Tesla starts digging at Giga-Berlin

Now that Tesla received approval for foundation work from the Brandenburg State Office for the Environment, the work has now apparently begun in the usual rapid Tesla-tempo. A new drone video shows the first excavation works.

“…we can say that Tesla has broken ground now”, the Twitter-user wrote to the uploaded drone video. Excavators started digging a large pit during the Pentecost weekend just past. As yet, no word from Tesla on this.

Short video update from the foundation work today at #GigaBerlin.

I think even without a groundbreaking ceremony we can say that @Tesla has broken ground now.https://t.co/OOkaeDgErq pic.twitter.com/98XOOoY6Cd

— Tobias Lindh (@tobilindh) May 28, 2020

Also true to form, Tesla had already started to set piles on 14 May without permission or supervision, as was pointed out by environmental organisations. However, according to the Ministry of the Environment, this work was stopped for exactly the reason that the lower water authority had not yet granted permission. Now that permission has been granted with clear conditions, work can go ahead.

As with the clearing, Tesla is carrying out all work at its own risk: If the entire project is not approved, Tesla must remove the foundations at its own expense. It is not yet clear when the building application will be approved since the hearings on the 370 objections to the building project could not take place as planned in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

As is well known and much anticipated, the Giga-Berlin in Brandenburg will be the site for the construction of the Model Y for Europe from 2021. Meanwhile in the USA, Tesla has significantly reduced the estimated delivery times for the Model Y from 8 – 12 weeks down to 4 – 8 weeks. The estimated delivery time for the other series, Model S, X and 3, has also been reduced from 5 – 7 weeks to 2 – 5 weeks

For European Model Y interested parties this has no effect anyway: An official import of the Model Y from the USA has still not been announced.

electrek.co (foundation work) insideevs.com, electrek.co (both Model Y)