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Nevada says Tesla Gigafactory on pace to hire 54% more workers than original estimates

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Nevada’s executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development was on the speaking circuit again, this time touting that Tesla is poised to exceed projected job creation numbers at the Gigafactory. And by a lot.

“When we originally presented the project to Legislature in 2014, we projected 6,500 jobs on site,” Hill said. “The efficiency that’s being created from a functional standpoint at the facility is actually enabling more employees to be employed on the site.”

In early February, Hill had spoken during a state budget review meeting about Tesla’s expectations to hire 3,200 workers by March, 2018. His more recent comments offer additional good news about the Gigafactory’s role in U.S. job creation.

What is the job picture like out in the Nevada desert for the Tesla Gigafactory, according to Hill?

  • The factory now has almost 1,000 permanent employees.
  • 90% of these permanent employees are home-grown citizens of Nevada.
  • 2,500 additional construction workers are on site.
  • 60% of those construction workers are from Nevada.
  • The Gigafactory is already producing battery cells, power walls, and battery packs.
  • A planned addition to the Gigafactory site is expected to create even more jobs.
  • The Gigafactory will be 5 million square feet with five floors of manufacturing when complete.
  • The Gigafactory will be the largest manufacturing facility in the world.
  • More than 10,000 jobs are now forecast to come out of the Tesla plant.
  • Those revised job creation numbers are 54% higher than the initial projections of 6,500 jobs.

Hill’s remarks came at a joint meeting of the Assembly Committee on Taxation and the Senate Committee on Revenue and Economic Development in Carson City. He described how making the factory more efficient has led to more jobs. Initially, Tesla designed the factory to support 35 gigawatt-hours of battery production annually, he said, but six months ago the company increased the projection to 50 GWh capacity. Those increases, Hill said, allows employment in the building to accelerate at a proportional level. “Mr. Musk in their earnings call said that they felt they could produce battery capacity now for 1 million cars, and originally that was 500,000,” Hill said. “So the employment prospects at the site continue to improve.”

The companies under the Tesla network umbrella have consistently created thousands of high paying jobs worldwide. Data indicates that Tesla companies currently employ over 35,000 employees globally, of which 30,000+ are in the U.S. And the Nevada Gigafactory, from all reports, is only going to increase that number. With his role as a Trump adviser and as a constant voice of cleantech innovation, including new approaches to solar energy independence, Elon Musk may be single-handedly creating the alternative energy jobs that so many U.S. citizens want.

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Carolyn Fortuna is a writer and researcher with a Ph.D. in education from the University of Rhode Island. She brings a social justice perspective to environmental issues. Please follow me on Twitter and Facebook and Google+

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Investor's Corner

Tesla stock surges on Wednesday, but there’s still more room to go

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla stock (NASDAQ: TSLA) surged over 7 percent on Wednesday, canceling out some of the losses it has felt this week.

It has been a less-than-ideal start for Tesla in 2025, as the company has wiped out all of its gains felt from the victorious election campaign of President Donald Trump. The stock is down 34 percent so far this year.

The losses have mostly been felt due to reports of decreased demand due to pushback against CEO Elon Musk and his support of President Trump, as well as investor concern over the CEO’s personal use of time between the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Tesla itself.

In a note this week from Wedbush, analyst Dan Ives wrote:

“Musk needs to step up as Tesla CEO at this critical juncture. In a nutshell, the word ‘balance’ has been missing with Elon Musk and his ability to run Tesla as CEO….while instead focusing all of his energy and time driving his DOGE initiative within the Trump Administration. Since Trump’s White House 2nd term kicked off in January, we have seen Musk and Trump connected at the hip with Musk essentially living at the White House and Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. There has been little to no sign of Musk at any Tesla factory or manufacturing facility the last two months and perception has become reality for Tesla shares. Trump getting elected President was a huge moment for Musk and Tesla in our view as this will create the fast track for an autonomous federal roadmap…however the DOGE efforts have now intertwined Tesla into this brewing political firestorm.”

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Wednesday’s slight bump for Tesla shares is likely related to the support the company received from President Trump yesterday, who purchased a Model S sedan at the White House and pledged to pay for it with a check.

President Donald Trump buys a Tesla at the White House – Here’s which model he chose

The move was one that signaled a buying spree from high-profile Republicans, including Sean Hannity, among others, who announced their support for Musk and Tesla:

Tesla shares closed at $248.09 on Wednesday, up 7.59%.

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Tesla bull ARK loads up on over $20M in TSLA shares after stock slide

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla bull ARK Invest loaded up on over $20 million worth of the automaker’s shares on Monday after the company saw its largest slide on the market since late 2020.

Shares dropped over 15 percent on Monday, mostly due to pushback on the stock as CEO Elon Musk heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). His involvement with the U.S. government directly has sent some investors into a predicament over Musk’s dedication to Tesla.

There are also concerns regarding Q1 deliveries, which will be a big indication of where the year could be headed for Tesla.

The Monday slide was the biggest since late 2020 when shares dropped over 21 percent.

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However, the slide presents a massive buying opportunity for investors, especially those who operate ETFs, like ARK. Long term, ARK believes Tesla shares (NASDAQ: TSLA) will be exponentially more expensive, especially leaning on the thesis that Robotaxi and AI/Optimus will translate to major growth in yet another sector for the company.

ARK bolstered its position on $TSLA in its ARKK Innovation ETF with a purchase of 68,164 shares. Tesla is the largest holding in ARKK with over $531 million in value. Tesla makes up exactly 10 percent of the ARKK ETF.

It also bought another 11,154 shares in its ARKQ Autonomous Technology & Robotics ETF.

It’s no secret Tesla shares have taken a substantial hit in 2025, especially as the company’s price on Wall Street exploded following President Trump’s successful election campaign last year.

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So far in 2025, Tesla shares are down over 38 percent. They are up nearly 5 percent as of 2:30 p.m. on the East Coast. Even bullish analysts are hoping some focus returns to Tesla on Musk’s part.

Dan Ives of Wedbush said in a note last night following the broad sell off:

“This is a gut check moment for the Tesla bulls (including ourselves) after this massive sell-off in Tesla shares with fears mounting/accelerating. The bears own the Tesla narrative in the near-term as lackluster sales numbers from Europe, China, and the US in January/February along with Musk protests/brand worries have created many concerns.”

He continued:

“While the DOGE/Trump Musk iron clad partnership has created major brand worries for Tesla…..we estimate less than 5% of Tesla sales globally are at risk from these issues despite the global draconian narrative for Musk. Importantly, we expect Musk will better balance his time between DOGE and Tesla/SpaceX over the course of 2025 and some of these distraction issues will fade.”

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Elon Musk praises Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater for accumulating TSLA stock

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

A recent 13-F filing from legendary investor and billionaire Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater Associates has revealed that the hedge fund has added over $62 million worth of Tesla stock (NASDAQ:TSLA) to its portfolio.

Elon Musk has praised the billionaire’s investment in a post on X.

Bridgewater’s TSLA stake:

  • As per Bridgewater’s 13-F filing, it currently holds 153,589 shares of TSLA, which costs $62,025,382.
  • The firm added the TSLA shares in the fourth quarter.
  • Tesla shares gained momentum after its Q3 2024 earnings call, and it only gained more strength after the election of U.S. President Donald Trump.
  • At the end of 2024, Tesla shares were up 62%, as noted in a MarketWatch report.
  • Tesla stock is still up 88% over 12 months despite a steep drop over the past month.

A vote of confidence: 

  • Bridgewater Associates is one of the largest hedge funds in the world, so the firm’s stake in TSLA could be interpreted as a vote of confidence in the electric vehicle maker.
  • Elon Musk has praised the firm’s investment. In a post on X, Musk noted that Bridgewater’s investment was a “smart move.”
  • Elon Musk has been quite consistent on his idea that Tesla could eventually become the world’s most valuable company. He emphasized this point during the Q4 2024 earnings call.
  • “I see a path. I’m not saying it’s an easy path but I see a path of Tesla being the most valuable company in the world by far. Not even close. There is a path where Tesla is worth more than the next top five companies combined,” Musk said.

Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.

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