Tesla's Gigafactory in Nevada does not make cars, while a Japanese company uses approximately two-thirds of the site to manufacture batteries. The lithium comes from a Chilean salt flat, and the article's central argument is that batteries must be mass-produced and made less expensive.
A massive factory in the desert of northern Nevada in the western United States, the world's first Gigafactory, is not currently producing cars. The facility contains three-story factory space, and its actual function is difficult to discern from its exterior alone.
Approximately two-thirds of the site is devoted to battery manufacturing, with millions of battery components moving along the production lines. The manufacturing process involves steel carts and belt conveyors, accompanied by a constant stream of noise.
At this battery plant, lithium extracted from Chile's Atacama salt flat is converted into an actual product. It is mixed with other materials to produce cathode active material, coated onto electrodes, and then inserted into steel containers.
The author argues that the mass production of batteries is key to making vehicle electrification possible, describing it as a phenomenon akin to a modern industrial revolution. The author also points out that expanding battery production is an important challenge from the standpoint of addressing climate change.