Tesla’s shuttered solar facility to become COVID-19 ventilator factory

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The Gigafactory 2 solar plant in New York will reopen “as soon as humanly possible”, to produce the devices used to mechanically assist those struggling to breathe at hospitals, Musk said. Image credit: Cezary Paweł / Pixabay

The US solar facility Tesla closed down this week due to the COVID-19 outbreak is to get a new lease of life as a factory for ventilators used to treat virus patients, CEO Elon Musk has said.

On Wednesday this week, Musk took to social media to announce Tesla’s Gigafactory 2 solar cell and module plant in Buffalo (New York) will reopen “as soon as humanly possible”, to produce the devices used to mechanically assist those struggling to breathe at hospitals.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Musk’s remarks came in response to a clip of a CNBC interview with Omar Ishrak, CEO of medical device specialist outfit Medtronic. In the interview, Ishrak singled out Tesla as one of the partners Medtronic has enlisted to speed up production of ventilators as COVID-19 spreads through the US.

“Making good progress,” Musk commented in response to the CNBC interview. “We will do whatever is needed to help in these difficult times”.

News of Gigafactory 2’s looming transition from solar panel facility to ventilator factory emerge less than a week after Tesla announced it would close the facility temporarily. The statement suggested the shutdown would not be complete, amid claims production would retained “for those parts and supplies necessary for service, infrastructure and critical supply chains”.

Tesla’s move to shutter Gigafactory 2 – as well as its electric vehicle facility in Fremont, California – followed widespread criticism towards Fremont’s continued operation in the face of ‘shelter in place’ orders issued by local county authorities.

Musk’s Twitter pronouncements at the time added to the controversy. Responding to comments by other social media users, Tesla’s CEO remarked: “My guess is that the panic will cause more harm than the virus, if that hasn’t happened already.”

The COVID-19 row is the latest of a series for Tesla. In the past year alone, the firm has faced a trial – postponed by the pandemic – over its US$2.6 billion acquisition of SolarCity in 2016, court orders not to prevent employees from unionising and a now-abandoned lawsuit over rooftop PV fires.

PV Tech has set up a tracker to map out how the COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting solar supply chains worldwide. You can read the latest updates here.

If you have a COVID-19 statement to share or a story on how the pandemic is disrupting a solar business anywhere in the world, do get in touch at [email protected] or [email protected].

17 June 2025
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 17-18 June 2025, will be our fourth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2026 and beyond.
7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.
21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.

Read Next

May 22, 2025
Prefabricated solar structure provider 5B has become the first recipient of the Australian government’s AU$1 billion Solar Sunshot Program, securing up to AU$46 million for its “Maverick” automated solar deployment system.
May 21, 2025
US PV module manufacturer Silfab Solar has acquired a patent portfolio for back-contact (BC) solar cells from solar research firm EnPV.
May 21, 2025
The US International Trade Commission has voted unanimously to impose AD/CVD tariffs on solar cells from Southeast Asia.
May 21, 2025
Installation of the anchoring system for what has been badged the world’s first floating offshore solar-wind project has been completed.
May 21, 2025
A key Chinese supplier to US tracker manufacturer Nextracker is to list on the Beijing Stock Exchange.
Sponsored
May 21, 2025
Francois Cui, president of LONGi Europe, discusses the Hi-MO 9, the latest in its line-up of high-efficiency back contact PV modules.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
June 17, 2025
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 8, 2025
Asia
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece