Gigafactory Texas on 29 March 2023! This is where Model Y’s are built and soon Cyber Truck production will start!
Just 2 more days to the end of the 1st Quarter, and we see Model Y’s in large numbers coming out of the factory, being staged for pickup and leaving the site on trucks at a fast pace today. I saw a few truck drivers talking to each other with a sense of urgency I haven’t seen, then heading off in a convoy of several trucks loaded up with model Y’s!
I found an interesting new item being assembled near the helicopter pad today! Some of the parts of this systems (primarily the two trailers) have been here for a while, but now they have been joined together and on one side have large vanes as if for a big air inlet, and on the other side, a funnel and what appears to be a turntable are being assembled. This might be a testing rig for new cars to see if there are any air (or water) leaks around the windows and other sealed areas. Perhaps this is a way to randomly test cars ahead of delivery? I’m not sure, so would be interested in your ideas!
Timestamps:
Drone flight overview with discussion & illustration: 0:06 to 3:40
Drone flight footage & infographics: 3:46 to 30:20
Here are a few other interesting highlights from today’s flight:
Stamping 2 on the south end shows forklifts moving equipment from the east side of Stamping over to the open doors. This looks like some components associated with the large machines that are being assembled inside, and this also may indicate the underground foundations and ground slab concrete work may be completed!
Also on the south end, we see crews completing much of the construction prep and old steel pipe removal work. Overall, the south end looks near to the point where the next phase of construction can begin.
On the west side, the wall white stain application is showing impressive progress, with the stain now at the section where the windows taper into the large panes over the main entrance!
Die Shop slab and deep foundation work continues inside the structure, while the exterior wall panels on the north and east sides continue.
The battery cathode plant is active on the inside, with more platform assembly underway on the east side, and interior fit out work on the west side where one of the temporary platforms was recently removed.
On the southeast side, we see crews working quickly to complete the initial grade work on a large and square clearing. nearby, the dirt storage area that was providing the dirt needed to level the grade in the new construction site was idle with no observable activity. This indicates, at least for now, no more dirt is needed to raise the new construction site grade.
Finally, at the switchyard, we see crews continuing electrical wire installation, connecting the “A-frame” structures to the tall steel poles on the north end. We also see more gravel being spread on the future Megapack construction site nearby.
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Be sure to check out additional Texas Gigafactory footage on these channels:
@Jeff Roberts
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Video, photos, illustrations, and commentary on this video is by me, Joe Tegtmeyer unless otherwise annotated.
Music in this video is obtained from the YouTube free and unrestricted and royalty-free use library. Ending song is Mr. Sunny Face – Wayne Jones
Drones used are DJI Mavic Mini, Mini 2 and Mavic Air 2.
Drone flight over Giga Texas is with permission of Tesla and CEO Elon Musk
23 Comments
11:33 preoccupied dude trips over the new entrance section.
0:50 – anywhere else I'd say super skunky DARPA hypersonic test engine.
EDIT: Do my eyes deceive me or did dude at 11:32 perform a faceplant on main door ramp?
6:10 The pathway might end up being made into a path between buildings for pedestrians and bicycles.
Its a car Wash!
at 18:49 the four tanks look like they are tanks with insulation & stainless wrap to protect the insulation. in my past history we have had tanks fabricated and they were delivered insulated and covered. common practice in the industry. the corrugated metal cover and the bands around the circumference of the tanks is the "tell". at 23:00 the large pipes as Joe called them are very large conduits for high voltage to whatever equipment will be installed on the foundation. Maybe 480V wiring will be needed here.
My bet would be the wind/Rain testing. I have seen a couple of people post picture of rain/water getting through the driver's side window.
The rich stays rich by spending like the poor and investing without stopping then the poor stays poor by spending like the rich yet not investing like the rich.-
🚛 toot toot 💨
That helipad…. it could be for air ambulance.
Where and when will piping be installed around the electric yard ?
It's a test stand for wind noise and water leaks simulating travel at highway speeds
Record production = record long videos from Joe!
15:10 those aluminum shapes are called "T-Bars" and they usually weight 700-750 kg each. That is the standard form in which pure Al and Al alloys are traded as a commodity around the world.
Merci👍👍👍
<I've about 5% of my portfolio in tesla stock, any advice on any other stock that I can grow my $300k capital to a million dollars?
Thanks again Joe for excellent engineering comments and star quality flying.
Joe, do you think Giga Texas has reached 4000/week by now?
13:46 "Jack, I'm flying!"
Great work!
Now they have to remove all the solar panels to center the tesla logo
Hey Joe! you hear of any drone pilots flying Giga Nevada or Mexico please let us know. Thanks!
Does anyone know if that green belt area is used for vehicle testing at all? Like offroad testing?
The uprights in front of the main entrance are probably planting markers for trees, shrubs, or planters rather than pipes.
It will be interesting to see if the loading platforms will remain around the building, particularly on the north side of the building if, indeed, internal fit-out has been completed.