Latest news with #GigaTexas
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tesla Is Trying to Build an Ecological Paradise. Too Bad It Literally Stinks.
Elon Musk recently announced plans to give back to the environment surrounding his Texas Gigafactory. We've actually known about this 'sanctuary' for quite some time, as Musk promised to make an equally significant environmental investment when he was pitching Giga Texas. The property is located on the outskirts of Austin near the Austin Bergstrom International Airport—a stone's throw away from the Circuit of The Americas F1 track—and the surrounding area is barren, with few amenities to speak of. Along with bolstering the surrounding wildlife, Musk's plan includes amenities for those in the area like hike and bike trails, a riverfront boardwalk, fishing areas, and green space. The proposal also mentions a sports complex with soccer fields, baseball fields, and tennis courts. All great additions to any community, but as a born-and-raised Austinite who regularly drives by the Tesla facilities on the way to the race track, it sounds to me like nothing more than a half-baked attempt to bring the downtown amenities to the outskirts of Austin. A brief look through Tesla's presentation makes its plans to support the surrounding ecosystem almost look like a slam dunk—not only benefiting the land, but also the estimated 20,000 homes in its vicinity. The factory is flanked by the Colorado River, making it a great candidate for riverfront hike and bike trails that connect to local parks. However, ask any local, and they'll tell you the reality is anything but sunshine and rainbows. A quick look at Google Maps shows that the South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant is just across the river from Giga Texas. For context, these facilities clean up millions of gallons of 'used' water that we produce before emptying it back out into the environment. That might sound all well and good (and it is), but it is not going to smell well and good at all. The other objectionable feature of Giga Texas is its proximity to Highway 130—the fastest highway in America, with an 85 mph speed limit and constant road noise. It was made to bypass Interstate 35 (which all Austinites avoid like the plague). Despite using big words like 'biodiversity' and 'revegetation,' Tesla has a lot of work to do when it comes to supercharging the ecosystems near the Gigafactory. A Wall Street Journal article from last year shows that the factory has already racked up significant pollution violations. The rollout for the Model Y (2022) was a focal point for Giga Texas, as there was no leeway for damaged equipment to be offline while waiting for repair. This meant that a lot of 'broken' equipment remained operational to fulfill manufacturing numbers, leading to significant environmental impact on the surrounding area. The WSJ article mentioned an incident from 2022 in which one of the doors on the 30-foot-tall furnaces—used to melt aluminum for casting car components—stopped closing correctly. Even as car production ramped up, the door to the 1,200-degree oven remained ajar. Interviews with ex-employees demonstrated that the broken seal forced the oven to use considerably more fuel and emit higher pollution levels from the smokestacks. That's not to mention the amount of heat being expelled into the work area, which was said to reach up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. For context, the Wall Street Journal reported that Austin Water regulators did notify Tesla that the company had violated its permit after discharging 9,000 gallons of wastewater (which had not been properly treated) into the Colorado River. And if we thought the infractions in Austin were egregious, let's not forget about some of Musk's other companies. Like, for example, SpaceX, which was recently fined $150,000 for dumping 262,000 gallons of wastewater into Texas wetlands without proper permission. We shouldn't forget that the mile-long Giga Factory—and Tesla at large, for that matter—still faces significant financial challenges. The American brand allegedly spent over $900 million developing the Cybertruck, and nearly $5 billion on getting Giga Texas up and running. To make matters worse, Electrek recently reported that Tesla is sitting on over $200 million of Cybertruck inventory that hasn't been sold. The reasoning? The company is just flat out struggling to sell the vehicles. This is likely why we've recently seen new Cybertruck promotions, including improved financing and free supercharging for life. Amidst less-than-spectacular times for Musk and Tesla, it remains to be seen how else the brand will make up the Cybertruck's shortcomings. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rep. Greg Casar and Elon Musk bring Texas clash to D.C. stage
It's a Texas-against-Texas messaging game in Washington, D.C., between Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, and Elon Musk. Casar, whose district includes Musk's largest factory, uses his progressive Capitol Hill platform to condemn Musk's work to shrink the federal government while Musk's companies benefit from federal contracts. 'We're not going to quit until he's fired,' Casar said in an interview with The Texas Tribune. Musk leads a Trump administration project, labeled the Department of Government Efficiency, to make large cuts of the federal workforce and government spending. 'If we don't do this, America will go bankrupt,' Musk said during the first Trump cabinet meeting this year. DOGE says it has saved the federal government $105 billion through shrinking the federal workforce, canceling contracts and other moves, but that number has been widely disputed. Casar's scrutiny of Musk started long before Musk first appeared at a Trump rally. When the future congressman was serving on the Austin city council, he said he was critical of the Tesla factory that was going through the city approval process. While Musk was asking for tax breaks from the city, Casar was asking questions about worker safety rules and pay. The factory – called Giga Texas – opened in April 2022 to build Cybertrucks and the Model Y. It has come under public scrutiny after multiple workers filed complaints against the company over what they said were dangerous working conditions. After he won a seat in Congress in 2022, Casar called for an investigation by the Department of Labor on reported wage thefts and safety violations. In February, he called on the Department of Labor to release the investigation into the August death of an electrician at Giga Texas. 'An electrician's death should not be ignored simply because the CEO at the top has lots of money and powerful connections,' Casar wrote in a letter to Scott Ketcham, a deputy assistant secretary of labor whose area is worker safety. The U.S. Department of Labor, responding to questions, said that the investigation has concluded and that Tesla is contesting violations in the August case, but provided no details on the violations. Tesla did not respond to emails from The Texas Tribune about this incident. After the 2024 election, Casar made clear that he agreed with the sentiment that the Democratic Party needs to reorient to focus on working-people issues. 'If the Democratic Party wants to reclaim our mantle as the party of all working people, then we have to stand up to the Elon Musks of the world,' Casar said. Casar became the leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus in December and began focusing the messaging of the caucus, and his own speeches, on Musk's actions to reshape the federal government and possible conflicts of interests. Musk is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, companies that have received about $38 billion in government funding. The lawmaker used the slogan 'Fire Elon Musk' during a Feb. 5 House Committee on Oversight hearing. At the hearing, the committee rejected a motion along party lines to subpoena Musk to appear in front of the committee. 'Republicans ran cover for him, they want him in the White House tweeting,' Casar said during the hearing. The Republican chair of the oversight committee, Rep. James Comer, R-Kentucky, pointed a finger back at the Democrats, saying they should have called on Musk to serve as their hearing witness. House DOGE Subcommittee chair Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, denounced Casar's message to fire Elon Musk. 'It's just not going to happen,' Greene told The Texas Tribune on Tuesday. She added that the 'American people love DOGE' and that she doesn't hear anyone complaining about Musk's alleged conflicts of interest other than Democrats and the press. The day after the oversight hearing, Casar held a Capitol Hill news conference with fellow progressive members of the U.S. House. 'Elon Musk has got to go,' Illinois Rep. Chuy García said at the event. Since then, other Democratic leaders and activists around the country have also shared the message – chanting and holding signs that read 'Fire Elon Musk.' Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vermont, said it's important for progressives to speak out about Musk because the frustration with what he is doing inside the government crosses party lines – especially when it comes to concerns about DOGE team members' access to sensitive financial information. 'This is a person who symbolizes all that is wrong with the system right now,' Balint said in an interview. Musk, in an appearance with Joe Rogan, sought to diminish concerns about DOGE employees by arguing that they go through clearances just like any other government employee. Casar told the Texas Tribune in early February that there are a number of ways to pressure Musk: a legal requirement from Congress, public pressure, and the anti-corruption laws that apply to federal employees. Casar also said Republicans will start stepping back if Democrats refuse to support bills by Republicans who back Musk's involvement with the government. Last week, the White House downplayed Musk's role with the Department of Government Efficiency, noting that Musk is an adviser to the president and not a federal employee. Casar is also a member of the oversight committee's subcommittee on Delivering Government Efficiency, which was made to bring Musk's agency's agenda to Congress. The lawmaker has used this platform to highlight his problems with Musk's moves to shrink the federal government and to imply that Musk's companies are receiving special treatment from the White House. This includes President Donald Trump's firing of 17 inspector generals – officials embedded within federal agencies to identify fraud and abuse– during his first week in office. Five, Casar said, were looking into Musk's companies. In a Jan. 25 press gaggle, Trump called the firing of inspector generals a 'very common thing to do.' Musk called Casar a 'big fat liar,' on X, formerly Twitter, after the congressman posted an NPR article about a move by the State Department to award Tesla a $400 million government contract, an effort now on hold. While Casar hasn't pushed for current Musk company contracts to be canceled, he called for limits on any role for Musk at agencies that provide money to companies he controls. 'The federal government should be giving contracts to companies based on their performance and based on taxpayers needs, not based on how powerful the man is that leads those companies,' Casar said. Trump, after an executive order signing on Feb. 18, told reporters that he would 'not let there be any conflict of interest,' and that he told Musk not to have conflicts of interests. The president added that he wouldn't let Musk do anything related to space. Casar's messaging has extended far beyond Capitol Hill. At his town hall in San Antonio on Feb. 22, Musk and government downsizing was the most common point of conversation. Federal workers asked Casar about the legality of Musk's role in the White House and other constituents asked Casar what they could do to combat Musk. At town halls across the country, Musk was also a top conversation starter. Balint, a member of the progressive caucus, said Casar's messaging on Musk is hitting home across the country, even in Republican districts. 'They don't have a good answer, because there isn't a good answer,' Balint said about her Republican colleagues. Casar has supported bills from progressive caucus members to make Musk follow conflict of interest rules, to divest from his companies that receive money from the federal government and to prevent Musk and non-Treasury Department employees or contractors from accessing the federal payment system. However, these bills are unlikely to pass this Republican-controlled Congress. Casar says he will continue bringing attention to Musk's moves until the executive is fired from the federal government. 'You need to call out the people who are screwing those everyday people over,' Casar said. 'Nobody's doing that more clearly in the government and in business than Elon Musk.' We can't wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
