Tesla’s Water Worries Don’t End In Berlin; Giga Texas In Booming Austin May Also See Drier Times

Tesla’s Water Worries Don’t End In Berlin; Giga Texas In Booming Austin May Also See Drier Times

Tesla is throwing a party on April 7 to mark the official opening of Giga Texas, its plant near Austin. Tesla's first European auto plant opened in eastern Germany after delayed approval from local officials who worried that the massive facility could deplete shrinking water resources. Elon Musk's electric car powerhouse opens an even bigger factory tomorrow in Austin where environmentalists are similarly concerned about its impact on water in a fast-growing Texas city that's increasingly prone to drought. Located in east Austin, near the Colorado River and 130 freeway, "Giga Texas" opens with a giant "rodeo" on Thursday, about 20 months after the start of construction. The multibillion-dollar factory could eventually produce up to 500, 000 vehicles annually, including Model 3 sedans, Y hatchbacks, Cybertrucks and electric Semis. It may use about 1. 4 million cubic meters of water annually (370 million gallons) to do that, a total that could rise to at least 1. 8 million cubic meters (476 million gallons) when a battery line is added, based on Tesla's initial estimates. The company also has access to 10-acre feet of water per year from the river for "irrigation and recreational" use on its 2, 100-acre property, the