GigaTexas Grows 4680 Production
Tesla’s new 4680 battery cell was a topic of detailed discussion during the company’s recent Q2 2022 earnings call; with CEO Elon Musk and other executives going over logistics and plans for the rest of the year.
A lot hinges on the production of the 4680, especially in GigaTexas, where the EV company has been setting up production facilities in an effort to wean off of exterior suppliers. And while Tesla execs say they have enough cells from exterior suppliers to ramp up production this year, they are obviously looking ahead to when exterior supply can no longer keep up.
Tesla’s current in-house production comes in large part from its Kato Road facility in Fremont California - its pilot line - and it's here that the ramp up is beginning.
“[...] at Kato, we fully automated power conveyance for the dry anode-electrode tool there, unlocking major increases in production and improvements in yields. [...] Kato’s output has grown about 35% month-over-month each month since, and yields throughout the factory are already at targets in most areas and trending in that direction and a few others.”
Baglino goes on to say that this development at Kato led to some similar changes at Gigas Texas and Berlin, resulting in new ramp challenges at those facilities.
However, even with those challenges, Tesla expects that GigaTexas should exceed the weekly output of Kato by the end of the year. More specifically, Baglino mentions that the EV company believes that with exterior supply alone, they should be able to exceed 1k 4680-equipped vehicles per week “by the end of year - hopefully before,”
The hope is that GigaTexas can begin production this quarter, so it can meet that goal and continue ramping up at a reasonable pace.
It’s impressive that the Kato facility is still innovating and spreading new production methods to the newer plants. It will be interesting to see how long it will take for Tesla to bring 4680 production entirely in-house.