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Does anyone have an idea what the cost differences are (construction & operational) between the gigafactory having a large footprint with few floors (I believe it has 3 operational floors) vs building higher with a smaller footprint?
I don't have any exact numbers when it comes to building up vs out. But I can show that the Gigafactory is at its current height already quite tall and that if they build even higher the cost of digging a deeper foundation becomes very expensive due to reaching seriously tough bedrock. Additionally the earthquake zone makes buildings of considerable height a immense engineering challenge (swaying becomes a bigger issue). Also they are not lacking in terms of land to (Cheaply) build out on.
Heres a good photo of the Gigafactory height (before the Gigafactory footprint doubled to its current state)
It will also depend on the weight bearing requirements of the floors. Easy to build on ground floor something that can support very heavy equipments, trucks, etc.
Lots of heavy equipment, and it takes a lot more energy to move stuff up than it does to push something along ground floor. The gigafactory intends to be carbon neutral, and if you're building up that's going to be a lot more energy wasted moving product and materials around. Also raw materials go in one side, and finished goods go out the opposite end. And last but not least, earthquakes.
Land in that part of Nevada isn't exactly in short supply, why go to the trouble/expense?
The old Reno-Fernely Raceway road course is just over the ridge to the East, they should pick it up for a song as a test track as it really is a great/fun course!
If you have the land it's cheaper to build wide than it is tall. Also, a bigger footprint means more space for Solar panels I would think vs. the same skyward-facing surface area per work area ratio of building taller.