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Porsche is investing heavily in its Taycan workforce, 1,500 new jobs expected
Porsche has stated that the Taycan will be one of the most important cars in its history, comparable in significance to iconic vehicles like the legendary 911. Despite the car not being in production yet, the veteran automaker has revealed that the Taycan and its derivative — the Taycan Cross Tourismo — are already pushing the company to reach new heights.
In a recent press release, Porsche noted that by the end of 2018, the company employed 32,000 people across the globe, corresponding to an increase of 2,548 more employees (roughly 8.5%) compared to 2017. By mid-2018, the luxury carmaker announced that its workers exceeded 30,000 for the first time in its long history. A notable driver for this growth is the upcoming production and release of the Taycan, which is expected to enter its manufacturing stage sometime this year.
Porsche notes that in the coming months, it expects to hire more than 1,000 skilled employees who would be specifically assigned to produce the Taycan and later, the Taycan Cross Turismo. Overall, the German automaker expects its first all-electric vehicles to generate 1,500 new jobs at the company in total. These employees would be working at Porsche’s Zuffenhausen site, a location that is currently being augmented to prepare for the Taycan’s ramp.
The veteran carmaker appears to be sparing no expense to ensure that its Zuffenhausen site would be capable of meeting the demand for the all-electric sedan. Porsche has announced that it is investing €700 million (over $797 million) to set up the necessary equipment and lines to build the Taycan. Among these improvements are a conveyor system that transports drive system components, a new assembly and logistics hall, a new paint shop, and a dedicated body shop. Overall, these improvements would allow Porsche to produce the Taycan in quantities that are far beyond its initial estimates.
Since opening preorders for the vehicle, Porsche has stated that reception to the Taycan has been overwhelmingly positive. In a previous interview with WirtschaftsWoche, Porsche CEO Olliver Blume stated that in Norway, a country where the company sells an average of 600 vehicles per year, reservations for the upcoming vehicle have nearly reached 3,000. This strong demand has reportedly encouraged the veteran carmaker to raise the Taycan’s initial target production from 20,000 units per year to 40,000.
-->Porsche is yet to reveal the production version of the Taycan. That said, Stefan Weckbach, the chief of the company’s electric car initiative recently noted that the vehicle’s final iteration would be close to the stunning Mission E sedan concept, save for some changes to make the car more suited for practical use. Weckbach also mentioned that the all-electric sedan would feature a hefty 90 kWh battery pack.
The Taycan is expected to compete in the same segment as Tesla’s best-selling Model S. Being the first all-electric vehicle from the established carmaker, the Taycan features Porche’s trademark performance, from its 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds, its top speed of 155 mph, and its range of 310 miles per charge. The company also noted that just like any other Porsche, the Taycan would be at home being driven to its limits in a racetrack.
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Elon Musk makes a key Tesla Optimus detail official
“Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote on X.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk just made a key detail about Optimus official. In a post on X, the CEO clarified some key wording about Optimus, which should help the media and the public become more familiar with the humanoid robot.
Elon Musk makes Optimus’ plural term official
Elon Musk posted a number of Optimus-related posts on X this weekend. On Saturday, he stated that Optimus would be the Von Neumann probe, a machine that could eventually be capable of replicating itself. This capability, it seems, would be the key to Tesla achieving Elon Musk’s ambitious Optimus production targets.
Amidst the conversations about Optimus on X, a user of the social media platform asked the CEO what the plural term for the humanoid robot will be. As per Musk, Tesla will be setting the plural term for Optimus since the company also decided on the robot’s singular term. “Since we are naming the singular, we will also name the plural, so Optimi it is,” Musk wrote in his reply on X.
This makes it official. For media outlets such as Teslarati, numerous Optimus bots are now called Optimi. It rolls off the tongue pretty well, too.
Optimi will be a common sight worldwide
While Musk’s comment may seem pretty mundane to some, it is actually very important. Optimus is intended to be Tesla’s highest volume product, with the CEO estimating that the humanoid robot could eventually see annual production rates in the hundreds of millions, perhaps even more. Since Optimi will be a very common sight worldwide, it is good that people can now get used to terms describing the humanoid robot.
-->During the Tesla 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting, Musk stated that the humanoid robot will see “the fastest production ramp of any product of any large complex manufactured product ever,” starting with a one-million-Optimi-per-year production line at the Fremont Factory. Giga Texas would get an even bigger Optimus production line, which should be capable of producing tens of millions of Optimi per year.
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Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
Tesla will expand its factory shuttle service in Germany beginning January 4, adding direct rail trips from Berlin Ostbahnhof to Giga Berlin-Brandenburg in Grünheide.
With this initiative, Tesla aims to boost the number of Gigafactory Berlin employees commuting by rail while keeping the shuttle free for all riders.
New shuttle route
As noted in a report from rbb24, the updated service, which will start January 4, will run between the Berlin Ostbahnhof East Station and the Erkner Station at the Gigafactory Berlin complex. Tesla stated that the timetable mirrors shift changes for the facility’s employees, and similar to before, the service will be completely free. The train will offer six direct trips per day as well.
“The service includes six daily trips, which also cover our shift times. The trains will run between Berlin Ostbahnhof (with a stop at Ostkreuz) and Erkner station to the Gigafactory,” Tesla Germany stated.
Even with construction continuing at Fangschleuse and Köpenick stations, the company said the route has been optimized to maintain a predictable 35-minute travel time. The update follows earlier phases of Tesla’s “Giga Train” program, which initially connected Erkner to the factory grounds before expanding to Berlin-Lichtenberg.
-->Tesla pushes for majority rail commuting
Tesla began production at Grünheide in March 2022, and the factory’s workforce has since grown to around 11,500 employees, with an estimated 60% commuting from Berlin. The facility produces the Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, for both Germany and other territories.
The company has repeatedly emphasized its goal of having more than half its staff use public transportation rather than cars, positioning the shuttle as a key part of that initiative. In keeping with the factory’s sustainability focus, Tesla continues to allow even non-employees to ride the shuttle free of charge, making it a broader mobility option for the area.
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Tesla Model 3 and Model Y dominate China’s real-world efficiency tests
The Tesla Model 3 posted 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y followed closely at 21.8 kWh/100 km.
Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y once again led the field in a new real-world energy-consumption test conducted by China’s Autohome, outperforming numerous rival electric vehicles in controlled conditions.
The results, which placed both Teslas in the top two spots, prompted Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun to acknowledge Tesla’s efficiency advantage while noting that his company’s vehicles will continue refining its own models to close the gap.
Tesla secures top efficiency results
Autohome’s evaluation placed all vehicles under identical conditions, such as a full 375-kg load, cabin temperature fixed at 24°C on automatic climate control, and a steady cruising speed of 120 km/h. In this environment, the Tesla Model 3 posted 20.8 kWh/100 km while the Model Y followed closely at 21.8 kWh/100 km, as noted in a Sina News report.
These figures positioned Tesla’s vehicles firmly at the top of the ranking and highlighted their continued leadership in long-range efficiency. The test also highlighted how drivetrain optimization, software management, and aerodynamic profiles remain key differentiators in high-speed, cold-weather scenarios where many electric cars struggle to maintain low consumption.
Xiaomi’s Lei Jun pledges to continue learning from Tesla
Following the results, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun noted that the Xiaomi SU7 actually performed well overall but naturally consumed more energy due to its larger C-segment footprint and higher specification. He reiterated that factors such as size and weight contributed to the difference in real-world consumption compared to Tesla. Still, the executive noted that Xiaomi will continue to learn from the veteran EV maker.
“The Xiaomi SU7’s energy consumption performance is also very good; you can take a closer look. The fact that its test results are weaker than Tesla’s is partly due to objective reasons: the Xiaomi SU7 is a C-segment car, larger and with higher specifications, making it heavier and naturally increasing energy consumption. Of course, we will continue to learn from Tesla and further optimize its energy consumption performance!” Lei Jun wrote in a post on Weibo.
-->Lei Jun has repeatedly described Tesla as the global benchmark for EV efficiency, previously stating that Xiaomi may require three to five years to match its leadership. He has also been very supportive of FSD, even testing the system in the United States.
Elon Musk makes a key Tesla Optimus detail official
Tesla is improving Giga Berlin’s free “Giga Train” service for employees
