Truckloads of Tesla Batteries Keep Getting Stolen Before They Leave the Factory

- Tesla is dealing with a recurring theft problem where entire truckloads of its high-voltage EV batteries are stolen before they even leave the factory (Giga Texas, near Austin). The batteries are worth tens of thousands of dollars each, making each stolen load extremely valuable on the black market. - The thefts are reportedly inside jobs: employees or contractors use factory knowledge to smuggle batteries out, often hiding them in other shipments or using fake paperwork. Some are sold online or to independent repair shops that service Teslas outside the official network. - This highlights a growing challenge for EV makers: batteries are expensive, hard to track once removed from a vehicle, and in high demand for repairs and conversions. It's a security problem specific to the EV era — stealing a gas tank or engine is far less common because they are less portable and valuable. - Elon Musk has publicly acknowledged the issue, and Tesla has added security measures, but the problem persists due to the sheer volume of batteries moving through the factory and the difficulty of verifying every outgoing shipment.