After the Tesla Semi entered production a few weeks ago at a facility next to Giga Nevada, the next model on the company's industrialization radar is obviously the Cybertruck.
As anyone who follows Cybertruck updates knows, the electric pickup truck is slated to start low-volume production at Gigafactory Texas in mid-2023, according to Elon Musk. As for mass production, it will reportedly begin before the end of next year, according to insiders cited by Reuters last month.
In recent weeks and months, several signs pointed to Tesla preparing for Cybertruck production, including the start of the tooling process, IDRA Group shipping the 9,000-ton Giga Press for the pickup truck, the beginning of the hiring process and, more recently, the spotting of a Cybertruck frame at the Austin factory.
Now, there's another exciting development to report on, namely the confirmation that Giga Press parts have arrived at Tesla's Giga Texas. Several spotters, including drone pilot Joe Tegtmeyer and members of the Cybertruck Owners Club, have posted photos online that show a long crate with IDRA Group's badge stamped on it, alongside two big red-painted parts covered by a tarp.
These parts are stored in the casting area of Giga Texas next to the new Giga Press location, which likely provides indication that they are essential components for the mega casting machine—that and the giant "IDRA" letters on the crate.
Looking at the photos, the red parts seem to be components of the Giga Press's red molds, while the long wood crate could include the poles on which the molds slide during the casting process. You can get a good look at the IDRA parts in Joe Tegtmeyer's video embedded at the top of this page.
Of course, we will know for sure if these are actual parts from the 9,000-ton Giga Press only after IDRA and Tesla technicians start assembling it. Given that these parts are stored inside the plant and a truck with a giant Giga Press plate-shaped object on it arrived about a month after IDRA said it was shipping the press, there's a good chance the unpacking and assembly process will start soon.
The Tesla Cybertruck has been delayed several times in the past, but it looks like 2023 is the year the electric and eccentric pickup truck will finally become a reality.
