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Flight Instructor Captures Stunning Tesla Gigafactory Photos
Josh McDonald of Reno Nevada has provided Teslarati with exclusive recent photos of the Tesla GigaFactory taken from his personal airplane, a 1946 Cessna 140.
![Tesla Gigafactory Feb 2016 [Source: Josh McDonald]](https://www.teslarati.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Tesla-Gigafactory-Aerial-2-Feb2016.jpg)
Active civil air patrol for the U.S. Air Force Josh McDonald runs a private flight school Nevada Tailwheel in nearby Reno. In addition to teaching others how to fly, Josh also performs aerial photography using his 1946 Cessna 140 equipped with a GoPro camera.
Josh shares with Teslarati stunning new aerial photos he captured of the Tesla Gigafactory while on a routine flight through the area. Josh a Tesla fan tells us, “I am a electric car fan and I’m planning on putting a deposit down for the Model 3 next month.”
Check out these amazing photos of the Gigafactory and its surrounding area.
Elon Musk told investors at the 4th quarter earnings call earlier this month that production of Tesla Powerwall and Powerpack battery systems has already begun at the Gigafactory. Best of all, those products are already profitable and are expected to become more so as volume increases.
One of the most astonishing things about the Gigafactory is that, despite being one of the largest manufacturing facilities on earth, it is expected to be net zero and have no carbon emissions, according to technology chief JB Straubel. Net zero means that the building will create more electricity than it uses over a 12 month period.
Straubel told a students at the University of Nevada in November, “[F]rom the get-go, from the first concept of this factory, we wanted to make it a net zero facility. So…the most visible thing we are doing is covering the entire site with solar power. The whole roof of the Gigafactory was designed from the beginning with solar in mind.
“We kept all of the mechanical equipment off the roof. We didn’t put extra…penetrations through the roof that we didn’t need to and it’s a very, very clean surface that we can completely cover in solar. But that’s not enough solar, though. So we have also gone to the surrounding hillsides that we can’t use for other functions and we’re adding solar to those.”
You can see what look to be access roads leading to a plateau in the hills around the Gigafactory in these photos. Presumably, that is one of the areas where additional solar panels may go.

News
NIO Hong Kong shares rise as CATL eyes stake

NIO’s Hong Kong shares climbed 8.6% to HK$26.60 following news that Chinese battery titan CATL is negotiating to acquire a controlling stake in Nio Power
No Power runs over 3,000 battery-swapping stations in China. Last month, CATL pledged up to RMB 2.5 billion ($342 million) to Nio Power, according to Reuters’ sources. Nio Power was valued at over RMB 10 billion ($1.3 billion) after a 2024 fundraising. However, CATL’s offer remains undisclosed.
CATL has stayed mum about obtaining a controlling stake in Nio Power. Meanwhile, NIO has sidestepped specifics but noted it’s fostering battery swap station growth “with multiple investors, including CATL.”
“Nio and CATL will deepen collaboration on capital and business and further consolidate the strategic partnership to jointly build the largest battery swapping network globally,” noted NIO.
CATL’s push aligns with chairman Robin Zeng’s vision to morph the firm into a green-energy leader. Fresh off a deal with Sinopec to build 10,000 swap stations—500 this year—CATL aims to supplant a third of China’s gas stations. Nio Power, a linchpin for NIO, serves its drivers and rivals like Tesla and BYD. However, NIO’s hefty investments have dented profitability.
NIO’s 3,240 swap stations, mainly in China, swap batteries in under three minutes, tackling EV range woes. With co-development efforts expanding swap-compatible EVs, a CATL deal could reshape NIO’s footing against intensifying competition from BYD and others in China.
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India blocks BYD investments amid China concerns

India is reportedly restricting investments from China’s biggest automaker, BYD.
“India has to be cautious about its strategic interests [and] who we allow to invest,” Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal told Bloomberg Television’s Haslinda Amin at the India Global Forum in Mumbai on Monday. Goyal added, “As of now, it is a no” to BYD Co., signaling a firm stance against the Chinese EV maker.
Last year, India rejected BYD’s $1 billion joint venture with Megha Engineering. India’s sentiments toward BYD extend to other Chinese automakers as well. The country has a policy requiring government approval for investments from bordering nations. For example, China’s Great Wall Motor Co. abandoned its plans in India due to regulatory hurdles.
Indian officials are reportedly wary of Chinese firms’ murky ownership ties to the Communist regime and military. The Indian government is also concerned about China’s non-market tactics, like subsidies for manufacturers and loan write-offs that lead to indirect support and a distortion in competition.
Meanwhile, Tesla is making progress in India. Tesla recently hosted a hiring event in Mumbai, filling roles from sales to delivery. The US car company finally locked down showrooms in Mumbai and Delhi in the first quarter.
Last month, Tesla started the certification and homologation process for the Model Y and Model 3 in India. Certification is necessary to sell the Tesla Model Y and Model 3 in India. Meanwhile, Homologation tests ensure that new vehicles meet India’s road requirements as per the Central Motor Vehicle rules.
Tesla India reportedly plans to partner with India’s Tata Group to establish a local supply chain for domestic parts production. Tesla and Tata Group are supposedly discussing the development and production of components like castings, forgings, electronics, and fabrication items.
News
Elon Musk’s X tightens rules on parody accounts
X’s new rules for parody accounts take effect April 10, requiring clear labels and different visuals.

Elon Musk’s X is tightening its rules on parody accounts starting April 10.
The social media platform will mandate that accounts impersonating others start their account names with “fake” or “parody” and use different images from the accounts they are mimicking. The move targets confusion sparked by parody profiles, including those posing as X’s owner, Elon Musk.
Current parody accounts often add “fake” or “parody” at the end of their names in brackets. However, long handles can obscure this in feeds, risking confusion—especially with matching images. The new policy aims to tighten clarity as X navigates free speech and authenticity.
In a post on Saturday, X outlined the shift, stating: “These changes are designed to help users better understand the unaffiliated nature of PCF accounts and reduce the risk of confusion or impersonation.”
Affected fan and commentary accounts must comply with X’s new rules by the enforcement date. Users welcomed the crackdown, with one noting, “Hopefully this includes all the thousands of fake variations of Elon Musk accounts.”
“About time I get a fake Elon account contacting me almost once a week,” another X account user commented.
Parody accounts mimicking Musk vary widely, from those sharing memes to ones promoting crypto, reported the BBC. One Musk parody account with over a million followers recently announced a Tesla giveaway, racking up 428,000 likes and 200,000 replies.
X introduced parody labels in January, building on rules requiring entertainment-driven impersonators to self-identify, alongside its blue check marks providing a sort of verification for users. The EU flagged X’s blue checkmarks as deceptive in July 2024, a claim Musk dismissed as “misinformation.”
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