For a long time, it was assumed that Tesla Semi production would eventually move to the Giga Texas plant after low-volume manufacturing began in late 2022 at a private site near its Gigafactory Nevada facility.
Now, it looks like Tesla has different plans as an official announcement about the opening of a new $3.5 billion plant in northern Nevada for the Semi Class 8 electric truck is imminent.
That's according to Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo who noted in a January 23 State of the State address to Nevada's Assembly and Senate that Tesla is planning to invest a $3.5 billion manufacturing facility in The Silver State and will be making an official announcement today, January 24.
Governor Joe Lombardo's speech published by The Nevada Independent and picked up by Sawyer Merritt included a section called "Restoring Nevada's Reputation as a Pro-business, Pro-development State." In that part of the address, Lombardo said Nevada is offering a pro-development invitation for the expansion of new business and industry.
"Whether it's closing the lithium loop, unlocking innovation and investment in logistics, entertainment, science and technology, or embracing entrepreneurship, the message is, that Nevada is ready to partner. Case in point… I am looking forward to joining Elon Musk and the team at Tesla tomorrow when they unveil plans to build a brand new $3.5 Billion-dollar advanced manufacturing facility in northern Nevada for the company's all-electric semi-trucks."
This means Tesla CEO Elon Musk will be making an official announcement about the new investment today, likely in a ceremony that will take place at the site of the new manufacturing plant.
Tesla already has a massive factory in the state, the Gigafactory Nevada that builds battery packs and electric motors for its EVs, in addition to Tesla's energy storage products, Powerwall and Powerpack.
Gigafactory Nevada is located 24 miles east of Reno in the northern part of the state. Tesla reportedly started a separate manufacturing line for the Semi in October 2022 in a new building near the main plant.
The new announcement expected later today may involve this new facility, namely its expansion to a full-blown assembly plant for the Semi. However, that's just speculation and Tesla could announce a new site altogether. Stay tuned for updates as soon as the EV maker goes official with the announcement.
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Source: The Nevada Independent via Sawyer Merritt