TESLA to Plans to Build World’s Biggest Battery Factory!

I wouldn't sell Elon Musk short on what works best for the long-term health of his "big picture" plan. I'll stick my neck out and vote on Texas. If a problem comes up along the way, Tesla is known for innovative solutions that many people said was a bad plan, and yet it worked. Texas is very business-friendly, and getting this plant there instead of somewhere else would be quite an accomplishment.

Much has been made of Tesla selling direct to customers instead of through dealers. Tesla may use this negotiation as the leverage to change that. I know Texas car dealerships make political donations, but...this is pretty big, and even the cheapest Tesla is expensive enough that it won't cut into conventional car/truck sales. Yeah...it'll be Texas.
 
If I was to bet a buck on it, Texas. But burque does have a nice population of employable types. They aren't all Jesse Pinkman there. Tap in to double dippers that just retired from los Alamos and Kirtland. Or got laid off from Intel in the big RIF.

It could come down to where Elon would rather visit, Austin or Santa Fe. Either one has more appeal than Phoenix.

I just want it here so I can get into that dumpster. :mrgreen:
 
As much as Texas loves solar and wind power, it doesn't make sense to talk nonsense like they think it "Threatens the energy industry." Last count I knew of they were exporting 30,000 Megawatts, expecting it to rise.

Remember George W. Bush's off grid ranch in Crawford, Texas? Such is common there. I would bet they are #1 for that. They are in the top 10 for grid Photovoltaics. There was a thread here talking about a chunk of the state getting free electricity overnight because of all the wind power and no way to store it.

But if he had it to do over again, would there BE a Tesla plant in California? Such a lousy place to be in business, the Governor is determined to just keep making it worse.
 
The 2 finalists are New Mexico and Nevada (reno area).
They wouldn't do Texas because of their car dealership laws and lobby there. Tesla bypasses dealers.
Nevada doesn't have enough high school grads to even sweep the floors there.
If it was a battery warehouse then Nevada would be a good choice for their uneducated workforce.
There's not enough people in Northern Nevada anyway, but it is closest to the car factory.

My bet is New Mexico, There was past history of them almost putting the car factory there 7 years ago.
Lots of rail road tracks etc.
More population.
I think they are waiving the corp. income tax too.

I've also heard rumors of the whole thing being a total bluff, to keep their suppliers prices down.
 
Yeah, NM has some things going for it.

When I talked about 6 hours of 100% insolation, that's the average year round. It's very good, I have never seen a map that had any place in the USA with more than 6. Most of the country is 4 or 5 hours.

That number is also for fixed panels. They only operate at 100% for one hour a day, then it starts dropping off. So in a 12 hour day, most of the day is not at 100%.

The commercial size PV sites I've seen locally have huge tilting rigs to follow the sun. That greatly increases the time period of full insolation. Surely Tesla will do the same. But the baseline is the desert sw has the best lack of clouds going by of any place in the country. FWIW, there is a panel factory in Albq too. He might also put in a solar thermal setup, which was developed at Sandia Labs in Albq. Lots of stuff keeps coming up burque.

He can also combine a business trip to burqe with his hop in Rutans space ride, which we hope will start running in NM soon.
 
Dogman all you need to do is work as the janitor he has all the keys and takes out the trash. ??? Plus pre access to the dumpster.
Plus winerboy can act as a waiter and wine expert at there get togetheres get them drunk and recording all info.
Remember you all would be working for me and must carry the pill if discovered
 
My evil plan is more like the wife does the work. :wink: She's doing the same thing now at NMSU, hazmat disposal.

She'd be double dipping too, if it happened. :mrgreen: I don't see us moving though, the real plan is she works 3-4 more years and then retires for good.

Seriously though, if a giga factory is in the state, the nearest flea market might get real nice. There could be b grade cells up for grabs. Maybe another ES guy goes to work there who can score for us, or they sell the b grade cells cheaply in a local outlet.
 
I read an interview with Straubel, Musk's partner. He says they are into R&D for battery materials, chemistry, and design. There are 100's of engineers working on the battery technology. I copied the article, then, my Internet went down, but, it was on the EV News I believe, over on DIY car site.

HERE y'all are. :mrgreen:
 
I remember reading a while back that if you covered Nevada in solar panels, there'd be enough solar insolation to power the entire US several factors over. Its probably true, though I haven't done the math. It may be a good time to think of such ridiculously large solar projects, just bite the bullet and get it over. Pave the whole Nevada desert with solar panels. Tesla should team up with manufacturers throughout the US to provide electricity. Why stop with just their own factory?
 
Hopefully it's starting to happen. They are trying to get a new huge power line built through southern AZ and NM, so they can start paving the desert with solar and wind in some good spots for wind. Sell the power to LA of course.


Currently being stalled best as he can, by Tea Party d head, Steve Pierce. He's owned by the Oil lobby.
 
dogman said:
Hopefully it's starting to happen. They are trying to get a new huge power line built through southern AZ and NM, so they can start paving the desert with solar and wind in some good spots for wind. Sell the power to LA of course.


Currently being stalled best as he can, by Tea Party d head, Steve Pierce. He's owned by the Oil lobby.
Click to expand...
Steve Pearce is no TEA Party favorite I can assure you. He is a GOP stalwart owned and operated by the american oil cartel. I am a TEA member and he has fallen very out of favor, because of his support for NDAA, NSA, and all the endless wars. :p
And the power line that you are talking about goes through Guvmint land and there are environmental wackos that are against it too....
 
True enough, he just poses as Tea Party for the press. He isn't real anything. He's just a pawn of his oil buddies in Texas. He goes on and on about job creation, but what he really means is oil industry job creation. He seems to be completely oblivious to everything else, till there's a big fire. Then he shows up and whines that vertical cliff terrain should have been logged. Or wilderness area. :roll:

Now he wants to block a power line, that would result in many jobs hooking up green power to the line. You don't see him liking the algea fuel industry either, despite the fact that a company is struggling to get a pilot plant going in his congressional district.
 
Tucson AZ up to bat:
http://azstarnet.com/business/local/tucson-going-after-tesla-s-new-jobs/article_8780e877-50d4-5e02-b334-3cbc671aa521.html
 
dogman said:
True enough, he just poses as Tea Party for the press. He isn't real anything. He's just a pawn of his oil buddies in Texas. He goes on and on about job creation, but what he really means is oil industry job creation. He seems to be completely oblivious to everything else, till there's a big fire. Then he shows up and whines that vertical cliff terrain should have been logged. Or wilderness area. :roll:

Now he wants to block a power line, that would result in many jobs hooking up green power to the line. You don't see him liking the algea fuel industry either, despite the fact that a company is struggling to get a pilot plant going in his congressional district.
Click to expand...
Exactly. Totally agree with you. By the way they are drilling for oil in Coyote Canyon by the winery Otero County. :shock:
When Steve Pearce had his chainsaw out there and that whole publicity stunt should show you just how fake he really is.....LOL
 
Tucson would be a good location, any things better than living in Arpaio-copa county. :lol: Seriously though, Phoenix would be good too, if you like the heat. You won't get the plant shut down by snow.

Ship all your product from Guymas, though the most drug war infested area in the world, Oh yeah, that's a brilliant idea.
Somebody in Tucson must have just got back from a dope vacation to Colorado to think that's gonna work.
 
The Motley Krew weighs in (and no, not anyone on ES that I know)...

The post "The 5 Biggest Threats to Tesla Motors' Gigafactory", here:
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/03/09/the-5-biggest-threats-to-tesla-motors-gigafactory.aspx

I haven't actually read the post myself, but the top "threat", anybuddy?
 
I have found motley fool to sometimes be the fool. This guy may know stock, but he knows dick about batteries or their production. Yes, the EPA will make the factory dispose of the waste properly. That's why Tucson thinks putting the factory in Mexico is better. It would be better, if not for the Sinaloa cartel. But if they plan on proper waste disposal, they can do it. Musk is thinking about the buy American trend, as well as not being held hostage by unpredictable political problems. He'll have the only 100% ( or close enough to it) US made electric car. Not a bad idea at all.

But for sure, the fool is trying to predict a pretty unpredictable dude.

Safe enough to say Tesla stocks in a bubble at the moment. Could be as good as buying Apple was, or bad as buying A123 was. At least Musks battery factory will have a customer.
 
I am interested in reading/hearing any news all over the world. Local stuff (eg NA) to read what OTHERS are maybe reading. :wink:
 
It just sounded more to me like a guy who short sold talking. He needs it to pop that bubble. Like politicians, If their mouth is moving.....
 
Hehe... Yah. If ya can't be any good in business? No problem, there is always politics. :)

(My father used to joke "Can't get into the Navy? No problem, there's always the Army.")
 
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