Tesla produced a record number of vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2022 and closed the year with a massive, 44-percent increase in global electric car manufacturing. So it makes sense for the American EV maker to vertically integrate more of the steps required to make a final product, which will eventually lead to lower costs.
As we reported back in September 2022, Tesla wants to build a brand new facility in the state of Texas, where it will refine the lithium required for its battery packs. Construction was expected to begin in the final months of last year, but that didn’t happen.
Now though, Tesla published three job listings on its website that indicate it’s ready to start the planning and building of the new facility near Corpus Christi: Area Superintendent, Project Scheduler, and Area Construction Manager.
The Area Superintendent job has the following description on the EV maker’s site:
“As Superintendent, you will be playing a critical role in construction of novel battery chemical plant(s) near Corpus Christi, TX. You will be a main coordinator of field operations and will need to work cross-functionally, interfacing with general contractors, subcontractors, manufacturing and construction engineering while driving a project’s schedule and budgets.”
The Project Scheduler description reads as follows:
“As a project Scheduler, you will be playing a critical role in the construction near Corpus Christi, TX. This role will support all project phases from engineering through commissioning of construction by providing project management with critical decision-making information that ensures projects are delivered on time. The Scheduler will collaborate closely with other functional teams throughout the project lifecycle to ensure accurate schedule development and reporting to track project performance.”
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The Area Construction Manager essentially has to ensure that the projects are ahead of schedule and under budget, according to the job description:
“As Area Construction Manager, you will be playing a critical role in construction of novel battery chemical plant(s) near Corpus Christi, TX. You will be responsible for delivering capex projects by working cross-functionally with various internal and external stakeholders, supporting end users, collaborating with construction engineering, while ensuring your projects are ahead of schedule and under budget.”
Back in 2022, Tesla submitted a proposal for a project in Robstown, Texas for “developing a battery-grade lithium hydroxide refining facility, the first of its kind in North America, as well as facilities to support other types of battery materials processing, refining, and manufacturing and ancillary manufacturing operations in support of Tesla’s sustainable product line.”
At the same time, the company said it will invest $365 million in the facility, with an employment plan that included approximately 165 full-time workers and 250 construction jobs for a timeframe of about two years.
Moreover, on January 9, 2023 Tesla submitted four different filings for planned expansions at its Austin, Texas factory, with an estimated investment of $717 million.
