The Tesla Model Ys manufactured in Berlin currently do not have an essential component that comes from the same factory: the battery. Currently imported from Asia, they could be quickly produced locally, which would be sooner than originally planned.
Tesla’s European gigafactory, located in Berlin, has been producing vehicles for Europe since spring 2022. More specifically, it is the Tesla Model Y Performance and Grande Autonomie that are being built there, with the hope of eventually being able to produce other models. If the bodywork and interior elements are well made on site, that is not the case for the moment with the battery pack, which is imported. But that could change quickly.
A production that has just begun
According to Minister for Economic Affairs Jörg Steinbach, production of the first drum components has started in the gigafactory in berlin. This information follows his visit to the factory in the first half of February, broadcast by the German media Moz and rbb24.
At the moment, the factory only makes some components individually, not complete battery packs. The equipment necessary for the manufacture of battery packs has also been moved to the factory in Fremont, California last fall. This follows the change in legislation related to federal aid that requires manufacturers to produce everything on site.
New batteries for Europe?
While 4680 format cells are not yet integrated into Berlin-built Tesla Model Ys, that could change once production lines are upgraded. At the moment, only electric SUVs rolling out of the Gigafactory in Austin, Texas benefit from the manufacturer’s revolutionary cells.
The progress of production in Berlin is closely scrutinized by those concerned, because these new batteries promise significant advances. For customers on the one hand, with more autonomy and greater fast charging power, but also for investors. Through these cells, Tesla could lower its production costs a little moreand therefore increase your gross margin.
Last fall, Tesla announced that it wanted to increase the volume of vehicles produced a year in Berlin from 500,000 to more than a million, a sign that its goals are enormous for this first European factory.
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