Files show Tesla plans more than $700 million in upgrades for its Texas plant

Tesla is planning major modernizations at its Austin, Texas plant, according to filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration in January.

First reported Tuesday by the Austin Business Journal, the filings indicate that Tesla plans to invest $717 million in the site to add about 1.4 million square feet of space.

Four new buildings were mentioned in the plans, including for the development and production of battery cells, cathode and drive production and toolmaking.

At the plant, Tesla builds the Model Y for the eastern United States and the recently introduced semi-truck. Tesla also plans to build its Cybertruck pickup truck at the site, with production expected to begin later this year.

Tesla also has its original vehicle plant in Fremont, California, as well as vehicle plants in Berlin and Shanghai. The company also has a plant in Reno, Nevada that manufactures battery packs and other components.

The company is planning at least two more plants. One will be a second plant in Shanghai to increase capacity there to more than one million vehicles per year. Tesla mentioned the second plant in a letter sent last May to officials in Shanghai’s Lingang Special Area, where the existing Shanghai plant is located.

Another plant could be built in Mexico. Bloomberg reported last month that Tesla is close to announcing plans to build a plant in the auto hub of northeastern Mexico’s Nuevo León state.