Gary Zhou 
It appears that Tesla is gathering more land for some more projects around the Gigafactory Texas area. As per recent filings to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, plans seem to be underway to construct an $11 million, 220,000-square-foot warehouse just across the Colorado River, close to Tesla’s massive electric vehicle plant.
The filing indicated that the land is owned by Horse Ranch LLC, an entity that has been linked to Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Horse Ranch LLC has been in the process of acquiring hundreds of acres worth of land near Gigafactory Texas. Interestingly enough, Jared Birchall, who sits on the board of the Musk Foundation and who manages Musk’s family office, has been listed as the manager of Horse Ranch LLC.
According to the recent filings, the $11 million, 220,000-square-foot warehouse will start construction on June 1, 2022, with a target completion date of June 1, 2023. Considering that such filings are often preliminary, however, there is a good chance that the project would still see changes over the course of the facility’s buildout.
While Gigafactory Texas is poised to start delivering Model Ys to customers by the end of the quarter, Tesla’s expansion into the area is likely just starting. Just recently, reports emerged indicating that Tesla has plans for a “Project Cathode” in the area. Filings for a “Project Bobcat” were also filed last April 2021.
Details about “Project Cathode” are slim, though speculations suggest that the initiative involves the construction of a battery production facility for the company’s 4680 cells, which will be used for the Made-in-Texas Model Y’s structural battery packs. Similar facilities are planned for Tesla’s other factories like Giga Berlin.
The Gigafactory Texas area currently serves as Tesla’s headquarters. With this in mind, it is quite unsurprising to see the EV maker initiating a number of high-profile projects that could expand its presence in the area. Tesla, after all, has mentioned that it is looking to build several of its key vehicles in Texas, from the best-selling Model Y to the controversial Cybertruck. Speculations also suggest that the Model 3 and perhaps the Tesla Semi may also be produced in Texas.
Horse Ranch LLC’s recent filing for its $11 million, 220,000-square-foot warehouse could be viewed below.
