On October 10th, the electric car manufacturer Tesla is holding a “Giga-Fest” celebration for the completion of the Berlin factory. Many fans took the opportunity to enter the factory. Among them, the photos shared by @DerCasper show that Tesla has set the first goal for the Berlin factory, that is, the production time of each Model Y body is only 45 seconds.
The sign of the Tesla factory in Berlin read: “Our team has received the full support of an army of robots that can perform tasks such as welding, riveting and gluing car parts. With ultra-high precision and fast movement, we A Model Y body can be produced every 45 seconds.”
Prior to Giga Fest, Tesla expected the annual peak production capacity of the Berlin plant to be around 500,000 vehicles. However, if Tesla’s above-mentioned “small goals” can be achieved, the annual output of this plant may be higher than 500,000 vehicles.
Tesla fans @Truth_Tesla calculated that if the Berlin factory produces a Model Y body every 45 seconds, it can produce 700,000 cars per year at peak capacity. Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to these calculations and shared his views on these numbers.
He said: “The Berlin plant is expected to achieve a 45-second continuous production cycle. On average, it can maintain normal operation 75% of the time per week. If it runs around the clock, it will produce about 10,000 cars per week.”
According to Musk, if the Berlin factory can produce 10,000 Model Y a week, it can produce as many as 520,000 vehicles per year. However, Musk has explained in the past that it takes time for the factory to reach its peak output. He estimated that it will take at least a year for the Berlin plant to reach peak output, similar to the Shanghai plant.
Musk also revealed that the first batch of cars produced at the Berlin plant may be off the assembly line as early as next month, but it will take longer to achieve mass production. He said: “The Berlin factory is about to start production, but mass production is the more difficult part. It will take longer to achieve mass production than to build the factory.”
After being put into operation, Tesla’s goal is to produce Model Y with a 4680 battery pack at the Berlin plant. Tesla also showed a sample version of its battery pack at Giga Fest. The Berlin plant is expected to have its own battery plant, similar to the 4680 pilot production line on Kato Road near the Fremont plant.
In September 2020, Tesla released the 4680 battery at the “Battery Day” event. For many years, Tesla has always used 18650 and 2170 batteries on Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y. But in order to reduce the cost of electric vehicles, Tesla plans to design new batteries with longer life, more affordable, more powerful, and longer range. The 4680 battery came into being.
Tesla has submitted a plan to invest 5 billion euros (approximately US$5.8 billion) to build a battery plant with a capacity of 50GWh next to the Berlin plant, surpassing Volkswagen’s planned 40GWh plant in Salzgitter. Musk hopes that the battery factory can achieve mass production before the end of next year.
Tesla’s Berlin plant has not yet been put into operation, and the German regulatory agency has not yet approved the formal application for the plant’s operation. However, the Brandenburg Minister of Economy believes that there is a 95% chance that the plant will be approved for operation. At the same time, Tesla’s Shanghai plant is exporting domestically produced Model 3 and Model Y to meet European demand for Tesla vehicles.
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