Summary
Tesla’s lithium refinery near Robstown / Corpus Christi — battery-grade lithium hydroxide on the Coastal Bend.
Tesla Lithium Texas
Lithium refining for battery supply near Robstown.
Li
Background
Tesla started site work in rural Nueces County in late 2022 / early 2023 and held a public groundbreaking with Elon Musk and Gov. Abbott in May 2023. The plant is meant to refine lithium for Tesla cells. Joe Tegtmeyer’s regular flyovers are the public construction record; Tesla had targeted production in 2025.
Timeline
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Site work underway
Tesla says construction has started on the Nueces County refinery.
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Official groundbreaking
Musk and Gov. Abbott mark the start of the ~$375M plant.
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Near-complete look
Flyover as the site shifts from raw construction toward operations.
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Operations-era update
Aerial still labeled site and operations; the plant looks built out.
Job listings
Open roles at Tesla Lithium Texas
US listings for this plant on Tesla Careers.
Timelapse
Yearly construction stills at Tesla Lithium Texas
Yearly slideshow from the same satellite stills as Compare — play a year of construction without leaving the page.
Drone flyovers
Aerial clips of Tesla Lithium Texas
Curated YouTube clips — newest first. Same campus, different altitude.