Tesla’s $5.5 billion Gigafactory in Grüheide, Germany is the company’s first manufacturing location in Europe and its “most advanced, sustainable, and efficient facility yet”, launched by Tesla founder Elon Musk with the attendance of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Scholz’ party friend Brandenburg Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke.
The construction started in 2020 and the opening was delayed after Tesla added a battery facility to its building plans. The Gigafactory’s final permits came through in early March.
When the plant was greenlit, just 2,600 of the 12,000 vacancies were filled. There are still hundreds of jobs open at the Gigafactory.
Tesla’s estimate is to produce 30,000 vehicles in the first six months, with a goal of manufacturing nearly 500,000 cars per year in the future. Gigafactory also aims to generate 50-gigawatt hours (GWh) of battery power, surpassing all other plants in Germany.
Investment banking company JPMorgan predicts that Tesla’s Gigafactory would produce around 54,000 cars in 2022, increasing to 280,000 in 2023 and finally 500,000 by 2025.
“All of a sudden, Brandenburg is one of the most important automotive locations in Germany,” says Steffen Kammradt, Managing Director of Brandenburg Economic Development. The state-owned agency advises companies and investors looking to establish themselves in the state. Kammradt points out a real boost in investment inquiries since Musk decided on Brandenburg. According to Kammradt, this is “Tesla magic”.
The company added Germany to its four fully-operational facilities—three in the US, and one in China.