Tesla plans new battery factory, will employ 6,500

[Redfairen]

Source: Associated Press

Electric car maker Tesla Motors said Wednesday it's considering sites in Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas for a massive battery factory that would employ around 6,500 people.

The company didn't immediately name the locations it's considering in those states. Tesla plans to start construction this year and complete the factory -- which it dubs its "Gigafactory" -- in 2017.

.......

The new factory will provide enough batteries to supply 500,000 vehicles by 2020, Tesla said. Tesla expects to produce 35,000 vehicles this year.

Tesla currently sells just one vehicle, the Model S sedan, which starts around $70,000. But it plans to begin making a crossover, the Model X, later this year, and wants to bring a lower cost, mass market vehicle to market in 2017. Tesla said the factory would help lower its battery costs by around 30 percent.





Read more: http://m.detnews.com/topstories/article?a=2014302260094&f=1207

[lostincalifornia]

1. My suggestion is go to New Mexico or even Nevada. Stay out of Arizona and Texas until the join the

civilized word

[Bryce Butler]

2. Tesla shouldn't even consider Texas...

since they're banned from selling to consumers there.

[MicaelS]

10. Oh, no, let them come here.

Make part of the deal them coming here, is that the Car Dealers are told to go take a flying fuck at a rolling donut.

[doc03]

3. Stay the hell out "right to work" states. They are Red states that don't

believe in electric cars anyway. But apparently they want cheap scab labor.

[daleo]

4. He should stick with California

It seems more sensible in the long run. Especially for a firm which is environmentally progressive.

[freshwest]

8. +1

[olddad56]

11. I'd like that, but the cost of running a large factory would be more expensive here.

[jtuck004]

5. I can see positives and negatives about most of those. n/t

[Bonhomme Richard]

6. I think AZ just lost that one. n/t

[Zorro]

7. Reno probably would be a desirable location

Not that far from the Tesla plant.

[LeftyMom]

19. Seems like the most sensible option.

The only real downside I can think of is that I-80 closes to truck traffic during winter storms, but that would be an infrequent problem and one that could be planned around in most cases.

[NickB79]

9. Why even consider the US Southwest at all?

If the long-term predictions for climate change hold, in the next few decades we'll be abandoning large parts of that region back to nature as long-term droughts set in and the reservoirs and snowpack fail to satisfy water demands for agriculture, manufacturing and residential use.

[Bill76]

12. I would not want to work in a Tesla battery factory.

With their history of explosions, only a desperate undocumented immigrant would take a job there.

[TekGryphon]

13. Get lost.

How many Tesla batteries have exploded? Or did Rush not give you that statistic.

[Mother Muckraker]

15. Back in 2011, there was a huge battery explosion & 3 workers burned by hot metal Nov 13

2011 battery explosion that was visible for miles


Nov 2013 - 3 workers burned by hot metal:
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/3-workers-burned-at-Tesla-plant-4980999.php

[truthisfreedom]

16. Aluminum explosion. NOT a battery explosion.

Sheesh.

[Mother Muckraker]

20. 1) Battery explosion 2) Hot metal (aluminum).... 2 events

Read again. I posted 2 incidents. One in 2011 and the other in 2013

[truthisfreedom]

17. 3 slow-burning fires after the autos involved drove over tall sharp and heavy objects at high speed.

No explosions, ever. BTW, the computer directed each vehicle to safety in each of the three fire cases.

[Bill76]

21. They were explosions. Look at the videos.

Or don't, if you prefer.

[Mother Muckraker]

14. There are problems with this latest venture

Here's the Biggest Risk With Tesla's Gigafactory
http://www.thestreet.com/story/12459570/1/heres-the-biggest-risk-with-teslas-gigafactory.html

From their 10-K filing:

In addition, we have also announced our intent to develop Gen III which we expect to produce at the Tesla Factory after the introduction of Model X. We intend to offer this vehicle at a lower price point and expect to produce it at higher volumes than our Model S. Importantly, we anticipate producing our Gen III vehicle for the mass market and thus we will need a high-volume supply of lithium-ion cells at reasonable prices. While our plan is to attempt to produce lithium-ion cells and finished battery packs for our Gen III vehicles at a new Tesla Gigafactory, our plans for such production are at a very early stage and we have not yet selected a site for the construction of the Tesla Gigafactory nor completed a factory design. In addition, we have no experience in the production of lithium-ion cells, and accordingly we intend to engage partners with significant experience in cell production and to date we have not formalized such partnerships. In addition, the cost of building and operating the Tesla Gigafactory could exceed our current expectations and the Tesla Gigafactory may take longer to bring online than we anticipate. If we are unable to build the Tesla Gigafactory in a timely manner to produce high volumes of quality lithium-ion cells for Gen III at reasonable prices and thus are forced to rely on others to supply us with lithium-ion cells for Gen III, our ability to produce our Gen III vehicles at a price that allows us to sell Gen III profitably could be constrained. Finally, we have very limited experience allocating our available resources among the design and production of multiple models of vehicles, such as Model S (including any variants we may introduce such as right-hand drive), Model X and Gen III. While we intend each of our production vehicles and their variants to meet a distinct segment of the automotive market, our vehicles may end up competing with each other which may delay sales and associated revenue to future periods.

[truthisfreedom]

18. yep, that's what i'm afraid of, he's going out on a limb again, after all of his NONSTOP successes.

i mean seriously. he's nothing but failure to you, but there is that little thing called reality.

[Mother Muckraker]

22. Study: Lithium-Ion Batteries Can Impact Environment, Health Negatively

http://www.dailytech.com/Study+LithiumIon+Batteries+Can+Impact+Environment+Health+Negatively/article31678.htm

The researchers found that batteries using cathodes with nickel and cobalt and solvent-based electrode processing are the highest risks for negative health and environmental impacts. These impacts are a result of the production, processing and use of cobalt and nickel metal compounds. The environmental impacts include resource depletion, global warming, and ecological toxicity while the health impacts are poor respiratory, pulmonary and neurological effects.

To lessen such impacts, the study recommends cathode material substitution, recycling of metals from the batteries and solvent-less electrode processing.

The study also found that the electricity grids for charging lithium-ion batteries contribute to global warming and other environmental and health impacts.

“These impacts are sensitive to local and regional grid mixes,” Amarakoon said. “If the batteries in use are drawing power from the grids in the Midwest or South, much of the electricity will be coming from coal-fired plants. If it’s in New England or California, the grids rely more on renewables and natural gas, which emit less greenhouse gases and other toxic pollutants."

[Redford]

23. They are coming to Texas as much as it must pain DU

The other states are just a diversion. Site is already picked out and politicians greased.