SpaceX Spent $329M on Tesla Megapacks as AI Costs Climbed

SpaceX significantly boosted its purchases of Tesla Megapack battery systems as its AI data center expenses surged, expanding its power infrastructure. The aerospace firm allocated $329 million on Tesla Megapack battery systems in the first half of 2026, a six-month total that represented 65% of the $506 million SpaceX spent on Megapacks throughout 2025, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.

Second-quarter spending alone jumped to $295 million, up from $34 million in the first quarter. The increase underscores the growing cost of AI infrastructure, as data centers require electrical systems capable of swiftly adapting to the power demands of thousands of chips. In a related-party transaction, SpaceX acquired xAI at the start of 2026, now reporting AI as one of its three operating segments.

Research and development costs in that segment grew by $2.53 billion in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, with $1.74 billion of the rise attributed to infrastructure and cloud computing expenses connected to data center expansions. Megapacks can store electricity for use during high demand periods, provide short-term backup power, and stabilize fluctuations in a facility's electrical load.

The U.S. Department of Energy describes AI data centers as large, dynamic loads that can cause frequent swings in electricity demand. These characteristics make battery storage valuable even when a facility has access to the grid or its own generators. The batteries can react more rapidly than many generation sources when demand changes unexpectedly.

While SpaceX and xAI have been expanding renewable energy sources, the Megapacks must be charged before they can supply power back to a data center. The filing shows how quickly the power component of AI projects can grow, emphasizing the importance of electricity supply, storage, and grid connections in determining when computing capacity is ready for use.