According to a Reuters report published on March 20, U.S. electric vehicle giant Tesla is finalizing procurement agreements with leading Chinese photovoltaic (PV) equipment manufacturers. The company plans to invest approximately $2.9 billion to acquire PV manufacturing equipment for its 100-gigawatt (GW) solar manufacturing "Gigafactory" located in Texas, USA.

It is reported that the equipment being procured primarily originates from three Chinese companies—Maiwei Technology, Jiejia Weichuang, and Laplace—and covers complete production lines for mainstream, high-efficiency solar cell technologies, such as Heterojunction (HJT) and TOPCon.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the equipment is expected to be fully delivered to Tesla's Texas facility by the autumn of 2026. This delivery schedule aims to support Tesla in realizing its full-chain PV production capacity deployment—spanning "from raw materials to power output"—by the end of 2028.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously announced at an investor conference a plan to establish 100 GW of domestic solar manufacturing capacity within the United States to reduce reliance on traditional power grids. The Texas factory, now moving toward realization, will serve as the central pillar of this strategy. The electricity generated at the facility will be prioritized for Tesla's electric vehicle production lines, its Megapack energy storage system factory, and its global AI data centers. Any surplus power will provide energy support for SpaceX's Starlink satellite network, thereby creating an integrated, closed-loop energy ecosystem encompassing "Vehicles, Storage, and Satellites."

Notably, the core suppliers involved in this order are all leading enterprises within China's photovoltaic equipment sector.

Specifically, Maiwei Technology—which holds the largest global market share for complete HJT production line equipment—will supply Tesla with core screen printing and RPD (Reactive Plasma Deposition) equipment. Jiejia Weichuang, leveraging its expertise across a comprehensive range of technical routes, will be responsible for supplying PERC and TOPCon equipment. Meanwhile, Laplace New Energy will focus on critical coating processes, such as tubular PECVD.

The collaborative division of labor among these three companies not only ensures the technological sophistication of the facility but also provides Tesla with the flexibility to accommodate future technological iterations and upgrades.

The Reuters report has garnered widespread attention across the global energy industry. Analysts point out that Tesla's large-scale procurement of Chinese equipment serves as further confirmation of China’s irreplaceable status in the field of photovoltaic (PV) equipment. Currently, Chinese enterprises supply over 90% of the world’s high-efficiency solar cell manufacturing equipment, and the United States currently lacks domestic production capacity of comparable competitiveness to serve as an alternative. Furthermore, the Biden and Trump administrations—having successively granted tariff exemptions for imported PV manufacturing equipment—have effectively cleared the policy hurdles necessary for this order to materialize.

For China's PV industry, this order undoubtedly serves as a powerful shot in the arm. Against the backdrop of a global surplus in PV production capacity, Tesla's substantial procurement will effectively absorb the excess capacity of domestic equipment manufacturers while simultaneously bolstering the brand influence of Chinese enterprises within the high-end market.

It is reported that Maiwei Shares has submitted an application to China's Ministry of Commerce for the export of dual-use items. Approval is expected shortly, with the first batch of equipment anticipated to ship in May.

Tesla's plan for a massive PV manufacturing facility is not an isolated case. In recent years, global energy giants have increasingly ramped up their investments in the PV and energy storage sectors; however, Tesla distinguishes itself by deeply integrating its solar energy operations with its electric vehicle, AI, and aerospace businesses.

Analysts believe that once the planned 100 GW of production capacity comes online, Tesla will emerge as one of the world's largest PV manufacturers. The electricity generated by its operations will not only satisfy its own internal power requirements but could also be fed into the power grid—potentially through a "virtual power plant" model—thereby further expanding the company’s profit horizons.

As the procurement of equipment proceeds, construction of the Texas-based PV factory has officially entered its countdown phase.

Elon Musk stated on social media that the facility will utilize fully automated production processes. Partial production capacity is expected to come online in 2027, with full production capacity projected to be reached by 2028. Once fully operational, Tesla will be capable of manufacturing enough solar modules annually to power over 10 million households, while simultaneously supporting its global objective of surpassing 20 million electric vehicle sales.