News
Tesla Design Center for new cars in Berlin potentially in line for state subsidies
If Tesla does end up designing a vehicle in Germany, the EV maker could count on the state for some notable subsidies. This was related recently in a document from the Berlin Senate’s economic administration, which responded to a written question from the FDP parliamentary group in the House of Representatives.
Tesla has ambitious plans for its operations in Germany. Apart from Gigafactory Berlin, which is expected to start operations this year with the production of the Made-in-Germany Model Y, the company is also expected to establish a 100 GWh battery manufacturing site for its custom-designed 4680 cells. Apart from this, CEO Elon Musk has also confirmed that Tesla would be building an Engineering and Design Center close to the Gigafactory Berlin site.
Reports from May last year suggested that Tesla had acquired the Gasometer, an 80-meter high structure located in Berlin-Schöneberg’s Euref Business Campus, and that the site would be utilized for the EV maker’s Engineering and Design Center. Euref Campus owner Reinhard Müller did not provide a comment on the facility then, though he did note that a mobility provider from outside Berlin has inquired about the property.
News about Tesla’s Berlin-based Engineering and Design Center has since been tempered, at least until now. As noted in the response from the Berlin Senate’s economic administration to a written question from the FDP parliamentary group, Tesla would receive subsidies from the state for the Engineering and Design Center in Berlin. “Tesla has been fully informed of this offer. Companies then decide at what point this extensive support will be used,” the response read, as per a report from Handelsblatt.
When asked by the Germany-based publication, Tesla noted that there is currently “no news” about the Engineering and Design Center considering the company’s primary focus on the completion of the first phase of Gigafactory Berlin. However, the company reportedly mentioned that the goal of the upcoming Engineering and Design Center would be to develop new car models, perhaps even for the global market.
A dedicated facility in Germany aimed at designing cars would likely be beneficial for Tesla considering the country’s long history with the automobile. Facilities like an Engineering and Design Center in Berlin could be the factor that allows Tesla to transition from an upstart automaker to a recognized trailblazer in the automotive sector.
Tesla is aiming to start the production of the Made-in-Germany Model Y this summer, but while the first phase of Giga Berlin is already approaching completion, the plant is yet to receive a final environmental approval via the Federal Immission Control Act. This could potentially result in delays for Tesla, though officials such as German Economics Minister Peter Altmaier have pledged their support to help expedite the project’s launch. “We have been able to clear up problems more than once in recent months, including through the short official channels. And I am convinced we will succeed in doing so in the future as well,” Altmaier said.
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Elon Musk
Brazil Supreme Court orders Elon Musk and X investigation closed
The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court has ordered the closure of an investigation involving Elon Musk and social media platform X. The inquiry had been pending for about two years and examined whether the platform was used to coordinate attacks against members of the judiciary.
The decision was issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes following a recommendation from Brazil’s Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet.
According to a report from Agencia Brasil, the investigation conducted by the Federal Police did not find evidence that X deliberately attempted to attack the judiciary or circumvent court orders.
Prosecutor-General Paulo Gonet concluded that the irregularities identified during the probe did not indicate fraudulent intent.
Justice Moraes accepted the prosecutor’s recommendation and ruled that the investigation should be closed. Under the ruling, the case will remain closed unless new evidence emerges.
The inquiry stemmed from concerns that content on X may have enabled online attacks against Supreme Court justices or violated rulings requiring the suspension of certain accounts under investigation.
Justice Moraes had previously taken several enforcement actions related to the platform during the broader dispute involving social media regulation in Brazil.
These included ordering a nationwide block of the platform, freezing Starlink accounts, and imposing fines on X totaling about $5.2 million. Authorities also froze financial assets linked to X and SpaceX through Starlink to collect unpaid penalties and seized roughly $3.3 million from the companies’ accounts.
Moraes also imposed daily fines of up to R$5 million, about $920,000, for alleged evasion of the X ban and established penalties of R$50,000 per day for VPN users who attempted to bypass the restriction.
Brazil remains an important market for X, with roughly 17 million users, making it one of the platform’s larger user bases globally.
The country is also a major market for Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service, which has surpassed one million subscribers in Brazil.
Elon Musk
FCC chair criticizes Amazon over opposition to SpaceX satellite plan
Carr made the remarks in a post on social media platform X.
U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr criticized Amazon after the company opposed SpaceX’s proposal to launch a large satellite constellation that could function as an orbital data center network.
Carr made the remarks in a post on social media platform X.
Amazon recently urged the FCC to reject SpaceX’s application to deploy a constellation of up to 1 million low Earth orbit satellites that could serve as artificial intelligence data centers in space.
The company described the proposal as a “lofty ambition rather than a real plan,” arguing that SpaceX had not provided sufficient details about how the system would operate.
Carr responded by pointing to Amazon’s own satellite deployment progress.
“Amazon should focus on the fact that it will fall roughly 1,000 satellites short of meeting its upcoming deployment milestone, rather than spending their time and resources filing petitions against companies that are putting thousands of satellites in orbit,” Carr wrote on X.
Amazon has declined to comment on the statement.
Amazon has been working to deploy its Project Kuiper satellite network, which is intended to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink service. The company has invested more than $10 billion in the program and has launched more than 200 satellites since April of last year.
Amazon has also asked the FCC for a 24-month extension, until July 2028, to meet a requirement to deploy roughly 1,600 satellites by July 2026, as noted in a CNBC report.
SpaceX’s Starlink network currently has nearly 10,000 satellites in orbit and serves roughly 10 million customers. The FCC has also authorized SpaceX to deploy 7,500 additional satellites as the company continues expanding its global satellite internet network.
Energy
Tesla Energy gains UK license to sell electricity to homes and businesses
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
Tesla Energy has received a license to supply electricity in the United Kingdom, opening the door for the company to serve homes and businesses in the country.
The license was granted to Tesla Energy Ventures Ltd. by UK energy regulator Ofgem after a seven-month review process.
According to Ofgem, the license took effect at 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday and applies to Great Britain.
The approval allows Tesla’s energy business to sell electricity directly to customers in the region, as noted in a Bloomberg News report.
Tesla has already expanded similar services in the United States. In Texas, the company offers electricity plans that allow Tesla owners to charge their vehicles at a lower cost while also feeding excess electricity back into the grid.
Tesla already has a sizable presence in the UK market. According to price comparison website U-switch, there are more than 250,000 Tesla electric vehicles in the country and thousands of Tesla home energy storage systems.
Ofgem also noted that Tesla Motors Ltd., a separate entity incorporated in England and Wales, received an electricity generation license in June 2020.
The new UK license arrives as Tesla continues expanding its global energy business.
Last year, Tesla Energy retained the top position in the global battery energy storage system (BESS) integrator market for the second consecutive year. According to Wood Mackenzie’s latest rankings, Tesla held about 15% of global market share in 2024.
The company also maintained a dominant position in North America, where it captured roughly 39% market share in the region.
At the same time, competition in the energy storage sector is increasing. Chinese companies such as Sungrow have been expanding their presence globally, particularly in Europe.
Brazil Supreme Court orders Elon Musk and X investigation closed
FCC chair criticizes Amazon over opposition to SpaceX satellite plan
