According to Sawyer Merritt, Elon Musk announced that Tesla's new lithium refinery in Texas will start with a 50GWh capacity, significantly enhancing the company's battery supply chain for electric vehicles (EVs) and AI-driven manufacturing processes (source: Sawyer Merritt on Twitter). This move is expected to accelerate the integration of AI in battery optimization, production efficiency, and predictive maintenance, providing Tesla with a competitive advantage in the fast-evolving AI and EV markets. The refinery’s scale addresses growing demand for high-performance batteries used in AI-powered autonomous vehicles, presenting new business opportunities for AI startups specializing in battery technology, supply chain optimization, and smart factory solutions.

According to Sawyer Merritt, Tesla expects its Texas lithium refinery to begin production this quarter, with a new LFP battery production facility in Nevada starting operations in Q1 2026 (source: Sawyer Merritt on Twitter). These developments are set to strengthen the AI-driven battery supply chain and support large-scale electric vehicle and energy storage growth. The increased domestic lithium processing and LFP cell manufacturing will enable Tesla and AI-powered manufacturing systems to optimize battery quality, cost, and availability, creating new opportunities for AI analytics, process automation, and supply chain management within the EV and energy sectors.