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Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that the electric carmaker expects to open its $1.1 billion Austin Gigafactory next year and to start delivering its Model Y cars at the facility by the end of 2021 during a third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.
<p>"Because of the exponential nature of the fuel-up of a manufacturing plant, especially one with new technologies, it will start off very slow at first but then the output will become very large," Musk said, adding that it will likely take up to two years for the factory to reach full capacity. "That is a very fast period of time, especially for new technology." </p><p>The first substantial completion, or construction milestone, for the new factory is scheduled for next spring, a spokesperson for the Austin Chamber previously confirmed to Austonia.</p><p>During the call, Musk also talked about the company's plans to begin manufacturing its own battery cells, following an announcement during Tesla's<a href="https://austonia.com/tesla-austin-new-car" target="_self"> Sept. 22 Battery Day event</a>. </p><p>He did not discuss whether the Austin factory will be involved in this effort. But Tesla plans to operate a cell-manufacturing unit to produce the battery packs that power its cars at the Austin factory, <a href="https://austonia.com/tesla-battery-austin" target="_self">according to filings</a> with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. </p><p>The company currently sources its batteries from Panasonic, where cell shortages have led to production delays for Tesla. </p><p>Last quarter was the best in Tesla's history, with record-breaking revenue, net income and production volume, Musk told shareholders. </p><p>Musk announced Austin would be home to the next Gigafactory <a href="https://austonia.com/technology/tesla-coming-to-austin" target="_self">in late July</a>, after a competitive selection process that saw <a href="https://austonia.com/technology/tesla-factory-austin-2646383822" target="_self">Del Valle ISD</a> and <a href="https://austonia.com/business/austin-gigafactory" target="_self">Travis County</a> offer the company tax rebates for building the factory in their jurisdictions.</p><p>In early August, construction supplier Martin Marietta disclosed it had sold the 2,100 factory site—at the intersection of SH 130 and Harold Green Road, near the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport—to a Tesla entity for $97 million, <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2020/08/07/tesla-buys-far-east-austin-factory-site-for-97m.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">according to the Austin Business Journal</a>.</p><p>Prior to both announcements, however, the site was a hotbed of construction activity as Tesla began reclamation work, which <a href="https://austonia.com/future/tesla-site-austin" target="_self">a city staffer said</a> "would be the first step in preparing the site for future development."</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5w46XttA_Yw" width="560"></iframe></div><p>Since then, Tesla has <a href="https://www.statesman.com/business/20200925/tesla-adding-to-land-holdings-for-austin-factory" target="_blank">purchased a 381-acre lot</a> next to the Martin Marietta site and <a href="https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/development/2020/09/16/tesla-continues-subcontractor-search-for-travis-county-gigafactory/" target="_blank">selected two general contractors</a> for the project, although they remain unnamed, according to local reports. It also recently <a href="https://austonia.com/tesla-gigfactory-site-plan" target="_blank">filed a site plan</a> that lays out the company's plan for 280 acres of the 2,100-acre property. </p><p>As proposed, the factory will provide at least 5,000 jobs, not including the thousands of construction workers who will build the facility.</p><p>The company currently has <a href="https://www.tesla.com/careers/search#/?keyword=Gigafactory&region=5&country=0&city=9&state=21" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">20 Austin-based job postings</a> for the Gigafactory, in addition to other postings for jobs such as <a href="https://www.tesla.com/careers/job/video-gamesengineerinfotainmentsoftware-68339" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">game developers</a>.</p><p>Some of Musk's other ventures are also looking to lay down roots in the Austin area, including his <a href="https://austonia.com/elon-musk-neuralink-austin" target="_self">"Fitbit in your skull"</a> startup, Neuralink, which is hiring four positions locally.</p>
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(Bob Daemmrich/Austonia)
Travis County residents stand in line to vote on Tuesday, Oct. 13.
Nearly 200,000 Travis County residents have voted early in person since the polls opened on Oct. 13. With 12 days left before the early voting period ends on Oct. 30, and photos circulating on social media of long lines, Austonia has ranked the 37 local polling places by popularity.
<p><br/></p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe frameborder="0" height="680" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vQhzGsHb9NoAcb6jAqfrHF8ZgpkJ8J0s47wqw-uY6FXWogeaRCclucK7fBGyrE3lAM5hKZoBHkRMolb/pubchart?oid=66413591&format=interactive" width="387"></iframe></div><p>The first four days of early voting saw successively higher turnout—growing from 35,873 on Tuesday to 41,265 on Friday—with a dropoff over the weekend, according to the Travis County Clerk's Office.<br/></p><p>As of lunchtime Monday, more than 13,000 people had voted early.</p><p>Six days into the early voting period for the 2016 general election, 180,433 Travis County residents had voted early in person.<br/></p><p>Voter turnout this election is already breaking local records. </p><p>The Travis County Clerk's Office reported 41,265 people voted early in person on Friday, a new local record.</p><p>Additionally, Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir said last week that her office had already received more than 78,000 mail-in ballot applications and expects that number to grow to around 100,000 by the Oct. 29 deadline. In comparison, her office sent out only 27,000 mail-in ballots ahead of the 2016 general election.</p><p>As of Sunday, DeBeauvoir's office had received 35,696 mail-in ballots for tallying.</p><p>In other record-setting news, more than 850,000 Travis County residents—of 97% of eligible voters—registered by the state's Oct. 5 deadline, according to the Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar Bruce Elfant. </p><p>Around 78% of voting age Texans were registered to vote during the 2016 general election, <a href="https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/historical/70-92.shtml" target="_blank">according to the Texas Secretary of State's office</a>. Of those, nearly 60% of registered voters turned out.</p><p>Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. </p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe height="480" src="https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=17x85RnH1fkaaaH7GW091vVUYKsYOwKsq" width="640"></iframe></div><p>The following six sites will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 28; Thursday, Oct. 29; and Friday, Oct. 30:<br/></p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Ben Hur Shrine Center</li><li>Millennium Youth Complex</li><li>PfISD Rock Gym</li><li>South Park Meadows, Suite 400</li><li>South Park Meadows, Suite 500</li><li>Austin Central Library</li></ul><p>Residents can find wait time estimates for each location <a href="https://countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov/elections/wait-time-map.html" target="_blank">here</a>, whether they are registered to vote <a href="https://www.votetravis.com/vexpress/display.do" target="_blank">here</a>, voter identification requirements in Texas <a href="https://countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov/elections/new-voter-id-requirements-for-texas-voters.html" target="_blank">here</a>, their personal ballot <a href="https://countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov/elections/current-election/what-s-on-the-ballot.html" target="_blank">here</a> and some races to watch <a href="https://austonia.com/travis-county-early-voting-2020" target="_self">here</a>.</p><p>Many local businesses are also encouraging voting by offering specials—<a href="https://austonia.com/early-voting-rewards/paprika-atx-one-free-carnitas-taco" target="_self">from a free slice of pizza to a discounted pint</a>—to those who bring in their "I voted" or "Yo voté" sticker. </p>
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(Emma Freer/Austonia)
If Proposition A is approved, it would help fund Project Connect, a transit plan that proposes an underground light rail tunnel at Republic Square.
With early voting underway, Austin residents are already casting their ballots for or against Proposition A, a city property tax rate increase that, if approved, would help pay for Project Connect, a $7.1 billion overhaul of the city's transit system.
<p>The measure has prompted the formation of two political action committees, countless op-eds and <a href="https://austonia.com/austonia-guide-project-connect" target="_blank">our own guide</a>, which answered questions such as: <a href="https://austonia.com/project-connect-taxes" target="_blank">How much will Prop A raise my property tax bill?</a> And: <a href="https://austonia.com/project-connect-budget" target="_blank">How likely is it that the federal government will help pay for Project Connect?</a></p><p>Today, we are publishing a short argument from both sides of the debate.</p><p>Chas Moore, Nora Linares-Moeller, David Foster and Jeremy Hendricks write in support of Prop A. Moore is the executive director of the Austin Justice Coalition. Linares-Moeller is executive director of HousingWorks Austin; she donated $263.47 to the <a href="https://www.transitnowatx.com/" target="_blank">Mobility for All</a> PAC, according to campaign finance reports. Foster is the Texas director of Clean Water Action. Hendricks is a member of the executive board of the Laborers International Union of North America. <span></span></p><p>Jim Skaggs and Roger Falk write in opposition. Skaggs is the chairperson and CEO of the Seattle-based pharmaceutical company Aminex Therapeutics and has donated $14,000 to the anti-Project Connect PAC <a href="https://ourmobilityourfuture.com/" target="_blank">Our Mobility Our Future</a>, according to campaign finance reports. Falk is an analyst with OMOF and volunteers with the Travis County Taxpayers Union, which was founded by former Austin City Council member Don Zimmerman.</p><p><em>Disclaimer: These submissions are the unedited views of both sides of the argument. Claims made have not been fact-checked to give the proponents and opponents a chance to speak their minds freely. </em></p>
Pro: Prop A is a progressive step toward traffic relief, job creation and a greener planet
<p>For such a proudly progressive city, Austin has been spinning its wheels with a transportation system stuck in the past.</p> <p>Our roads-only approach to mobility has resulted in crushing congestion, exacerbated racial and economic inequities, and it keeps paving the way for environmental catastrophe.</p> <p>Congestion-proof light rail will tie together UT, the Capitol, Downtown, South Congress, and the airport, and be supported by rapid bus citywide, new passenger rail in the Eastern Crescent, and more options for suburban commuters. Along with more than a dozen new on-demand neighborhood circulator zones, this complete network will finally provide a viable, scalable, and comprehensive alternative to crammed highways and parking headaches.</p> <p>For Austin's transit-dependent riders — a group that is disproportionately Black, Latino, lower-income, or disabled — Project Connect slashes travel times and expands access to work, school, grocery stores, and health care.</p> <p>Like other vital infrastructure projects, Project Connect will create thousands of jobs and drive billions into our local economy. But Prop A is a distinct departure from the failed model of road-building. This plan preserves neighborhoods and includes a historic $300 million anti-displacement investment that will create and preserve affordable housing so people who rely on transit will still be able to use it. Greater access to high-quality transit will give more households the option to save thousands each year by reducing the number of cars they own.</p> <p>Finally, Prop A represents one of the most consequential steps we can collectively take to prevent climate change. Our transportation system is the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in our community. By electrifying our bus fleet and getting more people to take transit, we can leave a cleaner, greener planet for our children and grandchildren.<br><br>Remember: Project Connect is a long-term investment in Austin's future. Despite misleading exaggerations, it will only increase your total tax bill by about 4 percent. For most residents, that's less than 80 cents per day.</p> <p>Austin's population will grow by 2 million additional people by 2040. We can't afford not to vote for Prop A. It's finally time to move Austin in the right direction.</p>Con: Project Connect is too expensive, especially during a pandemic, and serves too few
<p>PropA proposes the greatest city tax increase in history for ineffective, obsolete trains in Austin; where less than 2% use transit. Transit ridership has not increased in 30 years with spending $8 billion (today$) and population doubling.</p><p>PropA's $144 million/year will not fund Project Connect (PC); many billions in bonds are needed in the next eight years, increasing taxes again. Federal funding is unsubstantiated and doubtful. The Red Line had massive cost overruns, false ridership promises and no federal funding.</p><p>PropA results in a twenty-five percent city tax increase, that grows with appraisals. Promoted as "Regional" transit, this cost is exclusively paid by city property owners/renters.</p><p>80% of this Prop funds $250 million/mile, light rail. At full capacity, this rail's exaggerated ridership serves well less than 1% of regional mobility. All bus elements can be funded without record tax increases. <br><br>This is not a time for useless higher taxes, penalizing struggling businesses, homeowners, and renters. We need to reach a stable economic condition, with COVID-19 under control.<br><br>This pandemic and the possibility of more have placed transit systems in crisis and ridership is down more than 50%. Until transit's future design and capacity is established, investment in contagion vulnerable infrastructure is irresponsible. <br><br>Expansion of work-from-home substantially reduced commuting demand Project Connect hoped to serve. Reduction in traffic and vehicle emissions due to reduced commuting creates many times, 10-15 years earlier, the Project Connect benefits. NO COST TO PROPERTY OWNERS OR RENTERS. <br><br>Mobility is evolving, rail's old technology, will be obsolete before complete. A 17-mph trolley, stopping every other block, isn't "rapid/mass" transit. </p><p>Most growth isn't near trains. Unless you live near trains, access is challenging and time consuming. People won't abandon convenience and utility of personal vehicles for public transit's lost time and inconvenience. </p><p>It shouldn't take millions in propaganda and deceptive promises of congestion relief, jobs, social justice and climate change to sell a good plan.</p><p>This is a taxpayer funded, multi-billion-dollar jackpot for rail special interests and developers. Transit policy should be driven by logistics and need, not politics and greed. <br><br>This rail is an inequitable displacement machine, penalizing low income, working families. The "displacement" $300 million does not exist.<br><br>Some say past neglect justifies action, but this is a disaster plan and would be the most destructive project in Austin's history with years of disruption and pollution; digging up downtown with major impacts on businesses and mobility. <br><br><br></p>From Your Site Articles
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The Austonia guide to Proposition A, the ballot issue that could green-light Project Connect
14 October
(Emma Freer/Austonia)
This Nov. 3, city residents will determine the fate of Proposition A. If approved, it will increase the city's property tax rate by 20% to help fund Project Connect, a 15-year, $7.1 billion overhaul of Austin's public transit system.
<p>The upcoming tax rate election is historic in its scope (and cost). Additionally, the pandemic has raised questions about the long-term future of work-from-home policies and local traffic congestion.</p><p>With early voting starting Tuesday—and less than a month until Election Day—we've rounded up our weeks of coverage on this issue, which answers some big questions.</p>
<p class=""><br/></p>
Where do the two proposed light rail lines included in Project Connect go?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUwNzUwNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NTI4OTQyOX0.VW4J2ak59RQ4HXKRUD0l5cVRxkeVHfdq4XThhKWBZq8/img.jpg?width=980" id="03326" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e9c6dde26ace2bf33422c1e42a057c97" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Capital Metro)
<p>There are two light rail lines included in the "initial investment" under Project Connect.</p><p>The orange line would run approximately 21 miles from the North Lamar Transit Center at North Lamar Boulevard and Hwy. 183 to Stassney Lane. </p><p>The blue line would run approximately 15 miles from the North Lamar Transit Center through downtown and east to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. </p>What is the proposed pathway of the downtown underground tunnel included in the "initial investment" of Project Connect?
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ed7a64edf4c7469ef4c52cd438b2d0f9"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OLZM_FXO8Bw?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>The tunnel proposal is still being developed, but preliminary maps show its rough pathway is south from 11th and Guadalupe streets to Republic Square; east along 4th Street to the Downtown Station, which is between Trinity and Red River streets; and north along Trinity to 12th Street. </p><p>The tunnel would also continue south from the Downtown Station to the Mexican-American Cultural Center on Rainey Street, where <a href="https://capmetro.org/uploadedFiles/New2016/ProjectConnect/Maps/Project-Connect-Initial-Investment-ServiceLevelMap-JUN2020-06.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">one of the proposed light rail lines</a> would then progress above ground across Lady Bird Lake to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.</p>How much will Project connect raise my taxes?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0MzY5My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDU0ODc5OH0.Bb3tQZywQmgcH68kY8yu-OAWDLZpYqbNSVRDrqElfZo/img.jpg?width=980" id="f7a4b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="60d37608ff79427307c54073e3dc81fb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Emma Freer/Austonia)
<p>If approved, Proposition A would lead to a 20% increase to the city of Austin's property tax rate. It's important to note, however, that city property owners also pay property taxes to other entities, including Austin ISD, Travis County, Austin Community College and Central Health. If Proposition A is approved, city residents would see their overall property tax bill increase by around 4% because of Project Connect. Those who live outside the city limits will not be impacted.</p>Who are the supporters and opponents of Project Connect?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzE0NTU4NS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTQ5NzA1OX0.AA-vfwvtLm4EUj0lU8-qmISE2AXq8kwsHDEx_38yxAQ/img.png?width=980" id="c9313" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="eda9a03551c6ec179ed7265290ae5334" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Capital Metro)<p><a href="https://www.transitnowatx.com/" target="_blank">Mobility for All</a>, a recently formed political action committee that supports Proposition A, represents a broad coalition of community advocates and elected officials, including all 10 members of Austin City Council, Mayor Steve Adler, the Austin Chamber of Commerce, the Austin Tech Alliance, Environment Texas and the Travis County Democratic Party.</p><p>But there is also vocal opposition to the project, spearheaded by two groups: the <a href="https://ourmobilityourfuture.com/" target="_blank">Our Mobility Our Future</a> PAC and advocacy group <a href="https://voicesofaustin.org/" target="_blank">Voices of Austin</a>.</p><p>Both argue that Project Connect is too expensive—the median homeowner will see a $317 increase to their tax bill this year, if it is approved—and that the city is overpromising to voters what it can realistically achieve.</p>How feasible is Project Connect's $7.1 billion price tag?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ2MzY0NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDcxOTI5OX0.olzOHmpDmRGR6xt72VwGSmM0N7Lh5aIZv8hFZ6hYwZE/img.jpg?width=980" id="320ea" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6533f94f72c870c7bb65d282a600a763" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Emma Freer/Austonia)
<p>Capital Metro and city officials say federal funding is very likely to come through if voters approve Proposition A. But opponents have raised concerns about their claims, and U.S. Rep Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, said such funding likely hinges on the political affiliations of the president. </p>How will Project Connect affect transit ridership?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ3MDQxOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTgxNTk1Nn0.oJL95e0l297Jskc5wYttYtgv3dnDAS9rOqDQK8BJ1N4/img.jpg?width=980" id="c5e04" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8d80e0ea1185f1fbb5a08fd23161d22d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Emma Freer/Austonia)
<p>Capital Metro expects that Project Connect will lead to <u><a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=341871" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a tripling of its ridership</a>.</u> And Dr. Chandra Bhat, director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Texas at Austin, said such increased capacity will be needed given Austin's unabated population growth. </p><p>But critics of Project Connect dispute these ridership projections, arguing that anyone with the option to drive will choose to do so and pointing to a drop in ridership since the pandemic.</p>How does the pandemic affect Project Connect?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ3NzQyOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1ODcwODM5OX0.CW_WNpESIADFyrX6Ki58IilcgijVrWWusKdzDYjrCrQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="440c9" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b0d7fb99b1cdc63e474df0a8669263a2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Emma Freer/Austonia)
<p>Like most issues surrounding the transit plan, supporters and opponents have diverging takes on this one.</p><p>Supporters stress that Project Connect, if built, will help make Austin a more equitable city, both by expanding transit infrastructure and allocating <a href="https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/transportation/2020/07/27/austin-moves-forward-with-phased-in-project-connect-plan-including-300-million-to-prevent-displacement/" target="_blank">$300 million in funding for anti-displacement initiatives</a>.</p><p>But opponents say it is unconscionable to propose a tax rate increase when so many Austinites are struggling financially because of the pandemic. They also argue that the new work-from-home policies should be factored into ridership expectations. </p>Why is there $300 million in anti-displacement funding included in the Project Connect plan?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDUwODQwOC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNzU1ODk5MX0.tOMLWOZRwP05-mPNBDEAkz4j_UuGqMw-CrFarbgKIbE/img.jpg?width=980" id="9c564" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a6d8f9ade016fe7656d06e1eb2c2665f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Emma Freer/Austonia)<p>Proponents of Project Connect say it will help make Austin a more equitable city by ensuring residents have access to an affordable and comprehensive transit system. But past transit initiatives suggest that the project could deepen the fault lines it hopes to address, which is why Austin City Council has allocated $300 million in anti-displacement initiatives under the proposed plan. </p>Why did Capital Metro cut nearly $3 billion from the Project Connect proposal in July?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQwNzMxMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzIxNzU2OX0.BGvaCYItlntuxtYFQQ_7Yj_-r8AL4RqBXJQnYwc4vO4/img.jpg?width=980" id="5cf66" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4b2b7e5ff488e8d654a5359f20d4f560" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Capital Metro)<p>Capital Metro debuted an updated Project Connect proposal in June, which included nearly $3 billion in cuts in light of the pandemic. The changes included shortening the proposal Orange light rail line and replacing the proposed Gold light rail line with MetroRapid service. As a result, the proposed increase to the city of Austin's property tax rate fell from 11 cents to 8.75 cents. </p>How much has Capital Metro spent on Project Connect ads?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ2MzY2OS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMzc3MjE2OX0.v-18rZ_jMCG2IHzIOVKmsnpwoKmenOPB9NRNqpxLbME/img.jpg?width=980" id="6ac47" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="5c409911d60927a8f8a553fe9ab36529" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Capital Metro)<p>Jenna Maxfield, a spokesperson for Capital Metro, wrote in an email to Austonia that the agency is required by the Federal Transit Administration to advertise public meetings and "create educational messages," which it does by paying for sponsored content on area news sites. In FY 2020, which ended Oct. 1, Capital Metro anticipates it spent $1.1 million on such messaging; the agency is still tallying its September expenses.</p>What was the context around Project Connect before the pandemic hit?
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzM4NjEyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMDU2ODUyOX0.oUiGfMuAb3K2Wc3ENtjc3Zf_PvWxP-C0A6S44kVk0Ps/img.jpg?width=980" id="96f10" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="2beeea340e282e876028bb9ff301fa82" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />(Capital Metro)
<p>Ben Wear, who covered transportation for the Austin American-Statesman for 15 years, wrote about why Capital Metro and its supporters had "the wind at their backs" before the pandemic hit and why COVID-19 has made their pathway to victory murkier. </p>From Your Site Articles
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(Emma Freer/Austonia)
Past transit invesment, including the building of I-35, displaced Austinites.
On Nov. 3, Austin residents will vote on Proposition A. If approved, it will increase the city's property tax rate by around 20% to help pay for Project Connect, a $7.1 billion overhaul of the local transit system.
<p>Proponents say the plan will help make Austin <a href="https://austonia.com/project-connect-pandemic" target="_self">a more equitable city</a> by ensuring residents have access to an affordable and comprehensive transit system. </p><p>But past transit initiatives suggest that the project could deepen the fault lines it hopes to address, which is why Austin City Council has allocated $300 million for anti-displacement initiatives under the Project Connect proposal.</p><p><strong>The broken spoke </strong></p><p><strong></strong>District 1 Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison told Austonia that the pandemic has magnified infrastructural failures and exposed disparities in health care, education and transit access.</p><p>"Multiple generations of disinvestment have to be reconciled," she said. </p><p>Although Project Connect provides a chance for the city to catch up, it could also lead to some unintended consequences. </p><p>In other U.S. cities, transit investment has accelerated gentrification and displacement. </p><p>Researchers at the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University found that the "predominant pattern" of neighborhood change following transit investment was "one in which housing becomes more expensive, neighborhood residents become wealthier and vehicle ownership becomes more common," according to <a href="https://www.reimaginerpe.org/files/TRN_Equity_final%282%29.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a 2010 report</a>. </p><p>Some Austinites have seen this happen in their own backyards. </p><p>The construction of MoPac in 1971 led to the destruction of nearly one-third of the homes in Clarksville, <a href="https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/baylor-mary-frances-freeman" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">one of the earliest freedmen's communities</a> established west of the Mississippi and, during segregation, <a href="http://www.clarksvillecdc.org/clarksville-under-threat" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">one of the few remaining Black neighborhoods</a> west of Interstate-35. </p><p>Similarly, the building of I-35 in the 1960s "both displaced existing Black communities and reinforced the de facto and de jure segregation of Austin" codified in the city's 1928 master plan, <a href="https://austinjustice.org/ajcs-guide-to-project-connect/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">according to the Austin Justice Coalition</a>.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><div style="overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%;position:relative;height:0;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" src="https://texashistory.unt.edu/media/assets/public/js/vendor/universal-viewer/uv.html#?manifest=/ark:/67531/metapth124769/manifest/&c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=0&config=https://texashistory.unt.edu/media/assets/public/js/vendor/universal-viewer/aubrey-config.json&locales=&xywh=" style="left:0;top:0;height:100%;width:100%;position:absolute;"></iframe></div></div><p>As a result, there is concern that, if implemented, Project Connect could worsen Austin's affordability crisis and deepen the inequities it aims to rectify.<br/></p><p>"Once this is approved in November … the speculation of real estate is going to happen instantaneously, almost over night," said Steven Pedigo, director of the LBJ Urban Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. </p><p><strong>The alternate route </strong></p><p>Aware of this likelihood and the precedent of past transit investment, Austin City Council worked to ensure the Project Connect budget includes $300 million in anti-displacement funds to be spent over the next 10 to 13 years on things such as:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>The construction or development of new affordable housing,</li><li>Preservation, repair and rehabilitation of existing affordable housing,</li><li>Financial assistance for homeowners,</li><li>Home repair,</li><li>Rental subsidies</li><li>And right to return assistance.</li></ul><p>"If it's after the fact, we've missed the boat," District 5 Council Member and Capital Metro Board Member Ann Kitchen said at an Aug. 7 meeting. </p><p>Dr. Yingling Fan is a professor at the University of Minnesota who has researched the effects of light rail development in Minnesota's Twin Cities. In 2012, she co-authored a report that looked at neighborhood change induced by new transit corridors, including gentrification and displacement.</p><p>"My opinion is we need to be aware of the potential impacts," Fan said, "but there is a lot of opportunity for government agencies to work with neighborhood organizations to ensure affordable housing supply is protected."</p><p>Austin Mayor Steve Adler and others have stressed that no city has done as much as Austin proposes to with Project Connect to offset displacement. </p><p>Harper-Madison pointed to the city of Denver, which established its Transit-Oriented Development Fund in 2010 with an initial investment of $15 million—or 5% of what Austin plans to allocate.</p><p>"We're going to be the gold standard," she told Austonia. </p><p><strong>The next stop </strong><br/></p><p>But some community members have raised concerns that the funding <a href="https://austonia.com/project-connect-budget" target="_self">will not come through</a> or, if it does, not achieve its stated aim. </p><p>David King, speaking as a long-time resident of the Zilker neighborhood, worries that Project Connect is "a perfect storm for displacement" and that $300 million is inadequate to prevent what is coming down the tracks. (He is also a member of the city's zoning and platting commission.) </p><p>"I don't think the city is as committed to preventing displacement as it could be," King told Austonia, adding that he would like to see more concrete parameters for how such funding will be allocated and demands on developers who build near transit stations.</p><p>In response to such concerns, council members established a <a href="https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=346733" target="_blank">"contract with voters</a>" that ensures the city will create neighborhood-level strategies with community members, develop an equity assessment tool and publicly track the progress of its anti-displacement initiatives. </p><p>Yasmine Smith is a co-chair of the local nonprofit People United for Mobility Action, which works to ensure every Austinite has access to safe, affordable and convenient transit options. She has been heartened by the city's commitment to equity in developing Project Connect and believes the contract with voters will ensure the anti-displacement funding is put to best use. </p><p>"I like to analogize it to gumbo," Smith said. "Right now, we're in the roux stage. We've made a good roux, a great base, with the legal binding documents."</p><p>If Proposition A is approved by voters, it will take a long time "to get the tenderness of the meat just right," but Smith said she will be at the stovetop, stirring away.</p><p><strong>More on Project Connect:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/project-connect-taxes" target="_self">Austonia answers: How much will Project Connect raise my taxes?</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ0MzY5My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDU0ODc5OH0.Bb3tQZywQmgcH68kY8yu-OAWDLZpYqbNSVRDrqElfZo/img.jpg?width=980" id="f7a4b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b7d86f77c8e859a3f9378f3d6a9d003e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />How much will Project connect raise my taxes?(Emma Freer/Austonia)
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(Emma Freer/Austonia)
Austin voters will soon determine the fate of Project Connect, a 15-year, $7.1 billion overhaul of the city's transit system. Although it has been in development since 2013, the plan is still opaque to some residents, who have questions about what it might mean for their neighborhoods—and their wallets.
<p>This week, Austonia will be answering some questions, ranging from the cost of the plan to the projected ridership. Each day, we'll tackle a new one. So far, we've answered: </p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><a href="http://www.austonia.com/project-connect-taxes" target="_blank">How much will Proposition A raise my taxes if approved?</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.austonia.com/project-connect-budget" target="_blank">How feasible is Project Connect's $7.1 billion price tag?</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.austonia.com/project-connect-advertising" target="_blank">How much has Capital Metro spent on advertising Project Connect and who is funding the groups that oppose it?</a> <strong> </strong></li><li><a href="http://www.austonia.com/project-connect/ridership" target="_blank">How will Project Connect affect transit ridership?</a> </li></ul><p>Today's question, our final installment in this week's series, is: <strong>How does the pandemic affect Project Connect? </strong></p><p>Like most issues surrounding the transit plan, supporters and opponents have diverging takes on this one.</p><p>Supporters stress that Project Connect, if built, will help make Austin a more equitable city, both by expanding transit infrastructure and allocating <a href="https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/transportation/2020/07/27/austin-moves-forward-with-phased-in-project-connect-plan-including-300-million-to-prevent-displacement/" target="_blank">$300 million in funding for anti-displacement initiatives</a>. </p><p>Austin Mayor Steve Adler has emphasized the importance of transit for essential workers, who may rely on it to get to their jobs at grocery stores, schools, hospitals and construction sites.</p><p>"I think people want us to do this project because they want something done about traffic; they want something done about the environment; they want something to stop the fatalities and actually address mobility equity for essential workers," he told Austonia during a phone interview last month.</p><p>In March, Capital Metro CEO Randy Clarke sent a letter to the Texas Congressional Delegation urging it to support federal coronavirus relief funding as a job creator.<br/></p><p>"Capital Metro is uniquely ready for additional investments should there be funds to apply for recovery actions," he wrote, adding that the agency had plans to expand the local transit system via Project Connect. "With Federal support, these projects make ideal public works initiatives that can put thousands of people to work quickly."</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e75c6b648e62678136a85e99100efc81" id="c584d"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1240380123649658880"><div style="margin:1em 0">The #COVID19 crisis will hit transit agencies hard. We’re asking our Congressional Delegation to consider financial… https://t.co/5QrvPYjpye</div> — Capital Metro (@Capital Metro)<a href="https://twitter.com/CapMetroATX/statuses/1240380123649658880">1584564641.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Bay Scoggin, director of the left-of-center Texas Public Interest Research Group, is also optimistic about Proposition A. In testimony before council and public statements, he has stressed its appeal to students looking for more transit options and Austinites concerned about climate change.<br/></p><p>"I think one of the biggest takeaways from the primary runoff election was a historic turnout from the youth vote," he told council members in August, "and we should expect that same turnout come November."</p><p>Not everyone sees it this way.</p><p>Gerald Daugherty is a Travis County commissioner, <a href="https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/project-connect/project-connect-voting-capmetro-austin-travis-county-commissioner-november-2020-election/269-5568d013-64d1-4cd9-9f5e-014d342e78f1" target="_blank"><u>long-time transit opponent</u></a> and major donor to Our Mobility Our Future, a political action committee that opposes Project Connect. He argued that raising people's property taxes during a period of such financial uncertainty is yet another reason to vote against Proposition A.</p><p>"People are trying to figure out if they're even going to have a job this time next year," he said. "The pandemic has just murdered businesses."</p><p>Ultimately, city council chose to approve a scaled-back version of the Project Connect plan, shaving around $3 billion off an earlier proposal. But after nearly a decade of development, its members chose not to delay it amid the pandemic.</p><p>Additionally, the pandemic has led to wide swaths of the local population working from home, which <a href="https://austonia.com/project-connect-ridership" target="_blank">opponents say</a> makes ridership projections uncertain. </p><p>The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority <a href="https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?u=ef298267074af4354bbc2a623&id=ddfde02264#SURVEY" target="_blank">recently released</a> the results of its first online survey about post-pandemic travel. More than 900 Texans participated, nearly two-thirds of whom reside in Travis County. Sixty-five percent reported they believe they will work from home at least some of the time after the pandemic subsides. </p><p>But CTRMA also cites data indicating that congestion relief precipitated by the pandemic is short-lived. According to Texas Department of Transportation data, Austin saw traffic cut in half around March and April. By July, however, it was back to around 80% of its pre-pandemic levels. </p><p>Despite the pandemic, voter turnout is <a href="https://austonia.com/city/5-lessons-learned-election" target="_blank">expected to break records this election</a>, and Adler is hopeful voters make it down to the proposition portion of their ballots.</p><p>"There's probably no perfect time to hold an election," he said. </p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe frameborder="0" height="555" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQhpalG3Zrg3iPKaptNnPD-4KhmdgvXTG-r9awFJ3QsszwjA/viewform?embedded=true" width="640">Loading&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;hellip;</iframe></div>
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Tesla's Battery Day event Sept. 22. (Tesla)
Tesla plans to operate a cell-manufacturing unit to produce the battery packs that power its cars at its Austin factory, according to filings with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
<p>It's unclear whether the electric carmaker intends to make the cells at its <a href="https://austonia.com/tesla-gigfactory-site-plan" target="_self">forthcoming 2,100-acre Gigafactory in Southeast Travis County</a> or <a href="https://www.statesman.com/business/20200925/tesla-adding-to-land-holdings-for-austin-factory" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the adjacent 381-acre plot </a>it recently purchased, as reported by <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2020/10/07/is-tesla-planning-more-than-car-manufacturing.html?ana=TRUEANTHEMTWT_AU&csrc=6398&taid=5f7eaae17a8d1200010adfb2&utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the Austin Business Journal</a>. </p><p>Tesla executives announced the company will begin producing a new "tabless" battery in-house for its cost benefits and energy improvements <a href="https://austonia.com/tesla-austin-new-car" target="_self">at its Sept. 22 Battery Day event</a>.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="faabf3cd0d2ee6e193c3cd7a920cea3e" id="1994a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1308435127987515393"><div style="margin:1em 0">Giga Texas could build batteries onsite in Austin for your future Tesla Model 3/Y/Cybertruck & 18 Wheeler.
Today we… https://t.co/NFfXT2qxgE</div> — Austin Tesla Club (@Austin Tesla Club)<a href="https://twitter.com/AustinTeslaClub/statuses/1308435127987515393">1600790218.0</a></blockquote></div><p>The company currently sources its batteries from Panasonic, where <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/22/21449238/tesla-electric-car-battery-tabless-cells-day-elon-musk" target="_blank">cell shortages</a> have led to production delays for Tesla.<br/></p><p>CEO Elon Musk and other executives said this new battery product will eventually halve the company's cost per kilowatt-hour, the unit of energy commonly used to measure the capacity of electric vehicle battery packs, and enable the production of an affordable, autonomous electric vehicle in three years' time.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe allowfullscreen="" aria-hidden="false" frameborder="0" height="450" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m14!1m8!1m3!1d44742.85252877!2d-97.616619!3d30.229023!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x8644b75ba3b47c31%3A0x729bb90d7d737f1!2sHarold%20Green%20Rd%2C%20Texas%2078725!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1602170013916!5m2!1sen!2sus" style="border:0;" tabindex="0" width="600"></iframe></div><p>Construction is well underway at the Austin Gigafactory site, which is near the intersection of SH 130 and SH 71. </p><p>The first substantial completion, or construction milestone, is <a href="https://austonia.com/tesla-gigfactory-site-plan" target="_self">scheduled for the spring</a> with the full factory expected to be up and running by the end of 2021.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="a3bcfae81d71427f71e6a657d7bd6ef9" style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="auto" type="lazy-iframe" scrolling="no" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5w46XttA_Yw?rel=0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" width="100%"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">New Tesla Gigafactory site in Austin, Texas - YouTube</small>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w46XttA_Yw&feature=emb_logo" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p>As proposed, the factory will provide at least 5,000 jobs, not including the thousands of construction workers who will build the facility.<br/></p><p>In addition to batteries, the Gigafactory will also produce its <a href="https://austonia.com/future/tesla-cybertruck" target="_self">Cybertruck pickup</a> and Model Y SUV. </p><p>There has <a href="https://www.builtinaustin.com/2020/07/23/tesla-austin-gigafactory-confirmed-hiring" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">also been chatter</a> that Tesla may consider relocating its headquarters to Texas from California, where Musk has <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/05/10/elon-musks-latest-fight-with-alameda-county-follows-familiar-path/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">clashed with county officials</a> over coronavirus orders. </p><p>Musk announced Austin would be home to the next Gigafactory <a href="https://austonia.com/technology/tesla-coming-to-austin" target="_self">in late July</a>, after a competitive selection process that saw <a href="https://austonia.com/technology/tesla-factory-austin-2646383822" target="_self">Del Valle ISD</a> and <a href="https://austonia.com/business/austin-gigafactory" target="_self">Travis County</a> offer the company tax rebates for building the factory in their jurisdictions.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>More on Tesla:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/tesla-austin-new-car" target="_self">Tesla announces plans for a $25K vehicle</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQzMTYyNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTg5OTM2MH0.LoHfB9dg4R5GE1E4whjLB4SNIXkE94WhsqAGF83Bfps/img.png?width=980" id="4009b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="16a7b2c3da150ee74f9a74c74964038d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Tesla announces plans for a $25K vehicle
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(NYSE)
Austin-area company Hyliion rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange this week in recognition of going public.
<p>Hyliion, the Cedar Park-based auto parts maker that helps freight trucks become hybrid or electric, merged with <a href="https://www.tortoisespac.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Tortoise Acquisition Corp.</a>, a special-purpose acquisition company already traded publicly. The new company maintains the Hyliion name—also reflected in the new stock market ticker symbol, <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=hyln&oq=hyln&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l6j69i60.3093j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">HYLN</a>. </p><p>"The completion of our merger greatly accelerates Hyliion's growth plans and unlocks the potential value of our business," CEO and founder Thomas Healy said <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201001006126/en/Hyliion-Inc.-and-Tortoise-Acquisition-Corp.-Announce-Closing-of-Business-Combination-Hyliion-to-Trade-on-the-NYSE-under-%E2%80%9CHYLN%E2%80%9D" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">in a statement</a>. "The future of commercial trucking demands reduced carbon emissions and more sustainable transportation options."</p><p>The merger was first announced in June and approved in late September. Hyliion received $560 million as part of the deal. </p><p>Healy, personally rang the bell to open up NYSE markets, which peaked at $43.10 per share earlier in the week before dropping sharply the rest of the week; Thursday the markets opened with HYLN stock trading at $29.40 per share. Under Tortoise Acquisition Corp. in late September its stock peaked at $53.51 per share following news of the merger with Hyliion.</p>
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<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3c21ca0d4f5d8fc3dbc7712ff448cf7e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="25243" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDQ3NjMxNS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxMjg0MzIzMH0.GvFGahgT2OfKz4UFZW6lKy6htmSU3b4jAWj19K-4S8E/img.png?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Hyliion)</small></p>
<p>Healy, 28, is on track to become the country's youngest self-made billionaire as part of the merger, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherhelman/2020/09/25/as-electric-truck-startup-hyliion-goes-public-founder-is-set-to-be-americas-youngest-self-made-billionaire/#5cb2475115c9" target="_blank">according to <em>Forbes</em></a>. As part of <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1759631/000121390020025540/defm14a_tortoiseacq.htm" target="_blank">public SEC filings</a>, it was revealed that Healy maintained the biggest control of the company, 22.9%, equating to nearly $1.5 billion in value as of late September when the deal was finalized.<br/></p><p>"He may not be as slick as the other billionaire electric truck impresarios Elon Musk or Nikola's disgraced former CEO Trevor Milton, but Healy has one up on both Tesla and Nikola when it comes to getting revolutionary tech onto the road," <em>Forbes</em> author Christopher Helman wrote about the Hyliion executive.</p><p>Healy <a href="https://www.statesman.com/business/20201006/electric-trucking-company-hyliion-goes-public-through-merger" target="_blank">told the <em>Austin American-Statesman</em></a> that his company primarily serves large company fleets in the long-haul trucking industry using equipment that either offsets or replaces energy normally generated by fuel. </p><p>Hyliion currently employs about 70 people, with plans to have at least 220 employees by 2022, according to the <em>Statesman</em>, as part of an economic development package with Cedar Park.</p><p><strong>More on electric cars:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/real-estate/tesla-austin-development" target="_self">What the Tesla factory means for mixed-use development already underway in Southeast Austin</a></h2>
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