Details About Tesla Gigafactory 4 Emerge In German Press
Over the weekend, details about the new Tesla Gigafactory 4 near Berlin began to emerge. According to Deutsche Welle, the new factory, which will also manufacture battery packs, will be located in the town of Grünheide in the German state of Brandenburg. It says the total investment in the factory will come to about $4.4 billion — about double what the new factory in China cost. The project will be eligible for up to $330 million in subsidies if they are approved by the European Union.
Construction is expected to begin in early 2020 — about a year after Gigafactory 3 in China began — and the first cars should be rolling off the assembly line in 2021, reports Bloomberg. The first cars built in China emerged just 10 months after construction of the factory began. In its most recent earnings letter, Tesla said it expected the first German-built cars to be on the road in 2021, but there’s a good chance Elon Musk has other plans.
The Brandenburg state government is delighted to have Tesla build its new factory there. It expects Gigafactory 4 to provide 3,000 new jobs initially, and as many as 8,000 in later years as it expands. Deutsche Welle says the first production line will be devoted to building the Model Y crossover/SUV, with an annual production goal of 150,000 vehicles. How many production lines will ultimately be in operation there or when production of the Model 3 sedan will begin is not known at this time. Brandenburg is a renewable energy leader in Germany, with many wind turbines dotting its landscape, something that was likely a factor in Tesla’s decision to build its newest factory there.
Carsten Brönstrup, a spokesperson for UVB, an association that represents the interests of a large number of companies in Berlin and Brandenburg, tells Deutsche Welle Tesla’s announcement was a big thing. “It’s magnificent; it’s like Christmas coming early for our region. The region is not particularly known for its strong industry, so getting a Gigafactory will push future-oriented technologies such as battery production and autonomous driving.”
We have been dizzy lately with the pace of Volkswagen’s push into electric cars, but the decision by Tesla to build its next factory in Germany has really set the fox among the chickens. The electric car revolution is about to reach critical mass and will overwhelm the deniers, doomsayers, and detractors soon, leaving them floundering in its wake.
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