Tesla operates the Nevada battery factory commonly called Gigafactory 1.
Gigafactory 1, officially Tesla Gigafactory Nevada, is located near Sparks in Storey County, Nevada. Tesla developed it with Panasonic, which manufactures battery cells at the site, while Tesla produces battery modules, packs, powertrains, and some energy-storage products there.
Construction began in 2014, and the factory began battery-cell production in January 2017. The name “Gigafactory” refers to the scale of planned production: Tesla used the prefix giga- to emphasize gigawatt-hours of annual battery capacity rather than the building’s physical dimensions alone.
The facility was designed to reduce battery costs through large-scale production and vertical integration. It has expanded in stages, and its operations have included cells for Tesla vehicles as well as products such as the Powerwall and Megapack. Panasonic is an important manufacturing partner, but it is not the owner or automaker behind the Tesla factory.