According to a series of internal Tesla documents, the company is trying to increase its operations at the Kato Road facility near the Fremont plant. The complex is dedicated to research and battery manufacturing, being a key location in the development of the Roadrunner project, through which Tesla is preparing its battery cells.
Recent presentations by the company in Fremont indicate that it is already manufacturing small-scale batteries in the city; Also, the Kato Road facilities will shortly see its workforce increased to a total of 470 people, of whom 400 will work in shifts in manufacturing, with 100 employees always dedicated to the production of cells.
The company is expected to reveal all technical data regarding the cells of the “Roadrunner” project at Tesla Battery Day, an event that will take place in mid-September. The occasion will be used by the company not only to show the world its latest developments in the field but also to give details about its manufacturing plans.
If Tesla finally fulfills what was promised, the cells of its origin will have a useful life of approximately 1 million miles, which on paper will exceed the useful life of the vehicle itself. Besides, they are also expected to outperform the batteries currently used by the brand in aspects such as cost and capacity.
Rumors indicate that before they arrive in high-production vehicles such as the Cybertruck pick-up, these cells will make their debut on the Model S Plaid, a high-performance variant of the veteran executive sedan that will be introduced this summer (or perhaps in September, during Tesla Battery Day).
This high-performance vehicle will showcase the capabilities of Tesla’s new batteries; Also, being a limited production model, the brand will be able to use the Kato Road pilot line to produce the pack cells before beginning mass production at other facilities (probably in the future Giga Texas).