Tesla is ramping up hiring as it moves forward with founder Elon Musk’s newly announced ambition to make the company the largest U.S. manufacturer of solar energy components.
Senior executives have taken to LinkedIn to promote what Musk last month described as a goal to establish 100 gigawatts of domestic solar production capacity. The target, which Musk had not previously attached to a timeline, now appears set for completion before the end of 2028, according to a job posting on Tesla’s website.
“This is an audacious, ambitious project,” wrote Seth Winger, Tesla’s senior manager for solar products engineering, in one of several posts encouraging engineers and scientists to apply.
“We need audacious, ambitious engineers and scientists to help us grow to massive scale. If you want to solve tough manufacturing problems at breakneck speed and help the U.S. break through on renewable energy generation, come join us,” he added.
A listing for a solar manufacturing development engineer states that Tesla aims to “deploy 100GW of solar manufacturing from raw materials on American soil before the end of 2028.”
Other executives, including Director of Engineering Ralf Gomm and Bonne Eggleston, vice president overseeing battery cell manufacturing, have also highlighted the hiring push.
The renewed focus on solar comes as Tesla’s electric vehicle sales show signs of slowing. Last week, the company unveiled a new solar panel being produced at its factory in Buffalo, New York. Chinese media have also reported that delegations sent by Musk visited several solar companies in China this week.
It remains unclear where the planned 100 gigawatts of production capacity would be located.
“We have not yet engaged with Tesla,” said Pamm Lent, a spokesperson for Empire State Development, New York’s economic development agency, in an emailed statement.
Musk has argued that solar power combined with batteries represents the most effective way to add large amounts of electricity to the grid, particularly as demand rises from data centres tied to the expansion of artificial intelligence.
His stance contrasts with that of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has criticised renewable energy as costly and inefficient and has moved to reduce clean energy subsidies.