Recently, Tesla's Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany, was officially approved for operation. After two years of mileage, Tesla's third gigafactory in the world (Tesla's second factory overseas) has finally ushered in the delivery of the first vehicles. To this end, Musk flew to Germany early, handed over the keys to the owner of the first Model Y, and even danced on the spot. The gigafactory, which will invest up to $5 billion, will have an annual output of 500,000 vehicles in the future.
Tesla's German factory was completed two years late, musk showed off his dance, and the scene was full of joy
At 15:00 local time on March 22, Tesla's giga Berlin-Brandenburg, a super factory in Berlin, Germany, was officially put into operation.
If the process from construction to operation of Tesla's second overseas super battery factory is "ill-fated", it is not exaggerated at all. Because as early as two years ago, Tesla had already begun to break ground in Berlin, Germany, which is not counting the longer time of planning and preparation. But after several postponements, as well as a review by the German local authorities, it finally ushered in the official launch of 2022 after two years. This is an important milestone for both Tesla and Musk.
It is understood that this is Tesla's first European production center, and it is also the largest investment in Germany by foreign companies in recent years - it is expected to be 5 billion euros or 5.5 billion US dollars.
To this end, Tesla CEO Elon Musk flew to Germany before the factory started, preparing for the grand launch ceremony. Musk also said on social media that he is "pleased to hand over the first Berlin Giga Berlin-Brandenburg-made car tomorrow."
The factory is located in Grünheide, 25 miles east of downtown Berlin, and at the launch ceremony at 15:00 on the 22nd, the scene has become a joyful event. After all, for every Tesla employee and German Tesla owner, this is a long-awaited moment.
According to live photos shared by foreign media, graffiti art was displayed on the main wall of Tesla's Berlin factory.
At the delivery ceremony, the first Model Y model, the GIGA 2022, was delivered at the Berlin plant in Germany. This is tesla's first mass-produced model in Germany, Musk is the first owner, and tesla employees delivered the car keys. The excited owner also shared his feelings on social media (we'll bring reports of what owners are sharing later).
According to media reports, at the opening ceremony of Tesla's Berlin factory on Tuesday, a number of heavyweights were present: Tesla CEO Musk, German Chancellor Olaf Scholes, Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Hubbeck and other senior federal and local officials.
In the face of the belated start, Musk and Tesla employees are extremely excited, Musk even showed his dance posture again at the delivery ceremony, although this time did not have the time and pleasure in Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory, but it can be seen that the world's richest man is very happy.
Tesla's factory in Berlin, Germany: Ready to plan for the future
Photos shared from foreign media show that Tesla's Berlin factory in Germany was open to the outside world for a period of time on the 22nd. And we'll also have the privilege of seeing what works inside the new plant.
Viewed from the outside of the Berlin factory, the entire factory became a joyful center of activity at the opening ceremony, with a large turntable and some celebrations, so that the people present had a feeling of spending a grand festival.
Walking inside the factory, you can see that the production line is being assembled intensively, and Tesla cars are being produced step by step. These production lines are very similar to Tesla's U.S. factories.
At present, there do not seem to be many people in the factory, or due to the epidemic, Tesla's work in Germany has been intermittent, especially the Berlin factory has even been delayed by at least 8 months.
But all the equipment in the factory was ready, and we saw that each section was neatly arranged with various accessories and assembly tools.
This appears to be a virtual imaging area for Tesla models, where a Model Y model is processed by workers before it can enter the production line and begin assembly.
We see that some semi-finished tesla models are already on the production line. But in the face of huge orders, Tesla now needs to improve efficiency.
Take a closer look at the semi-finished Tesla models, and their assembly on the display is also clear at a glance.
This huge machine, which appears to be in service for the safety of vehicles and parts inspection, is in operation on site.
The factory wall is sprayed with the word "TESLA", the entire factory is still under construction, and because of the demand for delivery, Tesla's Berlin factory must operate on multiple lines at the same time.
The Tesla Model Y model, which is Tesla's best-selling car at the moment, is either in China or the United States, and it is also the first model to be delivered at Tesla's Berlin factory.
Several Tesla models of different colors are placed on the factory, and many media and car owners are observing and experiencing them up close.
Outside the Berlin factory, a multicolored Model Y model became an iconic display. The few new cars next to it are attracting the attention of many car owners and the media.
Musk's super high goal: to achieve an annual output of 500,000 vehicles in 3 years
According to the media, Tesla's Berlin factory was at least eight months behind schedule, but Musk did not relax the ultra-high requirements for it. Recently, the Tesla CEO announced the third part of his master plan, which will expand the size of the world's largest electric car manufacturer to "limit scale."
Tesla plans to hire 12,000 workers at its car plant in Glenhead and nearby battery factories, making the plant the largest employer brand in Brandenburg. When it reaches full capacity, it will produce 500,000 electric vehicles a year and generate 50 GWh of battery power, more than all other similar factories in the country.
But such a grand opportunity does not happen overnight. Musk said it will take more time to ramp up production than it will take two years to build the plant. JPMorgan Chase predicts that the plant will produce about 54,000 vehicles in 2022, 280,000 in 2023 and 500,000 in 2025. In other words, it will take at least 3 years to reach the target of 500,000 vehicles per year.
This is Tesla's third gigafactory after the United States and China. The new energy company will provide more best-selling models to the world in the future, realizing Musk's ambition of "SEXY".