Tesla’s manufacturing operations in Germany are stepping up into a new gear to meet sustained Model Y demand in the region. According to a new report from CNBC, Tesla announced on Thursday that production output at Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg will climb by an additional 20% to reach 7,500 vehicles per week starting in October of this year. The facility plans to recruit an additional 1,000 employees to support this rapid scaling phase.
This follows another 20% production increase Tesla previously announced for Giga Berlin, which also aimed to bring in 1,000 new hires after a stellar start to the year. During the first quarter, Tesla’s European Gigafactory set a record by averaging nearly 4,700 vehicles per week to churn out over 61,000 Model Ys. This latest operational jump builds nicely on previous manufacturing milestones, coming shortly after the site celebrated 750,000 vehicles built since operations commenced back in 2022. Giga Berlin’s powertrain division has been keeping pace, too, recently hitting 1 million drive units manufactured on-site.
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Expanding Manufacturing and Workforce
The upcoming workforce growth fits into a much larger long-term blueprint for the region. On top of the previously announced vehicle capacity expansions, Tesla management said in May that it would increase funding for local battery cell manufacturing. Altogether, these three production bumps mean that Giga Berlin will create a total of 3,500 additional jobs in the short and medium term for vehicle and battery manufacturing. On the battery side, Tesla is looking to install up to 8 GWh of battery production capacity at the plant by 2027.
Production scaling and increased hiring also help fulfill promises from Tesla. Elon Musk previously tied factory expansions to a clear political condition, and the workforce delivered when it voted against a union majority during the recent works council elections.
European Demand and the Model Y L
Expanding local vehicle assembly lines makes perfect sense given the sustained appetite for the Model Y across Europe. While existing lines are currently focused on standard configurations, a larger workforce and higher manufacturing capacity could open the door for an entirely new product.
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Tesla’s new three-row, six-seat Model Y L.
With credible sources indicating that the new six-seat Model Y L is launching in North America this fall, the beefed-up German lines could eventually help introduce the model to the European market. The long-wheelbase variant already secured EU type approval last year, making it a prime candidate for local assembly once this October factory expansion hits its stride.