Tesla's upcoming gigafactory in Austin, has been under construction for about 13 months since its groundbreaking back in July 2020. It appears now that the electric car company’s Gigafactory Texas is on track to start production in 2021 with preparation for Model Y production at the facility, gaining momentum lately. Most recently, a picture of the car was posted on Instagram, and it depicted a completed Tesla Model Y SUV that appeared fresh out of the assembly line. The post was eventually pulled down, but not before a few images from inside Giga Texas were shared across platforms such as Twitter and Reddit. It’s difficult not to be excited, after all, considering that Giga Texas is expected to start deliveries of the revamped all-electric crossovers this year. Last week, a local observer who very closely monitors Tesla's progress, got a tip from one of his sources that Giga Texas will roll out its first test and calibration Tesla Model Y electric SUV this week. Another image was also shared, and it appeared to be from Tesla’s vehicle plant in Texas. The image depicts that a test vehicle production line is now operational inside the general assembly building. Based on the recently-shared image, it appears that Tesla is ready to start production of the Model Y crossover, at least to some degree. The vehicle was not alone in the picture either, as another Model Y could also be seen in the background, passing through the assembly line at Tesla's giant car manufacturing plant in Texas. It should be noted that while it may be a surprise to see the first pre-production units of the Tesla Model Y being delivered this early, Tesla boss Elon Musk has been dropping hints for a while now that the plant in Texas is already positioned to build the vehicle with a structural battery pack and one giant rear underbody. For instance, during the Q1 2021 Update Letter, Tesla shared images of Giga Texas’ Model Y factory interior, with a glimpse at IDRA’s casting machines already installed. For those not in the know, IDRA is an Italy-based die casting technology company that is already a supplier of 8,000 and 6,000-ton casting machines for the Tesla’s Cybertruck pickup truck and Model Y, respectively. Other than that, the construction progress at the site, including the buildings and the surrounding infrastructure – displayed even more progress with the electric car company showing that the Model Y factory’s “Giga Press,” was successfully built, and the all-electric crossover’s body shop was already conducting production tests. It was then no surprise that pre-production Model Ys are now being built in the facility. This does not imply that Model Y mass production would start at the facility within the next month or so, however. For perspective, Gigafactory Shanghai’s first pre-production Model Ys were spotted around September 2020, but customer deliveries only started around mid-January this year. This was despite a fleet of vehicles being spotted at parking lots, adjacent to the Giga Shanghai plant in December 2020. Considering a likely lead-time of about 3 or 4 months, Texas made Model Y deliveries might very well kick off around late November or late December, this year. At this point, it's not yet clear whether the company will utilize its high density 4680-type cylindrical battery cells in the Model Y right from the beginning. Since these battery cells are still not yet ready for volume production, there’s a good chance that the Tesla Model Y SUVs built from its Gigafactory Texas, will initially be powered by a non-structural pack and Tesla's current 2170-type battery cells. The electric carmaker recently seemed to be undergoing a major overhaul of its battery approach in the United States, with another battery formula and form factor. Initially, Tesla was utilizing the Fremont 1865-type battery cells in its Model S and Model X cars imported from Japan. The Model 3s and Model Ys built at Gigafactory Nevada were, on the other hand, using the 2170-type round cells from Panasonic's NCA chemistry. The automaker also recently unveiled its Model Y Standard Range, built from its Gigafactory Shanghai with (lithium iron phosphate) battery cells from CATL. Considering that LFP cells are relatively more affordable compared to the 2170-type cells, we can assume that many EV buyers in North America would be also interested in a budget entry-level Tesla Model Y, and so, the use of LFP electric car batteries would be a great opportunity. While Tesla might initially use Panasonic's 2170 round cells for new versions of Model Y produced at its Giga Austin in Texas, it may later shift to 4680-type battery cells once these cylindrical cells come in volume.
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