• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Tesla To Hold Gigafactory Grand Opening on July 29

By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Katie Fehrenbacher
Katie Fehrenbacher
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 27, 2016, 6:33 PM ET
The Tesla Gigafactory is shown under construction outside Reno, Nevada
Construction of the Tesla Gigafactory outside Reno, Nevada is shown February 18, 2015. Once known primarily for its casinos and quickie divorces, the Reno area has made impressive strides in its attempt to transform itself into a technology hub in the high-desert of Nevada. In the last few years, it has attracted big Silicon Valley names, including Tesla, Apple and Amazon. But now a new challenge has arisen for Reno: managing its success. Even as the region celebrates its economic wins, it is struggling to cope with the additional demands that the new businesses -- and the new residents they draw -- will place on Reno?s infrastructure, schools, and city services. To match Insight USA-RENO/TECH Picture taken February 18, 2015. REUTERS/James Glover II (UNITED STATES - Tags: TRANSPORT BUSINESS SOCIETY) - RTR4R9MNPhotograph by James Glover — Reuters

Electric car maker Tesla Motors plans to hold a “grand opening” celebration for its massive battery factory under construction outside of Reno, Nev. on the night of July 29.

The company disclosed that date in an email to customers who had won tickets to the event by referring more than five other customers in Tesla’s car referral program. The email was posted to Reddit and Tesla confirmed with Fortune that a customer-focused launch event will occur that night.

The Gigafactory won’t likely be fully completed within the next two months, but Tesla has been hosting smaller events in areas of the factory where construction is complete. In March, Tesla (TSLA) and SolarCity (SCTY) hosted Nevada’s legislators for talks about the future of solar in the state.

The factory, which will cost at least $5 billion to build, was only 14% completed as of the beginning of May, according to this Bloomberg report. Tesla is working with Panasonic to supply it with battery production equipment and part of the funding.

For more on Tesla’s cars watch our video.

Despite that there’s ongoing construction at the factory, it’s already churning out batteries that Tesla is selling to utilities, companies, and building owners. These batteries, which Tesla introduced a year ago, can be used to store solar energy at night and better manage the power grid.

Tesla is building the Gigafactory to produce massive amounts of low cost batteries for its electric cars of the future. Through mass production, Tesla is hoping to lower the costs of its batteries by at least a third.

Tesla’s next car, the Model 3, is supposed to cost $35,000 compared to its $80,000 to $150,000 Model S and Model X cars. A chunk of that cost savings is supposed to come from batteries made in the Gigafactory.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

Last month, Tesla unveiled the Model 3, and quickly racked up at least 400,000 reservations for the car. To meet the high demand, Tesla has said it will speed up production of the car considerably.

Tesla raised $1.7 billion this week in a follow-on offering to fund its accelerated manufacturing of the Model 3.

The battery equipment used in the Gigafactory is supposed to double the world’s lithium-ion battery production capacity. The factory itself will cover 5.8 million square feet.

About the Author
By Katie Fehrenbacher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Apple CEO Tim Cook in Davos on January 21, 2026. (Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Apple smart glasses are coming into view
By Andrew NuscaApril 13, 2026
2 hours ago
Blazing hot IPOs, an AI agent craze, and a new word for ‘token’: Here’s what’s happening in the world of Chinese AI
AsiaChina
Blazing hot IPOs, an AI agent craze, and a new word for ‘token’: Here’s what’s happening in the world of Chinese AI
By Nicholas GordonApril 12, 2026
14 hours ago
Intuit was an AI pioneer. Why its stock became a SaaSpocalypse casualty
InvestingSoftware
Intuit was an AI pioneer. Why its stock became a SaaSpocalypse casualty
By Geoff ColvinApril 12, 2026
19 hours ago
Artemis III will practice docking Orion with lunar landers in Earth orbit next year while Musk’s Starship and Bezos’ Blue Moon compete for Artemis IV
InnovationNASA
Artemis III will practice docking Orion with lunar landers in Earth orbit next year while Musk’s Starship and Bezos’ Blue Moon compete for Artemis IV
By Marcia Dunn and The Associated PressApril 12, 2026
20 hours ago
$12 billion crypto company boss says Gen Z ‘create an absurd amount of chaos’ and make him want to pull his hair out—but he’s betting on them anyway
SuccessGen Z
$12 billion crypto company boss says Gen Z ‘create an absurd amount of chaos’ and make him want to pull his hair out—but he’s betting on them anyway
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 12, 2026
23 hours ago
mueller
CommentaryEntrepreneurship
I grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. Here’s what I had to unlearn to build a $1 billion business
By Samuel MuellerApril 12, 2026
24 hours ago

Most Popular

'This is the last warning.' Iran threatens U.S. warships after they throw down the gauntlet for winner-take-all Strait of Hormuz
Politics
'This is the last warning.' Iran threatens U.S. warships after they throw down the gauntlet for winner-take-all Strait of Hormuz
By Fortune EditorsApril 11, 2026
2 days ago
'People are trying to be creative': Tariff-battered American companies are so cash-starved they are using refund claims as collateral for loans
Economy
'People are trying to be creative': Tariff-battered American companies are so cash-starved they are using refund claims as collateral for loans
By Fortune EditorsApril 12, 2026
1 day ago
A 93-year-old refused to sell her home to the Masters golf course that’s spent $280 million on expansion: ‘Money ain’t everything’
Real Estate
A 93-year-old refused to sell her home to the Masters golf course that’s spent $280 million on expansion: ‘Money ain’t everything’
By Fortune EditorsApril 12, 2026
23 hours ago
The 'affordability economy' has created a housing market nobody predicted: Prices collapsing in the Sun Belt, soaring in the Rust Belt
Real Estate
The 'affordability economy' has created a housing market nobody predicted: Prices collapsing in the Sun Belt, soaring in the Rust Belt
By Fortune EditorsApril 11, 2026
2 days ago
Here's how a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could work. 'This is a big task, and it's a big gamble'
Politics
Here's how a U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could work. 'This is a big task, and it's a big gamble'
By Fortune EditorsApril 12, 2026
18 hours ago
Palantir CEO says AI ‘will destroy’ humanities jobs but there will be ‘more than enough jobs’ for people with vocational training
Future of Work
Palantir CEO says AI ‘will destroy’ humanities jobs but there will be ‘more than enough jobs’ for people with vocational training
By Fortune EditorsApril 11, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.