As the Tesla Giga Berlin plant in Grünheide near Berlin, Germany nears the start of high-volume production and sales of electric cars, more and more reports emerge about what to expect.
Sawyer Merrit, a long-time Tesla supporter who often shares interesting news, has reported that the current production rate of the Made-in-Germany (MIG) Tesla Model Y stands at about 100 units per day ("on some days"). Per week it would be about 500 or so.
The unofficial report says that the regular production rate is expected to increase to 1,000 per week by the end of April.
Those first MIG Tesla Model Y will be equipped with 2170-type cylindrical battery cells, which was confirmed by the company in January. The 2170-type battery cells (most likely LG Chem's LG Energy Solution) and packs will be supplied from Tesla Giga Shanghai, according to the report.
The rumor explains that the switch to the new 4680-type cylindrical battery cells is expected in Q3 or Q4 2022, which will require shutting down the plant for three weeks:
Sawyer Merrit points out that the local production of 4680-type cylindrical cells is expected to start in a few months. This suggests the first half of 2022.
Those tweets suggest that the plant in Germany is focused solely on the new battery format, and will not even bother to assembly the 2170-type packs on-site.
Interesting is also the info about the installed manufacturing equipment. According to the report, the two installed giga presses are able to produce enough parts for 2,500 Model Y per week. To get to 10,000 units per week, Tesla will have to have eight of those.
The first customer deliveries of the MIG Model Y are expected to start in March, potentially on March 22-23 during the grand opening.
Meanwhile, there are hundreds of MIG Model Y already produced and parked at the site, according to drone flyover videos.
Tesla Gigafactory 4 (aka Tesla Giga Berlin) at brief:
- located in the Berlin-area (in Grünheide, Brandenburg, Germany), near the new airport
- preparations started in mid-February 2020, while construction works started in late May 2020
- target: production of Model 3/Y starting in 2021 with the Model Y (missed)
- expected to to produce batteries (modules/packs and later also 4680-type battery cells) and powertrains
- expected volume of 500,000 annually (unofficial target), initially 150,000 or so
- expected investment of €4 billion (unofficial)
- expected 10,000 jobs (unofficial)
- New tech: 4680-type battery cells, structural battery packs, mega castings (front and rear part of the car) and innovative paint process (Geico Taikisha), but initially will start with 2170-type battery cells
