Tesla’s ambitious plan for Gigafactory Mexico is taking shape, as the company gears up to start construction on a massive site spanning almost 4,200 acres in an industrial zone in Nuevo Leon. The news was confirmed by Jesus Nava, the mayor of Santa Catarina, who also revealed that Tesla is acquiring the site from private owners and construction will begin in just three months.
What’s notable about this latest development is the sheer size of the complex. The Giga Mexico site will be more than double the size of Mexico City’s International Airport and substantially larger than the Gigafactory Texas complex, which Tesla lists as 2,500 acres. With Tesla planning to initially invest $5 billion and hire 5,000 workers, later ramping up to $10 billion and 10,000 workers, this is set to become one of the largest electric vehicle factories in the world.
See also: Tesla Confirms Gigafactory Mexico for Next-Gen Electric Vehicle Production
“This will bring a great economic spillover,” said Nava, emphasizing the positive impact the factory will have on the region. Although Tesla has not yet announced what vehicles will be produced at the factory, Nava hinted that Tesla will reveal more information at the facility’s groundbreaking event, set to take place in approximately three months.
Despite concerns over water supply, with Mexico President Lopez Obrador stating he would withhold permits if there were not enough water in the region, Nava has assured that the project was never at risk. The official revealed that Tesla uses recycled water in its operations and typically consumes minimal liters of water per second. “It was never at risk … it added an extra factor for executives when making a decision,” Nava said.
