Dive Insight:
According to the Austin Business Journal, the land deal was finalized July 31, when Colorado River Project LLC, a Tesla entity, purchased the property from TXI Operations LP, an entity that is connected to Martin Marietta Inc., a North Carolina-based construction materials company. The area was originally planned to be a mixed-use project, with 12,000 residential units and 2.25 million square feet of commercial space.
The factory will become Tesla’s largest auto assembly plant, and the 2,000 acres are located near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
Tesla filed an application for a site plan with the Austin Development Services Department Aug. 4, but the actual site plan has not yet been filed.
No general contractor has been hired, but several are reportedly vying for the contract, which is sure to have a massive contract. GarzaEMC is the civil engineer on the factory project.
Despite no announcement about who will build the facility, Tesla is already hiring construction, engineering and human resources workers in Austin.
