A giga is a unit of measurement for something really big. If we had a giga cats, we would have a billion cats to feed. And that would be the long form of billion, as in 1 000 million. Imagine the thunder of them all purring! Elon Musk calls his battery factory in Nevada ‘Gigafactory 1’ and no wonder. Giga derives from the Greek word γίγας, meaning ‘giant’ and this factory sure is.
Annual Gigafactory 1 Production Reaches 20 Gigawatt Hours
That’s an impressive number by any account, but what does it mean in practice? America’s huge Palo Verde Nuclear Power Station has 3,937 megawatt-hour net capacity. But that’s just touching 4 gigawatt hours. Although to be fair, it only replaces a third of its fuel every four to six years.
Watch Battery Production Faster Than Bullets in Action
Everything seems over-sized at Gigafactory 1 which is a lithium-ion battery factory under construction, primarily for Tesla, Inc in Storey County, Nevada. Over 1,000 people already work there, but this should ramp up to 10,000 by 2020. When complete, it will be the biggest building in the world and an amazing 20% larger than Boeing in Everett. BGR.com reports Elon Musk calls for “an exit rate of cells … faster than bullets from a machine gun.”
Elon Musk Calls for Gigafactory 1 To Be Off-Grid Too
Everything harmonizes with renewable energy at Gigafactory 1. Tesla aligned it on true north. So the equipment can be mapped by GPS, and solar panels on the roof can be accurately set. Moreover, the factory will be entirely energy self-reliant. Tesla will power the structure with a mix of onsite wind, solar, and geo-thermal power.
Elektrek confirms Panasonic – which has the production contract – is opening another three battery production lines to keep up with demand. This will increase the annual production rate to 35 gigawatt hours which is astounding. Tesla has announced an even more ambitious goal of 150 gigawatt hours without mentioning the deadline.
We presume this includes output at Gigafactory 3 in China, where Tesla plans to apply what they have learned to make it even more efficient. This is amazing stuff, what a time to be alive!
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Preview Image: Work in Progress at Gigafactory 1
Video Share Link: https://youtu.be/eAgD6YpUdVM
