Tesla opened its fourth factory globally in Texas and threw a party to celebrate — the Cyber Rodeo.
The Texas assembly plant opening comes just weeks after the company opened its plant near Berlin, Germany.
The event was so massive that the local school district reportedly let its students off a couple of hours early to avoid traffic jams around the city.
And Elon Musk was there to soak it all in.
‘Who needs handles. The car can tell that you’re there and it just knows that it needs to open,’ said Musk.
Eventually, Tesla’s Cybertruck electric pickup will be manufactured at the new Austin plant. For now, the factory will focus on producing the Model Y.
The 50-year-old billionaire, also hinted at a ‘dedicated’ self-driving robotaxi without giving a timeframe.
‘Massive scale. Full self-driving. There’s going to be a dedicated robotaxi,’ Musk told the audience at the factory.
In 2019, Elon Musk unveiled Tesla’s Cybertruck and promised production in late 2021.
The triple motor all-wheel drive version was supposed to cost $69,900 (£53,567) but Tesla removed the pricing and specifications of the vehicle from its website last year.
Earlier this year, Musk had said that the automaker would not deliver the Cybertruck in 2022.
For a £100, you can preorder your Cybertruck and Tesla will let you complete your configuration as production nears.
The shiny new $1.1 billion Giga Texas factory in Texas will be the largest of Tesla’s gigafactories while also serving as Tesla’s new headquarters.
The new factory will help Tesla increase its production to try and meet the expectations of increased sales that come with being the world’s most valuable automaker.
In addition to vehicles, the Texas and Berlin gigafactories will also make its own battery cells.
Despite record deliveries in the first quarter, a recent COVID-19 spike in China has forced Tesla to suspend production at its Shanghai factory for several days.
Thursday’s event follows in the heels of Musk’s 9% stake in Twitter along with a seat on the board of the social media giant.
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