Tesla distances from German battery production

Tesla does not plan to manufacture lithium-ion cells near Berlin in the first construction phase. This could be due to the tight schedule. Meanwhile, the Tesla Model Y has received certification from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in the USA.

Little by little, more and more details about the planned Tesla factory in Brandenburg are becoming known. Now we are informed that there will be no cell production there at the beginning. This is stated in a report by Manager Magazin. However, a spokeswoman for Tesla has not ruled out the possibility that battery cell production will be added in the next construction phases of the factory, the report says. Where the battery cells processed in Grünheide will be delivered and from which supplier they will come, is still unclear.

There would still be room on the site for a cell production: The main building is planned to be over 700 meters long and over 300 meters wide, but theoretically, four such structures could be erected in Grünheide. Incidentally, Tesla estimates that the shell of the first production building will cost 650 million euros. Solar cells on the roof, as in Gigafactory 1 in Nevada, are not expected to be available for the time being, but as reported, a natural gas power plant will be built.

The approval procedure for the Tesla plant has been officially opened for almost a week. Besides, the finance committee of the Brandenburg state parliament recently approved the purchase contract for the Grünheide site. It is planned to produce the Model Y and Model 3 as well as future models at the proposed production facility starting next year. The talk is of the estimated annual production of 500,000 vehicles.

And speaking of Model Y: In the USA, Tesla has now received certification for the compact SUV from the California Air Resources Board (CARB). This indicates that deliveries could start soon. Specifically, the CARB has analysed the Tesla Model Y Performance AWD, which is also expected to be the first version of the compact SUV to be launched on the market. In the authority’s UDDS standard, which is decisive for urban traffic but unrealistic for everyday use, the Model Y trades at 442 miles (about 711 km). This is roughly the same range as that previously certified for the Model 3. As is well known, both vehicles share the drive train. In real use, however, the Model 3 comes a little further, as it is lighter overall. Tesla states the EPA ranges as 280 miles (450 km) for the Model Y Performance AWD and 310 miles (500 km) for the Model 3.

When the Model Y was presented in March 2019, there was still talk of a market launch in autumn 2020. Most recently, when the figures for the third quarter were published, it was announced that this date would be brought forward to the summer of this year. That would already be in a few months. Meanwhile, there is a video on YouTube that shows all officially documented sightings of the Tesla Model Y in “the wild” since its launch three quarters ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8zm1lK916U

Meanwhile, the Tesla share has passed the 500 dollar mark for the first time. At the end of yesterday’s trading day in the USA, it was quoted at just under 525 dollars. The reason for the high level is considered to be the delivery record in the fourth quarter of 2019, the prospect of remaining in the profit zone and a very positive assessment of the situation by the investment bank Oppenheimer & Co.

manager-magazin.de (Germany, in German), teslarati.com, electrek.co (both CARB), teslarati.com (Videos Model Y), teslarati.com (shares)