FREMONT — Tesla Motors has proposed construction of 4.6 million square feet of new space next to its electric vehicle factory in Fremont, a move that could create 3,100 new jobs and would nearly double the size of its existing auto plant.

“The proposed master plan contemplates construction of approximately 4.6 million square

feet of new structures to support additional automobile production” by Tesla, according to documents prepared for a Fremont Planning Commission meeting on Oct. 13.

All told, Tesla is considering the construction of 11 buildings sprinkled next to or near its cavernous factory for production of electric vehicles.

Palo Alto-based Tesla currently employs about 6,200 people in its Fremont auto factory. The existing complex totals 5.3 million square feet of production and office space.

“Tesla has been experiencing tremendous growth, which is great for our economy here,” said Kelly Kline, Fremont’s economic development director.

It wasn’t clear, though, how soon the expansion might begin, nor was there any certainty about the pace of construction of the new buildings.

Still, the plan represents a potentially vast expansion of production and hiring activity at the vehicle factory complex in Fremont.

At present, Tesla employs about 6,200 people in the Fremont car factory. The plan would enable the company to hire 3,100 employees for a total future workforce of 9,100.

Tesla now is producing about 104,000 cars a year at the Fremont plant, based on a June estimate of making about 2,000 a week.

Under Tesla’s new proposal, the expanded plant, at full capacity, could produce 500,000 vehicles a year.

“This master plan gives Tesla a chance to plan their needs out over time,” Kline said. “They are not committed to do any or all of it.”

Each of the buildings being proposed would be large in their own right.

“Most of the new floor area would consist of warehouse uses associated with the primary use of the site for automobile manufacturing,” according to the documents prepared for the planning commission’s meeting.

The biggest building would total 954,000 square feet, and the smallest would be roughly 118,000 square feet in size.

Most of the new square footage, according to the proposal, would consist of warehouse space.

At present, Tesla employs about 4,200 workers on its day shift at the factory and 2,000 in the evening shift. The expanded operation would have 9,300 workers. However, it hasn’t been determined how any would be assigned to the respective shifts.

In another example of the ramp-up in production if the expansion goes ahead, Tesla at present handles about 158 truck deliveries a day. The growth proposal would bring about 1,000 trucks a day to the site, the planning documents show.

“Tesla has announced a new vehicle model, the Model 3, and has a need to expand their current facility,” according to the city documents.

The maker of electric vehicles established its first presence in the old NUMMI auto factory in the fall of 2010, delivered its first car in the summer of 2012 and ramped up production through the end of that year.

Over the 12 months that ended in June, Tesla lost $1.13 billion on revenue of $4.57 billion.

“Tesla is an important part of our economy in Fremont,” Kline said. “We are pleased that they can accommodate solid plans for their growth here.”