Tesla applies for first environmental permits for Giga Mexico

Tesla seems to be getting started on the construction of its factory in Mexico. Through its subsidiary Tesla Manufacturing Mexico, Tesla requested first environmental permits from the Mexican Ministry of the Environment for the construction of the factory – initially for the construction of a warehouse.

According to media reports, Tesla stated in the application that its plant will span 260 hectares. However, it is not clear from the reports what proportion of this area is to be built on in the first step and in total.

The first part of the project, including the warehouse, is expected to cost around 90 million dollars. Tesla officially announced the factory in the Mexican state of Nuevo León at the beginning of March. At that time, there was talk of investments of five billion dollars and, a little later, of a production capacity of one million EVs per year.

Incidentally, the application for the environmental permit states that the warehouse is to be built on an area that is currently “covered with a vegetation type of Rosetophyllus desert scrub and Microphyllus desert scrub”.

It is possible that Tesla has already received the first permits, as Mexican media observed that machines are already moving in. According to a social media post, construction machinery can be seen in the section near the road to Saltillo at the junction with the peripheral ring road of Monterrey since Wednesday. It is said to be the basic work for the first building that will house the administration of the Santa Catarina plant.

As reported recently, Tesla wants to have the factory in Mexico up and running in the first quarter of 2025. The source for this was Chinese suppliers who said they were given this date by Tesla. The information has not yet been confirmed.

Tesla itself did not initially provide any information on the start of construction or production. Still, later rumours circulated that the factory could go into operation in the second half of 2024. In March, Tesla manager Tom Zhu announced that production in Mexico would start in late 2024 or early 2025.

mexico-now.com, forbes.com.mx (in Spanish)