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Gigafactory is a
neologism In linguistics, a neologism (; also known as a coinage) is any newly formed word, term, or phrase that has achieved popular or institutional recognition and is becoming accepted into mainstream language. Most definitively, a word can be considered ...
introduced by
electric vehicle An electric vehicle (EV) is a motor vehicle whose propulsion is powered fully or mostly by electricity. EVs encompass a wide range of transportation modes, including road vehicle, road and rail vehicles, electric boats and Submersible, submer ...
manufacturer
Tesla Tesla most commonly refers to: * Nikola Tesla (1856–1943), a Serbian-American electrical engineer and inventor * Tesla, Inc., an American electric vehicle and clean energy company, formerly Tesla Motors, Inc. * Tesla (unit) (symbol: T), the SI-d ...
in 2013 to refer to the company's first major manufacturing facility outside of the original
Tesla Fremont Factory The Tesla Fremont Factory is an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California, United States, operated by Tesla, Inc. The factory originally opened as General Motors' Fremont Assembly in 1962, and then was operated by New United Motor ...
in California. At the time the facility was going to be called "Gigafactory" and no location had been chosen. The completed facility is now called
Gigafactory Nevada Gigafactory Nevada (also known as Giga Nevada or Gigafactory 1) is a lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle component factory in Storey County, Nevada, United States. The facility, located east of Reno, Nevada, Reno, is owned and operated by T ...
(or Gigafactory 1) because Tesla has now constructed several other large facilities in multiple countries. For the first gigafactory, Tesla partnered with
Panasonic is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturer, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Kadoma, Japan. It was founded in 1918 as in Fukushima-ku, Osaka, Fukushima by Kōnosuke Matsushita. The company was incorporated in 1935 and renamed and c ...
to produce battery cells at the same facility where the vehicles would be manufactured, creating
economies of scale In microeconomics, economies of scale are the cost advantages that enterprises obtain due to their scale of operation, and are typically measured by the amount of Productivity, output produced per unit of cost (production cost). A decrease in ...
and improving control of the battery
supply chain A supply chain is a complex logistics system that consists of facilities that convert raw materials into finished products and distribute them to end consumers or end customers, while supply chain management deals with the flow of goods in distri ...
. By locating two major manufacturing facilities within the same structure, Gigafactory Nevada notably became the second-largest building in the world (by volume) once construction was complete. More recent Tesla factories such as Gigafactory Berlin produce battery cells, battery packs, electric drivetrains, and other components which are incorporated into finished electric vehicle assemblies at the same facility using advanced robotics. This level of
vertical integration In microeconomics, management and international political economy, vertical integration, also referred to as vertical consolidation, is an arrangement in which the supply chain of a company is integrated and owned by that company. Usually each ...
allows Tesla to produce vehicles more quickly and reduce its exposure to supply chain problems. Conversely
Gigafactory New York Gigafactory New York (also known as Giga New York or Gigafactory 2) is factory leased by Tesla, Inc. in the Riverbend section of Buffalo, New York. The factory, owned by the State of New York, was built on brownfield land remediated from a form ...
produces
photovoltaic cells A solar cell, also known as a photovoltaic cell (PV cell), is an electronic device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by means of the photovoltaic effect.
and
Tesla Supercharger The Tesla Supercharger network is an electric vehicle fast charging network built and operated by American vehicle manufacturer Tesla, Inc. The Supercharger network was introduced on September 24, 2012, as the Tesla Tesla Model S, Model S en ...
assemblies but does not produce batteries or vehicles, broadening usage of the term. The term "gigafactory" has also been adopted by other companies which are involved in the manufacture of electric vehicles and other clean tech products. Established automobile manufacturers such as
Jaguar Land Rover Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC is the holding company of Jaguar Land Rover, also known as JLR, and is a British multinational automobile manufacturer which produces luxury vehicles and SUVs and has its head office in Whitley, Coventry, Unite ...
and
Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW; )English: , . is a German automotive industry, automobile manufacturer based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Established in 1937 by German Labour Front, The German Labour Front, it was revitalized into the global brand it ...
now use the term to refer to their own electric vehicle factories. Newer companies such as
Stellantis Stellantis N.V. is a multinational automaker formed in 2021 through the Mergers and acquisitions, merger of the Italian–American conglomerate Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and the French PSA Group, PSA (Peugeot S.A.) Group. The company's hea ...
have also embraced the term by referring to four new "gigafactories" in France which will produce lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. Other companies such as Holosolis and
3Sun 3Sun is a photovoltaic panel factory established in 2010 in Catania, Italy. In 2015, Enel Green Power became the company's sole shareholder. 3Sun was established as a joint venture by Enel Green Power, Sharp Corporation, and STMicroelectronics, ...
, which only produce solar cells and finished solar panel assemblies, also use the term "gigafactory" to refer to their facilities.


Tesla Gigafactories

''Gigafactory'' may specifically refer to the following Tesla factories: *
Gigafactory Nevada Gigafactory Nevada (also known as Giga Nevada or Gigafactory 1) is a lithium-ion battery and electric vehicle component factory in Storey County, Nevada, United States. The facility, located east of Reno, Nevada, Reno, is owned and operated by T ...
in Storey County, Nevada, United States *
Gigafactory New York Gigafactory New York (also known as Giga New York or Gigafactory 2) is factory leased by Tesla, Inc. in the Riverbend section of Buffalo, New York. The factory, owned by the State of New York, was built on brownfield land remediated from a form ...
in Buffalo, New York, United States *
Gigafactory Shanghai Gigafactory Shanghai ( zh, c=特斯拉上海超级工厂, l=Tesla Shanghai Super Factory) (also known as Giga Shanghai, or Gigafactory 3) is an automobile manufacturing plant in Shanghai, China, operated by Tesla, Inc. Construction of the plant ...
in Shanghai, China *
Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg (also known as Giga Berlin or Gigafactory 4) is a manufacturing plant for Tesla, Inc. in the municipality of Grünheide (Mark) in Brandenburg, Germany. The campus is located southeast of central Berlin and some ...
in Grünheide (Mark), Germany *
Gigafactory Texas Gigafactory Texas (also known as Giga Texas, Giga Austin, or Gigafactory 5) is a Tesla, Inc. automotive manufacturing facility in unincorporated Travis County, Texas, just outside of Austin. Construction began in July 2020, limited production o ...
in Austin, Texas, United States *
Gigafactory Mexico Gigafactory Mexico (also known as Gigafactory 6) is a proposed manufacturing plant for Tesla, Inc. to be constructed near Monterrey, Mexico, with new vehicle production expected as early as 2026. Description The gigafactory is planned to be ...
proposed factory in Santa Catarina, Nuevo León, Mexico


See also

*
Britishvolt Britishvolt was a UK Startup company, startup manufacturer of lithium-ion battery, lithium-ion batteries. The company initially planned production of batteries for the automotive industry. It began construction of a gigafactory at Blyth, Northum ...
*
Tesla Factory The Tesla Fremont Factory is an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California, United States, operated by Tesla, Inc. The factory originally opened as General Motors' Fremont Assembly in 1962, and then was operated by New United Moto ...
, in Fremont, California, U.S. *
Tesla facilities in Tilburg Tesla, Inc. has several factory buildings in the industrial zone of Vossenberg, Tilburg, in the Netherlands. In December 2012, a European Distribution Centre in Tilburg was announced, acting as the European parts and services headquarters. The Tes ...
, Netherlands


References

Tesla factories {{Tesla Motors