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Tesla Fremont factory in focus as CA prepares for ‘Stage 2’ COVID-19 response
Tesla’s Fremont factory, which is responsible for the manufacturing of the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y, may be able to resume some of its operations earlier than expected. This comes amidst the California government’s initiative to move to a “Stage 2” COVID-19 response, which includes the gradual opening of some lower-risk workplaces.
California’s upcoming shift to its Stage 2 COVID-19 response was announced by Governor Gavin Newsom in a post on Twitter. According to the official, some sectors whose operations provide a lower risk of coronavirus transmission will be able to reopen on Friday. These include businesses focused on retail, manufacturing, and logistics.
Considering that Tesla’s Fremont factory is one of Alameda County’s largest manufacturing facilities, there is a good chance that the site will be allowed to resume some of its operations with the state’s upcoming shift to its Stage 2 COVID-19 response. This update may bode very well for the company’s capability to boost its numbers for the second quarter.
The update from the California government is a very welcome one, especially considering that Tesla is under pressure to reopen the Fremont factory. CEO Elon Musk has made his sentiments about the lockdown known in a series of incendiary comments in the Q1 2020 earnings call and on Twitter, and just last week, furloughed Tesla workers were reportedly informed to standby until the end of the month.
Tesla’s second quarter results are primarily tied to the Fremont factory and its capability to resume its operations. While Gigafactory Shanghai is in a full ramp of the Model 3, most of the company’s vehicle production still happens in the California plant.
Thus, the longer California prevents Tesla from reopening the Fremont factory, the more challenging it will be for the electric car maker. This is especially true considering that other automakers such as General Motors and Ford are expecting to resume their vehicle production activities in the weeks to come.
Alameda County’s shutdown orders for the Fremont factory came at an unfortunate time for Tesla. Just before the shutdown, Tesla started customer deliveries of the Model Y, a crossover that has the potential to outsell the Model S, Model 3, and Model X combined. If Tesla can resume production and deliveries of the Model Y this Friday, then the company may very well have a fighting chance this second quarter.
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Armored Tesla Cybertruck “War Machine” debuts at Defense Expo 2025
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Tesla Megapacks chosen for 548 MWh energy storage project in Japan
Tesla plans to supply over 100 Megapack units to support a large stationary storage project in Japan, making it one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities.
Tesla’s Megapack grid-scale batteries have been selected to back an energy storage project in Japan, coming as the latest of the company’s continued deployment of the hardware.
As detailed in a report from Nikkei this week, Tesla plans to supply 142 Megapack units to support a 548 MWh storage project in Japan, set to become one of the country’s largest energy storage facilities. The project is being overseen by financial firm Orix, and it will be located at a facility Maibara in central Japan’s Shiga prefecture, and it aims to come online in early 2027.
The deal is just the latest of several Megapack deployments over the past few years, as the company continues to ramp production of the units. Tesla currently produces the Megapack at a facility in Lathrop, California, though the company also recently completed construction on its second so-called “Megafactory” in Shanghai China and is expected to begin production in the coming weeks.
READ MORE ON TESLA MEGAPACKS: Tesla Megapacks help power battery supplier Panasonic’s Kyoto test site
Tesla’s production of the Megapack has been ramping up at the Lathrop facility since initially opening in 2022, and both this site and the Shanghai Megafactory are aiming to eventually reach a volume production of 10,000 Megapack units per year. The company surpassed its 10,000th Megapack unit produced at Lathrop in November.
During Tesla’s Q4 earnings call last week, CEO Elon Musk also said that the company is looking to construct a third Megafactory, though he did not disclose where.
Last year, Tesla Energy also had record deployments of its Megapack and Powerwall home batteries with a total of 31.4 GWh of energy products deployed for a 114-percent increase from 2023.
Other recently deployed or announced Megapack projects include a massive 600 MW/1,600 MWh facility in Melbourne, a 75 MW/300 MWh energy storage site in Belgium, and a 228 MW/912 MWh storage project in Chile, along with many others still.
What are your thoughts? Let me know at zach@teslarati.com, find me on X at @zacharyvisconti, or send us tips at tips@teslarati.com.
Tesla highlights the Megapack site replacing Hawaii’s last coal plant
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Elon Musk responds to Ontario canceling $100M Starlink deal amid tariff drama
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said, opens new tab on February 3 that he was “ripping up” his province’s CA$100 million agreement with Starlink in response to the U.S. imposing tariffs on Canadian goods.
Elon Musk company SpaceX is set to lose a $100 million deal with the Canadian province of Ontario following a response to the Trump administration’s decision to apply 25 percent tariffs to the country.
Starlink, a satellite-based internet service launched by the Musk entity SpaceX, will lose a $100 million deal it had with Ontario, Premier Doug Ford announced today.
Starting today and until U.S. tariffs are removed, Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts.
Every year, the Ontario government and its agencies spend $30 billion on procurement, alongside our $200 billion plan to build Ontario. U.S.-based businesses will…
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) February 3, 2025
Ford said on X today that Ontario is banning American companies from provincial contracts:
“We’ll be ripping up the province’s contract with Starlink. Ontario won’t do business with people hellbent on destroying our economy. Canada didn’t start this fight with the U.S., but you better believe we’re ready to win it.”
It is a blow to the citizens of the province more than anything, as the Starlink internet constellation has provided people in rural areas across the globe stable and reliable access for several years.
Musk responded in simple terms, stating, “Oh well.”
Oh well https://t.co/1jpMu55T6s
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 3, 2025
It seems Musk is less than enthused about the fact that Starlink is being eliminated from the province, but it does not seem like all that big of a blow either.
As previously mentioned, this impacts citizens more than Starlink itself, which has established itself as a main player in reliable internet access. Starlink has signed several contracts with various airlines and maritime companies.
It is also expanding to new territories across the globe on an almost daily basis.
With Mexico already working to avoid the tariff situation with the United States, it will be interesting to see if Canada does the same.
The two have shared a pleasant relationship, but President Trump is putting his foot down in terms of what comes across the border, which could impact Americans in the short term.
Armored Tesla Cybertruck “War Machine” debuts at Defense Expo 2025
Tesla Megapacks chosen for 548 MWh energy storage project in Japan
