Tesla has resumed battery pack assembly at its Grünheide plant near Berlin following a reorganisation of production, though the company has not disclosed how long assembly had been suspended, according to a report by Handelsblatt.
In August, a fire broke out in the “Battery Pack Production” area of Tesla’s Giga Berlin factory. No injuries were reported, but 512 battery cells were destroyed, equivalent to around two-thirds of a full battery pack for a battery-electric vehicle. It remains unclear whether the fire was directly linked to subsequent changes in production.
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Plant manager André Thierig said Tesla has since made substantial investments in new technology and plant upgrades. Speaking at an internal event, Thierig said the Grünheide facility has now become “Tesla’s most highly automated battery factory worldwide,” following the overhaul.
As part of the changes, Tesla has shifted to using battery cells produced internally at its factory in Austin, Texas. Previously, battery packs assembled in Grünheide relied on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells supplied by CATL and nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) cells from LG Energy Solution for different versions of the Model Y.
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The move means that Model Y vehicles equipped with Tesla’s 4680 battery cells manufactured in Austin are expected to be available in the European market. However, the report did not specify which Model Y variants will receive the new battery packs.
Tesla had initially planned to produce battery cells at the Grünheide site but postponed series production in Germany in 2022, prioritising cell manufacturing in the United States amid the availability of significant subsidies. For now, Tesla’s activities in Germany remain focused on battery pack assembly, although cell production in Grünheide continues to feature in the company’s long-term plans.
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The timing and likelihood of battery cell production starting in Germany remain uncertain. While Tesla has recently advertised roles related to battery cell production, including a Battery Cell Production Manager, these postings do not necessarily indicate imminent investment. Thierig was quoted as saying that chief executive Elon Musk may be reluctant to commit further investment in Brandenburg should the IG Metall trade union win the upcoming works council election in March.
