News
Tesla ramps hiring for Giga Berlin’s cell production ahead of Chinese battery manufacturers’ arrivals
Tesla has started hiring for Gigafactory Berlin’s battery cell production operations. Drew Baglino, the Senior Vice President of Power Train and Energy Engineering as well as the VP of Technology, posted job openings on his LinkedIn page. He listed positions for a Cell Manufacturing Operational Leader, a Cell Shop Senior Leader, and a Manufacturing Engineering Manager.
“Accelerate the transition to sustainable energy by joining Tesla’s cell manufacturing effort in Berlin, recruiting for leadership positions now,” Baglino wrote in his post. Based on the job titles he posted, Tesla has started looking for individuals who will eventually lead the cell production team.
The cell production team at Giga Berlin will make Tesla’s 4680 cells which the EV automaker introduced during Battery Day. Elon Musk confirmed in October that Giga Berlin’s Model Y will be made with Tesla’s 4680 cells and a structural battery pack. The Model Y will likely be the first German-made Tesla vehicle equipped with the company’s 4680 cells and structural battery.
The Tesla executive has remarked that Giga Berlin’s initial Model Y ramp will use 4680 cells from Tesla’s Fremont Factory in California. “We will incorporate 4680 design solutions into many applications in time across both energy and vehicle and we can use our pilot production facility in Fremont to support the new factory in Berlin as it ramps,” Baglino said in Tesla’s last earnings call.
Asian Battery Manufacturers Coming to Germany
Tesla Giga Berlin won’t be the only cell manufacturer coming to Germany. According to Tagesspiegel, at least two Chinese battery suppliers will build cell production factories in the next few years.
Last year, Asian battery manufacturer SVolt Energy started looking for a battery factory location in Brandenburg, near Berlin. SVolt plans to reveal the location of its battery production facility in Germany this coming Tuesday. Within the next three years, the €2 billion factory is projected to produce 24 GWh of batteries per year, which should be enough for around 300,000 to 500,000 electric vehicles. It is also projected to create up to 2,000 jobs.
By the time SVolt has ramped its battery production, Tesla’s cell production would probably be running smoothly. The American battery manufacturer and EV-maker has plenty of time to develop and refine cell production at Fremont Factory and then Giga Berlin. Plus, it won’t be alone in Germany.
CATL, Tesla’s battery supply partner in China for Giga Shanghai, also plans to build a factory in Germany. The location of CATL’s battery has already been revealed. It will be located in Erfurt Kreuz and is slated to start cell production in 2022.
CATL is providing lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells for Giga Shanghai’s Model 3 SR+. Tesla estimated that Giga Berlin will start Model Y production in 2021. Model 3s will also be built in Germany, but the EV automaker has not yet announced when production of the all-electric sedan will start.
The company’s Shanghai Gigafactory has begun exporting Model 3 vehicles to Europe recently. Given CATL’s imminent arrival to Germany, perhaps the company may provide LFP batteries for Giga Berlin’s Model 3 SR+ production line in the future as well.
Tesla Cybercab sightings are broadening far and wide, well outside of downtown Austin, Texas, with autonomy in focus as the company plans to launch the all-electric, two-seater this evening in the Lone Star State.
Tesla is set to launch Cybercab to a small group of people this evening in a dedicated event in Austin, Texas. Public details on the event are relatively slim.
However, Tesla’s focus on Cybercab falls well outside of the downtown Austin area and is expanding well across the United States as things continue to move quickly with the company’s autonomous efforts in 2026. Today, various images of Cybercab fleets in interesting locations have started to circulate.
The most notable is a fleet of at least 20 Cybercabs at Miami International Airport in Florida. Spotted last night, the fleet is expansive and is indicative of a looming release of Cybercabs once regulatory boxes are checked off.
Tesla has already been operating the Robotaxi platform in Miami for several months, but this Cybercab fleet at the airport could be joining the ride-hailing platform as approvals arrive:
20+ Cybercabs spotted near Miami international airport. pic.twitter.com/ORLsw8yFhf
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 3, 2026
Another fleet of Cybercabs was spotted at the Devon, PA showroom just outside of Philadelphia. We have seen several Cybercab units testing around the Philadelphia Metro Area, which is interesting considering Tesla does not have any active Robotaxi geofence in Pennsylvania.
Cybercab at the Devon location in PA has multiplied over the weekend. Seeing a few more test vehicles in the lot 👀 pic.twitter.com/DhJT4P1EkU
— Billy (@billykyle) August 22, 2026
Philadelphia would be an ideal location to test ride-hailing due to its dense tourist population, large, sprawling city layout, and to compete with other ride-hailing companies that operate in the city.
Expansive fleets of Cybercabs will be popping up in and around major cities throughout the rest of the year, if we were betting on it. Tesla has made it obvious that the Cybercab rollout will be aggressive and fast-paced, but within reason. Tesla is still prioritizing safety, so these testing phases will likely go on for some period of time before more members of the public are able to snag a Cybercab for a personal chariot.
The Tesla Model Y L is arguably the most hyped trim of the all-electric crossover, other than the Performance configuration that comes with white-knuckle speed and sports car-level handling.
However, it is not all perfect. Tesla owners in China who took delivery of the Model Y L, denoted with an L to highlight its longer wheelbase, are experiencing what they are referring to as “collapsing” of the rear wheels, as suspension issues appear to be an issue with some of the builds.
🚨 Model Y L owners in China report rear suspension sag
• Six-seat long-wheelbase Y. Shanghai. On sale since August 2025
• Owners say the rear tire-to-arch gap shrinks after mileage or a full load. Some cases after about 9,000 km loaded. Others near 30,000 km
• Tesla service… pic.twitter.com/Lr6i5Tbi07— Joe Hansen (@joehansen) September 1, 2026
The gap between the wheel arch and tire has narrowed to the point that “not even a single finger” could fit, according to a report from Car News China. The failures are not tied to a specific mileage, as one owner said that after just 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles), they noticed the suspension issue when their car was fully loaded.
Another one had the issue at 30,000 kilometers (18,640 miles) and noticed that the wheel gap shrank to two fingers, so not as drastic as the person who reported a similar issue at 9,000 km.
Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment
Along with the visual recognition of the issue, others are saying the sagging is causing abnormal wear on the inside of the tires. Extra weight and instant torque already provide additional stress on the tires in electric vehicles during normal operation, so it is no surprise that this is another complaint.
There has been no recall issued by Tesla, and the company has not yet publicly acknowledged the issue.
Some are suggesting that owners use a “finger test” to self-diagnose whether there is an issue with the suspension. There should be four fingers between the tire and the wheel well; anything less than that starts to get dicey.
Tesla is starting to truly tease and hype its groundbreaking Cybercab event, which takes place tomorrow in Austin, Texas. It will be the first time members of the public will be able to ride in a Cybercab, a vehicle without any manual controls, on public roads.
Tesla has been dropping some hype on X over the past several days, but this morning, the excitement has truly started to build up for the event. Although Cybercab has been unveiled before, this is truly Tesla’s announcement that it is ready to start offering autonomous rides for public passengers in its new ride-hailing-geared vehicle for the first time.
The hype has started with a variety of different social media posts that are a true indication that Tesla is preparing for something big. Teasing so much of the potential of Cybercab, including its ability to truly revolutionize how people hail rides for local travel, is what the big idea for the event entails. The time that many Tesla owners, fans, and investors have been waiting for is potentially here:
— Tesla (@Tesla) September 2, 2026
The event has remained slim on details. Even invitees are still awaiting true details about what the event will entail, where they’ll go, and what is in store for the evening. This is pretty typical for an event run by Tesla; they keep things under wraps for the most part until the very last minute.
However, there is no secret about what the real intention of Tesla is for this event: it is going to be a huge reveal party for a vehicle that has no steering wheel and no pedals. It is a truly massive step for the company moving forward.
No steering wheel, no pedals
— Tesla Robotaxi (@robotaxi) September 2, 2026
Speculation persists as to whether this is going to be an event that simply announces that rides will begin with the Cybercab, or it will be something more substantial. Tesla has said in the past that they plan to sell the Cybercab to the general public in what could become a great way to earn passive income by adding it to a more global fleet of Robotaxi-geared vehicles.
Tomorrow, the show begins in Austin, and the Cybercab goes live at some capacity; we just don’t know exactly how quite yet.
Tesla Cybercab sightings broaden well outside of Austin with autonomy in focus
Tesla Model Y L gets suspension complaints in over odd issue China
