9k Ton IDRA Gigapress For Cybertruck Has ARRIVED IN USA!

[Ogre]

I assume the gigapress was intended to be broken down into bite-size pieces that could be reasonably transported. But sure, there could be some units that exceed standard girth/weight allowances for road transport.

The direct route from Houston to Austin uses state highways through small towns, but it's possible to make the trip using only Interstate highways by diverting around San Antonio. Either way, that's no more than 4-5 hours of driving.

Maybe they could send a Falcon 9 to pick it up?

When they unload these container ships, there are literally thousands of containers that need to be unloaded. It may just be a backlog at the port.

It’s also possible this was another false alarm.

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[greggertruck]

When they unload these container ships, there are literally thousands of containers that need to be unloaded. It may just be a backlog at the port.

It’s also possible this was another false alarm.

Possible, but I’m continuing to watch for other pieces that support this being it

 

[cvalue13]

I'm sure I am not owning my truck til 2024.

you’re a real “glass half full” kind of person!

If the Gigapress is online, maybe it’ll be a thing.

I’m late to and pretty ignorant on all this: it seems around here the prevailing wisdom that this gigapress is all and only for CT production?

maybe a hint we’ll see the first deliveries before mid-year.

I very recently had lunch with someone with inside knowledge, and while they couldn’t (and didn’t) come out and put any fine point on it, I would characterize the tone of conversation regarding CT production timing as … pessimistic

 

[cvalue13]

And Ford's offering both closed pre-orders and insulted me with the view-blocking frunk.

In the “early to market” discussion it’s maybe worth also remembering that the Lightning, in some ways, isn’t yet Ford’s actual BEV offering

Ford has just broken ground on its “Blue Oval City” - my emphasis below:

“a nearly 6-square-mile site in west Tennessee and build next-generation electric F-Series pickups and advanced batteries … production of the new electric vehicles and advanced lithium-ion batteries will begin in 2025 …. Three new BlueOval SK battery plants – two in Kentucky and one in Tennessee – will enable 129 gigawatt hours a year of U.S. production capacity for Ford”

Ford has been pretty clear that it’s actual, ground-up, BEV pickup offering will not come until 2025. And all along,Ford has been consistent it calling it’s BEV truck an “F-Series” pickup, not an “F-150”

In these ways, the Lightning is a mongrel and - like each of the “Lightning” designated F-150’s that came before it - a relatively short-term, low-volume, specialized vehicle offering.

Altogether, it means that when discussing Ford’s entry “before” Tesla it’s both right and wrong. Ford has offered a low-volume version of an F-150 adapted to be a BEV vehicle, but Ford will not until 2025 begin producing a mass-produced ground-up BEV truck offering.

 

[greggertruck]

I would characterize the tone of conversation regarding CT production timing as … pessimistic

I'm starting to think late March/ early April will see trucks. I'm very serious. Not "our trucks" but trucks like how we saw Y's chilling for a month or so. June deliveries.

I am not sure if you were being sarcastic, but yes I am highly optimistic. Maybe stupidly so sometimes. Hope I'm right about a thing or 2.

 

[cvalue13]

I'm starting to think late March/ early April will see trucks. I'm very serious. Not "our trucks" but trucks like how we saw Y's chilling for a month or so. June deliveries.

I am not sure if you were being sarcastic, but yes I am highly optimistic. Maybe stupidly so sometimes. Hope I'm right about a thing or 2.

I wasn’t being sarcastic, and part of me hopes you’re right (as someone with an ~early reservation and a Ford Lightning ripe for trade).

but I admit to be far more pessimistic about any real production on the CT being anytime in 2023.

but, I come to this forum in part because there’s far better and informed opinions than mine; only trouble is, with all due respect, there’s also at times a lot weeding through upper lips stained pink (from the kool-aid)

 

[greggertruck]

I wasn’t being sarcastic, and part of me hopes you’re right (as someone with an ~early reservation and a Ford Lightning ripe for trade).

but I admit to be far more pessimistic about any real production on the CT being anytime in 2023.

but, I come to this forum in part because there’s far better and informed opinions than mine; only trouble is, with all due respect, there’s also at times a lot weeding through upper lips stained pink (from the kool-aid)

Purple kool aid here, my brother calls it Dymatap. But it's delicious.

They'll make 20k truck next year.

 

[ricinro]

It takes months to get a casting machine up and running. Also, each machine appears to have a dedicated mold assigned to it. I would expect the CT rear casting to be larger thus requiring the larger gigapress. Will the front casting also require the 9kton press? They may be making parts for this #2 now. The second gigapress will be operational next summer at the earliest.

I am not expecting any customer CT before the end of '23

 

[Ogre]

I’m late to and pretty ignorant on all this: it seems around here the prevailing wisdom that this gigapress is all and only for CT production?

It certainly isn’t needed for Model Y production and there is no indication the Semi needs it. Not sure what else would use it. They don’t even have Model S/3/X using the 6k press yet.

 

[Ogre]

I'm starting to think late March/ early April will see trucks. I'm very serious. Not "our trucks" but trucks like how we saw Y's chilling for a month or so. June deliveries.

I am not sure if you were being sarcastic, but yes I am highly optimistic. Maybe stupidly so sometimes. Hope I'm right about a thing or 2.

Really need an alien head reaction emoji so we can properly express the level of hope and skepticism I feel when reading posts like yours.

Otherwise I just keep pasting this image everywhere.

Sadly… this reference is likely increasingly lost on audiences as fewer and fewer viewers can relate to one of the best shows ever aired on television (first couple seasons anyhow).

 

[greggertruck]

Really need an alien head reaction emoji so we can properly express the level of hope and skepticism I feel when reading posts like yours.

Otherwise I just keep pasting this image everywhere.

Sadly… this reference is likely increasingly lost on audiences as fewer and fewer viewers can relate to one of the best shows ever aired on television (first couple seasons anyhow).

Ah sick, what show is this?

I'm fulling willing to accept if I am wrong. But I think if not full trucks, we will see dumpster'd scraps. Thats super reasonable.

 

[greggertruck]

It certainly isn’t needed for Model Y production and there is no indication the Semi needs it. Not sure what else would use it. They don’t even have Model S/3/X using the 6k press yet.

I would assume it ISN'T needed for Semi since it's in fact IN production and there is no 9K press in Nevada/ anywhere else. I so hope Munro rips one of those down hahah

 

[HaulingAss]

There will be another effect working too. If a potential $50K and up ICE truck buyer does not like the Cybertruck exoskeleton looks and there is no comparable Ford/GM/RAM EV truck, the current ICE owners looking to buy new might just wait to buy. Cybertruck could cause a huge and years long Osbourne effect on Ford/GM/RAM ICE truck sales as these buyers wait extra years for Ford/GM/RAM to come out with EV trucks truly competitive with Cybertruck.

The current Ford Lightning will not really be competitive against the Cybertruck and Ford probably will not have Ford Lightning V2 out until 2026. Long time for Osbourne effect to suppress sales of Ford's most profitable product line.

Of course, the second generation Lightning will not be competitive with the Cybertruck either. Unless they copy the engineering innovations of the Cybertruck in which case it would no longer be an F-150!

Perhaps more difficult would be matching Tesla's prices with a comparable product.

 

[HaulingAss]

...And if they price it at Plaid, they will get fewer into people's hands.

-Crissa

My point is that Tesla can price it higher or lower, but they will never price it so high that it slows down adoption or limits their ability to sell everyone they can make.

 

[CyberGus]

I’m late to and pretty ignorant on all this: it seems around here the prevailing wisdom that this gigapress is all and only for CT production?

I very recently had lunch with someone with inside knowledge, and while they couldn’t (and didn’t) come out and put any fine point on it, I would characterize the tone of conversation regarding CT production timing as … pessimistic

The facts as we know them:

1. Elon has stated that the CT production will begin in 2023 (all usual disclaimers apply)
2. Elon tweeted confirmation that the 9000T gigapress was for Cybertruck
3. IDRA confirmed that the 9000T gigapress was completed
4. Joe Tegtmeyer's drone peeked into the gigafactory casting area, and filmed work on a new isolation foundation, presumably for a new casting machine
5. Model Y castings are now being stored outside to make room for this construction
6. There is significant construction activity in the "General Assembly Line 2" area in the southwest (earthwork on the ground floor, steel work, concrete, etc.) which is presumably for Cybertruck
7. There have been many deliveries of stamping equipment from AIDA. Exoskeleton?
8. Tesla is prioritizing 4680 production in the US and has redirected resources to Austin from Berlin
9. Tesla has enough confidence in the 4680 supply to start the Semi production
10. The Cathode plant is rapidly coming together, scheduled for completion by EOY
11. Tesla will hold their Earnings Call on 19 Oct, stay tuned

Things we don't know:

1. We've still only seen the 3 or so prototypes, and none of the prototyping is in Austin. All Cybertruck engineering work seems to be in Fremont
2. If there is a CT pilot line, it is a well-kept secret
3. Still don't know available configurations, features, pricing, etc.

The looming arrival of the 9000T gigacasting machine is exciting, since CT production cannot move forward without it. But more than that, its arrival would mean that test castings will start to be made, leading to more prototyping, and maybe more sightings...

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