Not long after an image of a Tesla Cybertruck body prototype was leaked from Gigafactory Texas, videos from the site now suggest the all-electric pickup truck’s 9,000-ton Giga Press is being delivered to the facility, suggesting Tesla is indeed on track to start the Cybertruck’s production next year.
When teardown veteran Sandy Munro, who has conducted thorough analyses of several Teslas, shared his first impressions of the leaked Cybertruck body photo from Giga Texas, his initial feedback was the apparent rear megacast in the body was actually comprised of several parts that were lost-foam casted. This meant the leaked image actually showed a prototype rear megacast for the Cybertruck.
Munro explained the actual megacasts of the Cybertruck would require the presence of IDRA’s flagship 9,000-ton Giga Press, which has been ordered by Tesla. So far, drone flyovers of the Giga Texas complex have yet to indicate the press has been fully constructed in the facility.
Now, images recently taken around Giga Texas suggest parts of the gigantic machine are arriving onsite.
Drone operator and Giga Texas watcher Joe Tegtmeyer recently shared a video of his recent aerial flyover of the massive facility. While Tegtmeyer’s footage provided a number of interesting insights as to the different construction projects currently being conducted in the Giga Texas complex, what is arguably the most interesting part of his recent flyover were the parts of IDRA’s 9,000-ton Giga Press.
As noted by the drone operator, the components were spotted in the northwest bay of the casting machine structure. Among the components were two large red compression plates, as well as a long box with an IDRA logo believed to hold some of the press's tie bars. Considering the size and design of the massive contraption, it would not be surprising if more components of the press were spotted in Giga Texas in the coming weeks.
Despite skepticism from some who believe the Cybertruck may never be released, updates from Giga Texas and increasing images of the electric pickup truck at Tesla facilities indicate the vehicle is approaching production at a steady pace. Tesla confirmed this as much during the Q3 2022 earnings call, when the company said Giga Texas is set to begin early Cybertruck production in mid-2023.
