The electric car manufacturer is building a few weeks after the start of the plant near Berlin Tesla expanded its capacity with a second US factory in Texas. The facility in Austin will initially build the compact SUV Model Y, which also rolls off the assembly line in Grünheide, Brandenburg. In the coming year, production of the Cybertruck pick-up will also start in Texas, according to the Tesla boss Elon Musk (50) confirmed at the opening ceremony on Friday night. Tesla has already begun shipping Model Y vehicles from the new Texas factory, Musk said. In addition to finished vehicles, the plant also produces batteries.
The electric car pioneer wants to produce half a million vehicles a year in the plant. Tesla urgently needed new production lines in North America because the main plant in California has reached its capacity limits. The Cybertruck in particular is considered an important model for the US market, where pick-ups are the most popular vehicles. Top dogs like ford and General Motors, but start-ups like Rivian are also pushing into the segment with electric models. The angular Cybertruck made of stainless steel was originally announced for the end of 2021, but the start of production was postponed.
At the event, Musk also announced the construction of a self-driving taxi with “futuristic looks.” “Huge numbers. Completely self-driving. There will be a special robotaxi,” Musk said. He gave no timeline or details about it. The company boss also announced the production of a humanoid robot starting next year.
Musk said Tesla buyers who ordered the autonomous-driving equipment package would receive improved software later this year. In the past he had Tesla boss missed his goals for autonomous driving several times
: He had already announced in 2019 that 2020 robotic taxis should be on the road in some US regions. In January, he said he would be “shocked” if Tesla failed to offer autonomous driving that is safer than a human driver. According to the company, the self-driving equipment package that Tesla offers does not enable autonomous operation, and the driver must continue to monitor the vehicle. In January, nearly 60,000 Tesla vehicles with the trim package were in the USA authorized.