It’s honestly hard not to remember when Tesla first started working on the big muddy field that is now its Shanghai Gigafactory. In fact, skeptics insisted the factory would never exist, the muddy field would be there forever, and on and on.
Since then, Tesla has built not only Phase 1 of the automotive factory, but also Phase 2. It has been manufacturing the Model 3 in China for some time, and now it’s also producing the Model Y. Fortunately for Tesla, the China factory is surrounded by plenty of muddy fields, and now expansion efforts are underway yet again.
The Tesla Gigafactory in Shanghai is reportedly capable of producing some 450,000 cars per year at this point, at least based on its current run rate. However, Tesla has been floating the idea of a $25,000 compact car. The car will be designed and produced in China, but sold in global markets. While we have no way to know for sure, the current expansion efforts could be related to that future car, or really any other Tesla vehicle or project.
As you can see from the video above, groundwork is underway on the south side of the Gigfactory’s property. Reportedly, Tesla recently acquired the new land, and it was actually the only bidder. While the acquisition process seems to be still progressing, Tesla has already started readying the area.
According to Teslarati, it’s a 460,000 square-meter (113.6-acres) parcel adjacent to the current factory, but not as large as the existing area. For comparison, the main area where the current factory sits is about 860,000 square meters.
What do you think Tesla has in store for this new piece of land in China? Is the $25,000 compact car imminent? What about something battery-related? Leave us your guesses in the comment section below.
