Preload Spinner

Austin suddenly has a ton riding on Tesla, the new king of Central Texas' modern economy

BACK

Austin suddenly has a ton riding on Tesla, the new king of Central Texas' modern economy

Like the rubber-burning option on some of its cars, Tesla has shifted its growth in Austin to “insane mode.” The number of Tesla employees at its Austin-area factory is up nearly 86% over the past year, and the company is now neck-and-neck with H-E-B for the title of largest private employer in Central Texas. This article chronicles Tesla’s outrageous growth at the gigafactory — and some unexpected suburbs.