The Berlin-produced Tesla Model Y is going to be a revolution in automotive body engineering, according to Elon Musk. He just noted this in response to Tesmanian’s Eva Fox, who wrote an article covering Volvo reverse engineering a Model Y in Sweden.
The first Model Y in Sweden was registered and is owned by Volvo. The Model Y isn’t going to enter the European market before the Berlin gigafactory (Giga Berlin) is built, but Volvo imported the vehicle from the US in order to try to learn about it immediately, as is customary in this industry.
The beauty of it is that Tesla isn’t in the auto industry to own it. The company just wants to speed up the world’s transition to sustainable energy. The more that automakers reverse engineer a Tesla so that they can make their own version of a compelling EV, the better.
When I read Elon’s tweet, what was clear to me is that he is seeing something a couple of years ahead into the future. As Giga Berlin’s construction swiftly continues, Elon’s tweets showed me that he and Tesla’s design team have been continuously working to make Tesla vehicles more aerodynamic, more efficient, and safer while keeping the cost low.
Think about the Cybertruck — each design element emphasizes the efficiency of Tesla while keeping the cost low and providing efficiency, yet looking unique in its own style. Each Tesla vehicle has its own special element of style.
Elon Musk stated at the WAIC conference that Tesla China has its own engineering team. The same will most likely be the case for Giga Berlin. Germany is known for its superiority in engineering, and with Tesla having a factory in Berlin, it will attract German engineers to create even better versions of Tesla, which will then speed up the transition to sustainable energy — Tesla’s ultimate goal.
An article from Car and Driver took a deep dive into VW’s meaning of, “German engineering,” and Stefan Gies, head of chassis development at VW, told them, “From my perspective, German engineering stands for precision in all that we do — precision in the design and what you feel in the car. Everything the driver touches and controls must instill this feeling of confidence and precision. We want that person to feel that they have the car under control, and that it will do exactly what they desire it to do.”
Yesterday, Tesmanian noted that the speed of Giga Berlin’s construction could surpass what many anticipated. The pace is unexpectedly fast and the German factory is well ahead of Giga Shanghai’s construction process. In the video below, Tobias Lindh showed the location of the buildings in Giga Berlin.
Today’s progress on Giga Berlin showed the railway unloading station being prepared and a storage area being built that will hold building materials.
Tesla started small not that long ago. However, it has grown into an industry giant.
When Tesla chose Giga Berlin, many thought the company was either flexing or joking around. However, Tesla has proven many times that one should take it seriously. When Elon Musk said he would make fart sounds in a car possible, Tesla did just that. Even while being goofy, Elon Musk means business. And in its quest to transition the world to sustainable energy, Tesla is very serious.
The challenge that many saw Tesla issue to Europe’s automakers is misunderstood. Tesla isn’t saying, “I’m gonna come to Germany and steal all of your customers,” as many perceived the challenge to be. No, it’s more critical than that. Tesla is demanding that Europe’s automakers wake up before it’s too late — not for their businesses but for humanity. Tesla is saying, “Evolve or die.”
By setting up a plant in Germany, Tesla is bringing its mission into the front yards of the European automakers and won’t be ignored. The fact that Volvo bought a Tesla Model Y to reverse engineer shows that at least one automaker is listening.
While the Model Y will be a revolution in automotive body engineering, Tesla’s presence in Germany will also continue to speed up the EV revolution worldwide.
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