Tesla has rejected reports that production at its Grünheide factory in Germany fell sharply in 2025, disputing figures that suggested the plant operated far below capacity.
Data from automotive analytics firm Inovev, cited by the German newspaper Handelsblatt, indicated that Tesla produced about 149,040 vehicles at the facility last year. That would represent a decline from 192,801 units in 2024 and 211,235 units in 2023. The site, located in Grünheide near Berlin, is designed for annual production of more than 375,000 vehicles.
Based on the reported figures, utilisation of the factory would have dropped to around 39.7% in 2025 from 56.3% the previous year. Handelsblatt noted, however, that the dataset may contain estimates subject to later revision.
Tesla did not comment directly on the figures in response to the newspaper. However, the plant’s managing director, André Thierig, disputed the reported output in a LinkedIn post.
“The figure of 149,000 Model Y units built in 2025 is incorrect,” said André Thierig. “And that despite the fact that in the first quarter we paused production for the switchover to the new Model Y and then ramped back up to 5,000 units per week over several weeks.”
According to Thierig, production at the Brandenburg facility exceeded 200,000 vehicles during the year. He also rejected claims that the plant had operated with extremely low profitability, denying reports of a 0.74% margin without providing an alternative figure.
Tesla began production at the Grünheide factory in 2022, building 50,300 Model Y vehicles in its start-up year. Since then, the plant has become the company’s main European production hub. Thierig said more than 700,000 Model Y vehicles have been produced at the site since operations began.
“In 2025, we increased production every quarter compared with the previous quarter,” he wrote, adding that output is expected to rise again in the first quarter of 2026 compared with the final quarter of 2025.
The debate over production levels comes amid broader challenges for Tesla. The company’s global deliveries declined by about 9.1% in 2025 to roughly 1.6 million vehicles, marking the second consecutive year of falling deliveries.
Discussions over the future expansion of the Grünheide plant have also continued. In a video message to employees ahead of works council elections, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company could reconsider expansion plans if the facility were not kept free from what he described as outside influence. Musk has previously voiced criticism of stronger involvement by the union IG Metall in the plant’s works council.
Despite the tensions, Musk also described the site as one of Tesla’s most advanced production facilities and highlighted ongoing investment in battery manufacturing. Thierig said the company is currently investing nearly €100 million in battery cell production at the plant, which he said could create several hundred additional jobs.