Tesla heads are rolling over critical projects at Gigafactory Texas
While Tesla is conducting broader layoffs, Electrek is learning that heads are rolling at Tesla over specific critical projects at Gigafactory Texas.
Tesla announced today that it is laying off over 10% of its workforce. The automaker is again using “hiring inefficiencies due to rapid growth” as the reason for the layoffs.
However, Electrek is learning that Tesla is also using this round of layoffs to clean house on some projects in Austin, Texas.
We previously reported that Tesla’s SVP of Powertrain and Energy Engineering, Drew Baglino, left the company today.
Baglino was leading many engineering projects at Tesla, including the 4680 battery cell production and the cathode factory at Gigafactory Texas in Austin. Those two projects have seen serious delays.
Sources familiar with the matter have told Electrek that Tesla has also let go of Anthony Thurston, Senior Manager of Cathode Materials & Manufacturing at Tesla, who was reporting to Baglino regarding the cathode factory project.
A person familiar with the project described it to Electrek as “a financial black hole.”
The factory is meant to supply Tesla with processed cathode material for its own battery cell production at Gigafactory Texas.
Elon Musk is reportedly unhappy with the progress at the plant, and heads are rolling. It’s unclear if Baglino was let go or left on his own amid the layoffs. Electrek reached out to Baglino, but we didn’t get a response.
Musk also pushed for other changes at Gigafactory Texas.
We reported earlier today that he shut down a project called NV9 to build a next-gen cheaper electric vehicle at the plant. Instead, Musk asked for all resources to go into the Robotaxi program and, specifically, a new data center to be built in an ongoing expansion at the factory.
Sources familiar with the matter told Electrek that the project is behind schedule. Musk is accelerating the project’s timeline to be ready to turn on the data center by August 20th, but this is what it looks like right now.
The timeline was already ambitious, but the CEO has accelerated it amid some of the toughest months for construction in Austin. The project is expected to experience rain and wind delays on top of the logistic challenges of supplying the computing and power electronic hardware to build the data center.
Several people involved in the project were also let go, according to sources familiar with the matter, including Amir Mirshahi, director of infrastructure at Tesla Gigafactory Texas.
Individuals involved with the project referred to it as ‘Dojo,’ which is what Tesla calls its own supercomputer program, but two people familiar with this data center project said that it would use NVIDIA hardware.
We previously reported that Tesla let go of its Dojo leadership in December 2023.
Earlier this year, Tesla announced that it is building a $500 million Dojo supercomputer cluster in New York.
Tesla aims to use the new computing power from this New York project and this Gigafactory Texas project to train its AI for self-driving. Tesla plans to unveil its Robotaxi on August 8th.
Electrek’s Take
Tesla and Elon are pushing the narrative that the layoffs are due to “hiring inefficiencies due to rapid growth”, but there’s definitely more to it.
This is leading some Tesla fans to claim that “Tesla is just trimming the fat” and “firing the bottom 10% of performers”, but again, there’s more to it.
It looks like Elon is unhappy with some of Tesla’s programs and cleaning house, for better or worse. The layoffs sort of hide the programs being killed and the resources moving around or not needed anymore.
I want to be clear that I disagree with the characterization that people being let go at Tesla this week are not good at their jobs. It might be the case in some cases, but there can be a lot of factors that result in a program not working, and Elon himself can be a factor at times. He is known to move the goal post.
Tesla’s needs are changing because Elon is changing his mind on things.
In short, Elon is putting all of Tesla’s eggs in the same basket and that basket is called self-driving.
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![Nissan has global ambitions for its affordable plug-in pickup truck [update]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/06/2027-Nissan-Frontier-Pro-Plug-in-Hybrid-Reveal-Photos-Exterior-003-side.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Zhengzhou Nissan has launched a new, plug-in pickup in the Chinese market called the Z9. It’s the same size as the Nissan Frontier Pro, offers over 35 miles of all-electric range, and pricing starts at just $16,600.
UPDATE 04NOV2025: more details and more markets for 2026.
The rebuilding of Nissan started to pick up earlier this year with the launch of the brand’s first plug-in pickup truck in China this past summer. The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model offers 410 hp and an 84 mile electric-only range – more than enough for it to meet the everyday needs of most drivers with easy access to liquid fuel when needed.
It seems like a neat truck, but since it was designed and developed specifically for the Chinese market, its great specs and nearly impossible $24,800 starting price (on the entry-level Frontier Pro model) meant it would have limited impact – and limited interest – in other markets.
Until now, that is! CarScoops is reporting that Nissan now has plans to export a tweaked version of the hybrid Frontier to international markets, and speculates that, “a different version of it could well be built in the US, [since] Nissan’s CEO recently confirmed that a hybrid Frontier is in the works for the North American market.”
You can read the original post, first published back in June, below, then let us know what you think of Nissan’s plans to export its plug-in pickup to other markets in the comments.
Positioned as the electrified sibling of the domestically-built Nissan Frontier Pro, the Zhengzhou Nissan Z9 is essentially a Chinese-market version the Frontier Pro, and it’s spec’ed and priced accordingly, with the as-yet undisclosed price of the Frontier Pro expected to come in a bit higher than the Z9.
That’s less interesting. What’s more interesting is that the Z9 offers 35 miles (60 km) of range on the base, 17 kWh battery, at a price that significantly undercuts even the Slate EV’s $28,000 pre-$7,500 incentive price tag – and that incentive is far from a sure thing.
What’s more, if you feel like spending a bit more, you can get a Zhengzhou Nissan Z9 equipped with a 32.85 kWh battery that’s good for almost 85 miles (135 km) of all-electric range. And even that extended-range model, at ¥168,900 (about $23,400) is still price-competitive with the Jeff Bezos-backed Slate EV.
In short, it’s bound to be a winner.
It’ll sell, but it won’t sell here
With excitement surrounding the Kia Tasman, Slate, and other, similarly affordable light-duty pickups building on the success of the Ford Maverick hybrid, it should come as no surprise that Nissan has international ambitions for its newest electrified pickup.
“In alignment with our ‘In China, For China, Toward the World’ strategy for electrification and smart transformation, Nissan will fully support ZNA’s ‘off-road strategy,’” explained Stephen Ma, Chairman of Nissan (China) Management Committee and President of Dongfeng Motor Co., Ltd. “We are working to strengthen our research and manufacturing capabilities, further advancing our presence in the core markets of pickups and off-road vehicles, with the ultimate goal of achieving global expansion.”
It’s exciting stuff, but with all the recent troubles it’s been experiencing, it’s doubtful that Nissan will bring either of its new, Chinese-built mid-size pickups to the US (electrified or otherwise).
“The mission of the new generation of Chinese automotive professionals is clear – to ensure that made-in-China cars are driven across the world. ZNA will utilize its dual-brand and dual-channel advantages to expand its global footprint,” Mr. Mao Limin, Executive Vice President of ZNA, at the Z9’s launch. “We aim to be one of the top exporters of pickups within three years and to reach a sales milestone of 100,000 units.”
That said, Nissan Hardbody fans shouldn’t lose hope quite yet. If Nissan is able to find a new savior in Toyota, a Taco-based BEV pickup with a new LEAF/Ariya-type front fascia might make more sense than you think.
Electrek’s Take
I’ve already written out my own comeback plans for Nissan, and this new Chinese-market pickup truck doesn’t really fit into them. Like many of you, I’m of the belief that a PHEV isn’t an EV – but I do see their value as “lilypad” cars, and the two Lightning owners I know? Their previous Ford F-150s were hybrids.
SOURCES: Zhengzhou Nissan; side-by-side image via Carscoops.
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Finnish energy giant Wärtsilä has announced the latest addition to its massive network utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Australia: a record-breaking 1.5 GWh deployment that brings the company’s total energy storage capacity in the nation to 5.5 GWh.
The future of large-scale energy projects in Australia is looking increasingly DC-coupled thanks to Wärtsilä, which just announced plans to build the largest BESS of its kind in the National Electricity Market (NEM). The massive hybrid battery project that marks the company’s ninth site down under, and pushes its total capacity to a formidable 5.5 GWh.
The company says its latest, “record-breaking” energy storage plant is a blueprint for how to efficiently combine solar generation and storage to create a more resilient and decarbonized grid.
“This project is significantly larger than our earlier DC-coupled project, underscoring the need for this type of technology in expanding at scale,” said David Hebert, vice president of Global Sales Management at Wärtsilä. Hebert called the DC-coupled technology, “a breakthrough for hybrid renewable plants and a critical step towards establishing a financially viable renewable energy future.”
Hebert believes projects like this one play a hugely important role in stabilizing Australia’s grid while, at the same time, advancing the country’s ambitious net-zero emissions targets from the energy sector by 2045.
With a 20-year service agreement already in place and the order set to be booked this quarter, this project is a working prototype for the next generation of global renewable assets. As nations worldwide grapple with the challenge of moving beyond fossil fuels, the success of this massive DC-coupled system will provide a real-world model for how to build a grid that is cleaner, smarter, and more resilient than ever before.
Electrek’s Take Explainer
If you’re not familiar with DC-coupling, it’s an efficiency game-changer. Unlike traditional AC-coupled electrical systems that require converting solar-generated direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) for use by the grid, and then back to DC to use in a battery, a DC-coupled system connects the solar array and battery directly. This architecture cuts energy losses that occur during conversion, capturing more solar power and significantly improving project economics and overall system efficiency.
In other words: it saves money, and shores up the grid. Wins all ’round!
SOURCE | IMAGES: Wärtsilä, via Power.
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Guests look at a model of the largest data center in the UAE under construction in Abu Dhabi as the Stargate initiative, a joint venture between G42, Microsoft, and OpenAI, during the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC) in Abu Dhabi on November 3, 2025. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)
Giuseppe Cacace | Afp | Getty Images
Fossil fuel leaders have welcomed a paradigm shift in the narrative regarding the energy transition.
Speaking to CNBC on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC), OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al Ghais said there has been a “big shift” in the way industry leaders and policymakers are now talking about meeting rising global energy demand.
“Three years ago, it was all about energy transition. Energy transition, climate change [and] get rid of fossil fuels. Today, it’s about [how] we have to have a balanced approach,” Al Ghais told CNBC’s Dan Murphy in an exclusive interview.
“So, it’s a very different tone, which … I must say, sounds like music to my ears because this is what OPEC’s been advocating for the last two, three, four years actually,” Al Ghais said Tuesday.
His comments were echoed by several industry players at the UAE’s annual oil summit, with many championing the concept of “energy addition” to secure supply and accommodate new demands from sectors like artificial intelligence.
This energy addition refers to a push to develop new technologies, such as renewables like solar and wind, in parallel with existing fossil fuels. Energy transition, by contrast, typically refers to the transfer from one energy source to another.
Climate scientists have repeatedly warned that a substantial reduction in fossil fuel use will be necessary to curb global heating, with the burning of coal, oil and gas identified as the chief driver of the climate crisis.
UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan al-Jaber said at the opening of ADIPEC on Monday that global electricity demand will continue to soar through to 2040, with power for data centers set to grow fourfold and 1.5 billion people expected to move from rural areas to cities.
Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, chief executive officer of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC), speaks during the opening ceremony of the ADIPEC conference in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The minister, who also serves as CEO of UAE oil giant ADNOC and led talks at COP28, said renewable energy technologies were on track to more than double globally by 2040, with liquified natural gas (LNG) demand poised to grow by 50% and oil set to stay above 100 million barrels per day.
“This all adds up to something far more complex than a single path energy transition,” al-Jaber said. “What we are talking about here is reinforcement — not replacement. In fact, what we’re really talking about here is energy addition.”
‘A big rethink is going on’
Mike Sommers, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute (API), an industry lobbying group, welcomed what he described as a “realistic conversation” about what will be required to power AI in the future.
“I think we are transitioning from the energy transition. I think everyone recognizes that we’re going to need a lot more energy going forward,” Sommers told CNBC on Monday.
“Our institute, the American Petroleum Institute, and almost every other independent analyst suggests that we’re going to need more. Yes, it’s AI. Yes, it’s data centers. But it’s also more air conditioning, more people plugging things into the grid,” Sommers said.
“We’ve known this for a long time. AI, I think, has put a punctuation point on that,” he added.
Energy veteran and S&P Global vice chairman Dan Yergin echoed this sentiment, saying a big demand surge is in the offing as U.S. tech giants ramp up their AI plans.
Asked whether he agreed with Sommers’ view that the narrative is shifting away from the energy transition, Yergin said: “Yes, absolutely. That is what’s happening. A big rethink is going on.”
“You can see the perspective of the tech companies, who didn’t worry about energy. It was not a cost for them. Now, very much,” he added.
“It’s thought that about half of U.S. GDP growth is coming from investment that the tech companies — now known as the hyperscalers — are putting into building data centers.”
What next for the energy transition?
Ed Crooks, vice chair Americas at Wood Mackenzie, agreed that the energy transition had been a key focus during conversations at ADIPEC.
“When you talk about the transition, it seemed to mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. If, by the energy transition, you mean are we going to get to net zero by 2050 [and] are we going to be able to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees? That, I think it is fair to say, is dead, but I don’t know that was ever really alive in the sense that it was always very, very ambitious,” Crooks told CNBC on Tuesday.
“If, by energy transition, you mean there is going to be rapid growth in renewables, there’s going to be a shift to electric vehicles and we’re going to be heading towards, in general, a lower carbon energy system then I think in that sense the energy transition is alive still.”
— CNBC’s Emilia Hardie contributed to this report.
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