Tesla is ramping up hiring to support Elon Musk's plan to establish 100 gigawatts of domestic capacity for solar component production by 2028, according to LinkedIn posts from senior executives. The electric vehicle maker aims to become the largest US manufacturer of renewable energy components.
Senior manager Seth Winger described the initiative as "an audacious, ambitious project" in a LinkedIn post seeking engineers and scientists. Tesla's website lists a solar manufacturing development engineer position targeting deployment of "100GW from raw materials on American soil before the end of 2028."
Musk announced the 100GW production target last month but had not previously provided a timeline or hiring plans. The company last week unveiled a new panel being produced at its Buffalo, New York factory.
Local Chinese media reported this week that delegations sent by Musk visited various Chinese solar companies.
Tesla's hiring push comes as electric vehicle sales show signs of slowing. The company reported its first annual revenue decline on record earlier this year, with sales falling in three of the past four quarters. Musk recently announced Tesla would end production of Model S and X vehicles to convert Fremont factory lines for Optimus humanoid robots, while continuing to focus on more affordable models like the new Model Y AWD variant.
The 100GW target represents a massive expansion from current US capacity. The country currently has 65GW of module capacity and just 3.2GW of cell capacity, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. These cells are the crucial components that transform sunlight into energy and are substantially more complex to manufacture than modules.
Tesla is evaluating several US locations for large-scale cell production, including expansion of its Buffalo facility and potential new sites in Arizona and Idaho. The initiative is being overseen by Tesla's vice president of energy engineering, who has recently stepped up hiring efforts tied to domestic production.
Musk has cited steep tariffs on imported solar products as motivation for building domestic capacity. He has said both Tesla and SpaceX are working toward producing as much as 100 gigawatts of cells annually. The renewed push reflects growing pressure from rising energy demand, particularly from artificial intelligence infrastructure, which has prompted other tech companies like Meta to secure major solar power deals.
"While Musk's long-term forecasts are often directionally accurate, near-term timelines have been missed frequently. We consider these targets aspirational rather than likely for the US solar supply chain in the midterm."
Analysts remain skeptical about the ambitious timeline. TD Cowen analyst Jeff Osborne said this in a client note.
Tesla has struggled with production in this sector before. The company acquired a Buffalo factory through its 2016 acquisition of installer SolarCity and aimed to ramp up to 1GW of production. Manufacturing partner Panasonic left the project in 2020, and Tesla has used the facility to produce superchargers and premium solar roof tiles.
Tesla shares closed at $411.11, up 3.50%, following the hiring announcements. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the expansion plans.
