After the inauguration of the Trump administration in 2025, the U.S. imposed steep tariffs on Chinese-made components. This led to sensitive shifts across industries, heavily influenced by political factors. Tesla, once hailed as a leader in the EV market, has seen a continuous decline in its stock price.Among major U.S. corporations, Tesla's falling share price has drawn particular attention since CEO Elon Musk was appointed head of the <dfn data-content="A newly established U.S. government body aiming to maximize administrative efficiency by reducing bureaucracy and preventing waste of public resources.">Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)</dfn> following Trump's re-election in December 2024.Initially, investors were optimistic that the company would benefit from new policy directions under the Trump administration, leading to a temporary surge in Tesla’s stock price.<img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-Tesla-stock-price-trend-Apr-1-2024-Apr-21-2025.png" class="default-image-preview">Contrary to expectations, however, Tesla soon faced challenges. As head of DOGE, Musk led budget cuts and federal agency restructuring, sparking political controversy and damaging the brand’s reputation in the U.S. and Europe.The new tariffs have also hit Tesla’s operations hard, especially given the company’s heavy reliance on Chinese components such as batteries, power electronics, and rare-earth magnets. This has increased costs and heightened supply chain risks, putting further downward pressure on the stock.<blockquote class="corner-blockquote">Changes at Tesla's Giga Texas Facility</blockquote><img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-250407-tesla-giga-texas-shape-map.png" class="default-image-preview">Located on the outskirts of Austin, Texas, Giga Texas was established in December 2021 as Tesla’s new headquarters and became not just a production hub but the center of management and R&amp;D.Now a core site for Tesla's next-generation mobility platform, Giga Texas has undergone notable changes during the volatile stock period from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025.<blockquote class="blockquote">Site Changes at Tesla Giga Texas (Apr 2024 – May 2025)</blockquote><div class="image-swipe"><img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-240302-site-changes-at-tesla-giga-factory-texas.png" class="image-swipe-preview"><img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-241231-site-changes-at-tesla-giga-factory-texas.png" class="image-swipe-preview"><img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-250324-site-changes-at-tesla-giga-factory-texas.png" class="image-swipe-preview"></div>Since its opening in April 2022, Giga Texas has undergone continuous expansion. As of April 2024, construction was still ongoing at the outbound west parking area, but satellite imagery confirmed its completion by the end of the year.In December 2024, a dedicated battery charging zone for outbound vehicles was added. Excavation work began in the central campus area, hinting at future development of an integrated hub for production, R&amp;D, and energy operations.Giga Texas functions not only as a key production site for the eastern and southern U.S. but also as a base for next-gen ventures like Cybercab assembly and Megapack production. As such, this location is viewed as the heart of Tesla’s strategic roadmap, where ongoing construction reflects its structural evolution in support of growth.<blockquote class="blockquote">Detecting Production and Delivery Activity at Giga Texas</blockquote><img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-250324-tesla-giga-texas-classification-of-delivery-vehicle-detection-zones.png" class="default-image-preview">To assess production flow at Giga Texas, Tesla’s primary manufacturing site for Model Y and Cybertruck, vehicle detection was conducted using satellite imagery and drone footage to distinguish vehicle types.Detection zones were defined based on areas where vehicles are typically parked before customer delivery.Zone 1 was defined as the west parking lot adjacent to the outbound delivery building. Zone 2, previously known as an employee lot, was identified through vehicle detection as being used to stage vehicles awaiting delivery.<div class="image-swipe"><img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-240302-tesla-giga-texas-west-vehicle-parking-for-deliveries.png" class="image-swipe-preview"><img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-241231-tesla-giga-texas-west-vehicle-parking-for-deliveries.png" class="image-swipe-preview"><img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-250324-tesla-giga-texas-west-vehicle-parking-for-deliveries.png" class="image-swipe-preview"></div>High-resolution satellite imagery and AI-powered detection made it possible to estimate the number of produced and delivered vehicles indirectly. Drone imagery was also used to classify vehicle types for more precise analysis.Zone 1 saw a sharp decline in parked vehicles by the end of 2024, followed by a significant increase in Q1 2025. In addition to Tesla’s own vehicles, non-Tesla brands likely belonging to suppliers or employees were also detected, suggesting the creation of new multi-purpose parking areas.<div class="image-swipe"><img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-240302-tesla-giga-texas-east-vehicle-parking-for-deliveries.png" class="image-swipe-preview"><img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-241231-tesla-giga-texas-east-vehicle-parking-for-deliveries.png" class="image-swipe-preview"><img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/editor/10/en-250324-tesla-giga-texas-east-vehicle-parking-for-deliveries.png" class="image-swipe-preview"></div>Zone 2 was confirmed to be used for staging outbound vehicles, based on detection and vehicle classification data. In addition to Tesla’s own vehicles, non-Tesla brands likely belonging to suppliers or employees were also detected, suggesting the creation of new multi-purpose parking areas. Zone 2 was confirmed to be used for staging outbound vehicles, based on detection and vehicle classification data.The same trend was observed in Zone 2, where the number of parked vehicles increased significantly in Q1 2025 compared to Q4 2024.<img src="https://earthpaper.s3.ap-northeast-2.amazonaws.com/post/v2/deploy/69/en-quarterly-changes-in-teslas-total-production-and-deliveries-q1-2024-q1-2025.png" class="default-image-preview">In contrast, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ir.tesla.com/press-release/tesla-first-quarter-2025-production-deliveries-and-deployments">Tesla’s official quarterly data shows a decline of over 20% </a>in both production and deliveries in Q1 2025 compared to the previous quarter. This discrepancy aligns with earlier satellite imagery findings, indicating a buildup of undelivered inventory.It suggests that the issue may not be increased production but delayed deliveries or weakening demand, pointing to a potential imbalance between supply and demand.On April 21, 2025, just before the earnings release, Tesla’s stock fell by approximately 6%, likely reflecting a market reaction to the early release of Q1 production and delivery figures on April 2. While a single satellite image cannot define Tesla’s overall performance, this type of analysis reveals on-the-ground changes that official figures may overlook. Satellite intelligence can support smarter investment decisions by exposing early signals in market behavior.

Satellite Clues to Tesla’s Production Shifts and Stock Volatility

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