Tesla’s Giga Berlin production facility will revolutionize the electric automaker’s presence in the highly-concentrated European electric vehicle market. While Tesla holds considerable advantages in EV tech, pricing, range, and performance, it holds another considerably important element that determines a company’s ability to control pricing: battery production. With Tesla planning to manufacture its newly-detailed 4680 cells at the Berlin Gigafactory within two years, according to Economy Minister Jörg Steinbach, the company is setting the stage to infiltrate the intensely-competitive European EV market with the best and most affordable electric cars on the continent in record time.
After being approved for a slice of the $3.5 billion assistance package for the development of Giga Berlin’s 4680 battery plant, Tesla is set in a prime position to dominate the European battery production market. CATL and BASF SE both have large-scale battery manufacturing projects in Germany already, but Giga Berlin’s plant could displace them as Elon Musk once said it could be the biggest in the world.
During the 2020 European Battery Conference in November 2020, Musk said:
“I think it will be the largest. It would be capable of over 100 GWh hours per year of production and then possibly going to 200 to 250. I’m pretty confident at that point it would be the largest battery-cell plant in the world.”
And Tesla will need it. After coming off of a record year in deliveries and production figures, Tesla is continuing to ramp scalability as it tackles international markets for the first time in its history. After expanding to China with its Giga Shanghai plant, which began delivering cars in January 2020, Tesla had already started developing the Giga Berlin property by excavating the grounds and clearing obstacles that were there previously. Now, the factory is well underway and is expected to begin producing cars this Summer.
There still is no exact timeline for the 4680 battery plant, as it could take several years to figure out supply chain details from suppliers to Berlin. Tesla is also still figuring out the manufacturing processes of the 4680 cell at its Kato Road facility in Northern California. Elon Musk has said in the past that 4680 cells have been in working vehicles for some time, but at what scale? Only Tesla knows.
However, Jörg Steinbach, a vocal supporter of Tesla’s Berlin facility, now says the plant could open in two years, Bloomberg reported.
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Tesla’s monster 4680 battery plant in Giga Berlin receives federal gov’t pre-approval
Despite regular hurdles to jump through, Tesla has had assistance from politicians all over Germany. With Steinbach’s support, another Economic Minister, Peter Altmaier, also extended his hand to the electric automaker, offering any help he can to expedite the factory’s construction. Environmental concerns, along with complaints from local citizens, have tied up Tesla from time to time at the factory. Still, construction has been moving along at an impressive rate since the official groundbreaking.
“You have to sometimes translate the culture of our approval procedures, which are also strongly influenced by environmental protection,” Steinbach said.
It is crucial for Tesla to open Giga Berlin so it can expand its outreach in the most EV-concentrated region on Earth. Steinbach says he is “totally relaxed” regarding the plant’s ultimate approval. He still expects EVs to roll off the line in July.
After the 4680 cell plant does open, Tesla will be able to scale-back costs of its EVs. Currently buying many cells from third-party suppliers, Tesla will still do that for the foreseeable future, according to Musk. However, creating more battery cells will decrease the shortage of batteries, making them less expensive and, at the same time, decreasing the price of Tesla’s cars. Because of this important point, the 4680 facility is of utmost importance.
“This project is given top priority,” Steinbach said.
News
Tesla is making two big upgrades to the Model 3, coding shows
According to coding found in the European and Chinese configurators, Tesla is planning to make two big upgrades: Black Headliner offerings and a new 16-inch QHD display, similar to that on the Model Y Performance.
Tesla is making two big upgrades to the Model 3, one of which is widely requested by owners and fans, and another that it has already started to make on some trim levels of other models within the lineup.
The changes appear to be taking effect in the European and Chinese markets, but these are expected to come to the United States based on what Tesla has done with the Model Y.
According to coding found in the European and Chinese configurators, Tesla is planning to make two big upgrades: Black Headliner offerings and a new 16-inch QHD display, similar to that on the Model Y Performance.
These changes in the coding were spotted by X user BERKANT, who shared the findings on the social media platform this morning:
🚨 Model 3 changes spotted in Tesla backend
• New interior code: IN3PB (Interior 3 Premium Black)
• Linked to Alcantara-style black headliner
• Mapped to 2026 Model 3 Performance and Premium VINs• EPC now shows: “Display_16_QHD”
• Multiple 2026 builds marked with… pic.twitter.com/OkDM5EdbTu— BERKANT (@Tesla_NL_TR) February 23, 2026
It appears these new upgrades will roll out with the Model 3 Performance and Tesla’s Premium trim levels of the all-electric sedan.
The changes are welcome. Tesla fans have been requesting that its Model 3 and Model Y offerings receive a black headliner, as even with the black interior options, the headliner is grey.
Tesla recently upgraded Model Y vehicles to this black headliner option, even in the United States, so it seems as if the Model 3 will get the same treatment as it appears to be getting in the Eastern hemisphere.
Tesla has been basically accentuating the Model 3 and Model Y with small upgrades that owners have been wanting, and it has been a focal point of the company’s future plans as it phases out other vehicles like the Model S and Model X.
Additionally, Tesla offered an excellent 0.99% APR last week on the Model 3, hoping to push more units out the door to support a strong Q1 delivery figure at the beginning of April.
Elon Musk
SpaceX secures FAA approval for 44 annual Starship launches in Florida
The FAA’s environmental review covers up to 44 launches annually, along with 44 Super Heavy booster landings and 44 upper-stage landings.
SpaceX has received environmental approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct up to 44 Starship-Super Heavy launches per year from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A in Florida.
The decision allows the company to proceed with plans tied to its next-generation launch system and future satellite deployments.
The FAA’s environmental review covers up to 44 launches annually, along with 44 Super Heavy booster landings and 44 upper-stage landings. The approval concludes the agency’s public comment period and outlines required mitigation measures related to noise, emissions, wildlife, and airspace management.
Construction of Starship infrastructure at Launch Complex 39A is nearing completion. The site, previously used for Apollo and space shuttle missions, is transitioning to support Starship operations, as noted in a Florida Today report.
If fully deployed across Kennedy Space Center and nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Starship activity on the Space Coast could exceed 120 launches annually, excluding tests. Separately, the U.S. Air Force has authorized repurposing Space Launch Complex 37 for potential additional Starship activity, pending further FAA airspace analysis.
The approval supports SpaceX’s long-term strategy, which includes deploying a large constellation of satellites intended to power space-based artificial intelligence data infrastructure. The company has previously indicated that expanded Starship capacity will be central to that effort.
The FAA review identified likely impacts from increased noise, nitrogen oxide emissions, and temporary airspace closures. Commercial flights may experience periodic delays during launch windows. The agency, however, determined these effects would be intermittent and manageable through scheduling, public notification, and worker safety protocols.
Wildlife protections are required under the approval, Florida Today noted. These include lighting controls to protect sea turtles, seasonal monitoring of scrub jays and beach mice, and restrictions on offshore landings to avoid coral reefs and right whale critical habitat. Recovery vessels must also carry trained observers to prevent collisions with protected marine species.
Elon Musk
Texas township wants The Boring Company to build it a Loop system
The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge.”
The Woodlands Township, Texas, has formally entered The Boring Company’s tunneling sweepstakes.
The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” which offers up to one mile of tunnel construction at no cost to a selected community.
The Woodlands’ proposal, dubbed “The Current,” features two parallel 12-foot-diameter tunnels beneath the Town Center corridor near The Waterway. Teslas would shuttle passengers between Waterway Square, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Town Green Park and nearby hotels during concerts and large-scale events, as noted in a Chron report.
Township officials framed the tunnel as a solution for the township’s traffic congestion issues. The Pavilion alone hosts more than 60 shows each year and can accommodate crowds of up to 16,500, often straining Lake Robbins Drive and surrounding intersections.
“We know we have traffic impacts and pedestrian movement challenges, especially in the Town Center area,” Chris Nunes, chief operating officer of The Woodlands Township, stated during the meeting.
“The Current” mirrors the Loop system operating beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Tesla vehicles transport passengers through underground tunnels between venues and resorts.
The Boring Company issued its request for proposals (RFP) in mid-January, inviting cities and districts to pitch local uses for its tunneling technology. The Woodlands must submit its application by Feb. 23, though no timeline has been provided for when a winning community will be announced.
Nunes confirmed that the board has authorized a submission for “The Current’s” proposal, though he emphasized that the project is still in its preliminary stages.
“The Woodlands Township Board of Directors has authorized staff to submit an application to The Boring Company, which has issued an RFP for communities interested in leveraging their technology to address community challenges,” he said in a statement.
“The Board believes that an underground tunnel would provide a safe and efficient means to transport people to and from various high-use community amenities in our Town Center.”
Tesla is making two big upgrades to the Model 3, coding shows
SpaceX secures FAA approval for 44 annual Starship launches in Florida
