Tesla began construction of Giga Berlin in early 2020, quickly clearing the site despite some opposition from local environmental groups. Construction has continued at breakneck speed, with the large buildings taking shape in recent months.
In its most recent Q4 2020 and FY update, the automaker said it was “on track to start vehicle production this year.” If the latest rumours are true, Tesla will meet that target and preproduction could begin as soon as May.
The information comes from Ralf Ostholt, who works for a company that provides container tracking logistics software for Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s railway operator.
During a recent Zoom call with Deutsche Bahn, it was said that Tesla had informed the railway operator to “plan for transport of containers based on start of prototype production in…May and start of full production in July/August.”
While not official, this timeline lines up with Tesla’s original plans to begin production in mid-2021. It also lines up with a July 2021 date mentioned in a publication by a local environmental agency in January 2020.
When it does open, the first vehicles expected off the production line are Model Y’s with a structural battery pack and the new 4680 battery cells.
@WholeMarsBlog Some news on Giga Berlin. German Railway is one of our customers. Talked to them today in a zoom call. They said Tesla told them to plan for transport of Containers based on start of prototype production in Berlin in May and start of full production in July/August.
— Ralf Ostholt (@OstholtRalf) February 24, 2021
h/t: TeslaMag via @tesla_adri
