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Tesla GigaFactory Could Be Largest Building On Earth

The Tesla GigaFactory could eventually be the largest building on Earth in terms of footprint at 24,000,000 square feet says a Story County official.

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Tesla purchased 1,200 acres of land adjacent to the Gigafactory last week and is about to purchase 350 acres more. That’s according to Dean Haymore, a Storey County official who gave a presentation about the Reno Industrial Center recently.

Haymore said the Tesla Gigafactory could eventually take up  7 “blocks” in the Center. The first building of the Gigafactory, which is now under construction, is considered one “block.” Once completed, it will represent one quarter of the original Gigafactory.

>>>>> MUST SEE: Drone Captures Tesla Gigafactory in 4k Ultra HD

If Haymore is correct, the completed structure could contain 24 million square feet of space and be the largest building on Earth in terms of footprint. Elon Musk has previously said that, if the transition to electric cars is to be completed successfully, hundreds of Gigafactories will be required.

Following the announcement of the Tesla PowerWall residential storage battery in April, initial demand was so strong that Musk said the entire output of the first Gigafactory could be devoted exclusively to building just that one product.

Haymore also revealed during his presentation that Panasonic, Tesla’s major partner in the Gigafactory project, will involve 14 more companies at the Reno location. “Panasonic is bringing 14 other companies, besides them, over here (Tahoe Reno Industrial Center) to provide for Tesla,” Haymore said. This is in line with Tesla’s plan to bring multiple suppliers under the same roof to lower costs. You can see all of Haymore’s presentation at this link.

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Still, it is now a year later and the company has not named another supplier apart from its long-time battery cell supplier, Panasonic. Perhaps Panasonic has been charged with arranging for those additional suppliers in accordance with its role as major partner in the process.

Tesla may turn out to be as much a battery company as a car company, as it aggressively positions itself to be a major player in the grid scale electricity storage market. The Reno Gigafactory may be just the first of many such battery manufacturing facilities.

Source: Electrek

 

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Tesla China focuses on exports as Q2 begins

Year-to-date, Tesla China’s registrations are up 3%.

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Credit: Tesla China

With the second quarter of 2025 now starting, Tesla China appears to have shifted gears, allocating Giga Shanghai’s Model 3 and Model Y output to foreign territories.

This was hinted at in Tesla China’s new vehicle registrations in the week of March 31 to April 6, 2025.

Tesla China Registrations

In the week ending April 6, Tesla China saw 3,600 new vehicle registrations. This represents a 82.6% week-over-week drop from the 21,000 insurance registrations that the company saw in the week ending March 30, but it also represents a 91.5% improvement compared to the registrations from the first week of Q2 2024. Year-to-date, Tesla China’s registrations are up 3%, which is impressive considering Giga Shanghai’s changeover to the new Model Y.

Tesla China does not report its weekly sales data, though a general idea of the company’s performance in the overall Chinese automotive market can be inferred through new vehicle registrations. Fortunately, these registrations are tracked closely by industry watchers as well as automakers like Li Auto.

Vehicle Export Hub

While the notable week-over-week drop in Tesla China’s registrations for the week ending April 6 may seem jarring, it should be noted that Giga Shanghai is the company’s vehicle export hub. Thus, it allocates a significant portion of its output to markets that are supplied by the factory. This is one of the reasons why Giga Shanghai only saw over 1,900 registrations in the first week of Q2 2024.

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Tesla China typically spends the first weeks of a quarter exporting vehicles to foreign territories, before focusing Giga Shanghai’s output for domestic orders. Considering that the new Model Y has just been introduced to the market, it would not be surprising if Giga Shanghai starts focusing on the local market in the weeks to come. 

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Ford Launches Power Promise Program in the UK  

The Ford Power Promise program is in the UK! Customers can get a free charger and save on home charging via Octopus Energy or ChargeGuru.

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Ford launches its Power Promise program in the UK, boosting EV ownership perks.

“Last Oct., we launched the Ford Power Promise, with complementary home chargers and installation for new electric vehicle customers. Today, the program is launching in the UK! I’m excited more customers will be able to fill up at home to save time & money!” CEO Jim Farley posted on X.

The initiative rolls out across Great Britain and Northern Ireland with tailored partnerships.

In Great Britain, Ford Power Promise partnered with Octopus Energy to offer a free home charger and up to 10,000 miles of charging credit on the Intelligent Octopus Go tariff for eligible retail buyers of all-electric passenger cars ordered by June 30, 2025. Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland, Ford partnered with ChargeGuru for charger installations. The program excludes the Channel Islands.

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Ford customers may receive some cost-saving benefits. Octopus Energy’s Go tariff and Ford’s Dynamic Charging capabilities could slash costs by up to 70%, alongside optional home charger setups. The legacy automaker’s push mirrors rivals like Volkswagen, which is taking advantage of expanding EV incentives in Europe.

The UK launch builds on Ford Power Promise’s debut, aiming to ease range anxiety and hook cost-conscious drivers. With Octopus and ChargeGuru in play, Ford’s EV strategy gains traction globally.

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Elon Musk reportedly appealed to Trump over aggressive tariff policy: WaPo

The Washington Post cited two anonymous sources reportedly familiar with the matter.

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The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
President Donald J. Trump purchases a Tesla on the South Lawn, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reportedly made personal appeals to U.S. President Donald Trump over his aggressive tariffs policy.

The report was initially shared by The Washington Post, which cited two anonymous sources reportedly familiar with the matter.

The WaPo’s Claims

As per the Post, Musk’s personal appeals to Trump have not been successful so far, with the U.S. President stating on Monday that he could add new 50% tariffs on imports from China on top of the 34% he previously announced.

Trump did, however, also hint that he was open to negotiations on some aspects of his policy.

Musk and the Trump Administration

Musk’s alleged reservations about Trump’s tariffs would mark yet another time the CEO has found himself opposing some members of the U.S. President’s administration. Previously, Musk had also disagreed with some of Trump’s allies over issues like H1-B visas for skilled immigrants.

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Recent reports have also suggested that Elon Musk’s role as a special government employee is ending, though the Trump administration has noted that the Tesla CEO will still play a pivotal role in the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

What the White House Press Secretary Says

In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that the Trump administration is comprised of individuals who bring different ideas to the table. 

“The President has put together a remarkable team of highly talented and experienced individuals who bring different ideas to the table, knowing that President Trump is the ultimate decision maker. When he makes a decision everyone rows in the same direction to execute. That’s why this Administration has done more in two months than the previous Admin did in four years,” she stated.

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