News
Tesla Giga Berlin’s building structure is about to begin construction
Construction on the main building at Tesla Giga Berlin has begun, as validated by the recent sightings of the pillar and beams that have arrived by train. Giga Berlin production facility will begin construction soon as pillars and beams for the building have arrived on the site via train.
Tesla has been ramping the project since January, but recently the building foundations and preparations to begin the construction of the facility itself have started to take shape.
Photos from Tobias Lindh show a series of construction-grade pillars and beams being transported into the Giga Berlin property by a series of cargo trains that Tesla has been using since mid-May.
The appearance of the beams and pillars, along with past developments of construction crews initiating and completing foundational work, indicate the construction of the facility is imminent.
Pillars and Beams for the Building structure arrived today at #GigaBerlin.
The first train is already unloaded and a second train arrived. pic.twitter.com/BVAdieaurI
— Tobias Lindh (@tobilindh) June 26, 2020
Tesla is working to remain on schedule with the Giga Berlin project and plans to begin producing the Model Y crossover at the facility by next July. On June 22, a fourth crane that will be used to lift and move heavy materials efficiently appeared on the site. These cranes will handle the load of incoming beams and pillars during the construction process.
The company’s contracted construction crews are also performing a series of foundational digs to begin setting the ground where the main facility will stand. Tesla received preliminary approval to begin performing foundational work in late May. A series of new foundational holes were spotted in the footprint of what will eventually be the main building of the facility.
Tesla has encountered its fair share of roadblocks and delays in the process of developing and building its Giga Berlin facility. Early on in the project, the company experienced pushback from local citizens over environmental concerns. Still, Tesla’s mission to drive sustainable energy and transportation into the European sector in a concentrated manner has led to the project being widely accepted.
On June 25, Brandenburg Economic Minister Jörg Steinbach visited the site. The German government official who has expressed an enormous amount of support for the electric automaker arrived with a fleet of Tesla vehicles to view the site’s progress.
Steinbach has been one of the most vocal supporters of Tesla’s presence in Germany. After citing economic benefits for Brandenburg State and Germany as a whole, the minster made every attempt to help the automaker remain on its tight schedule by using exemptions to move the construction process forward.
Eventually, Giga Berlin will produce 500,000 electric cars every year and will employ around 12,000 people. With only a year until the company’s planned beginning of production, crews are moving quickly and efficiently to remain on schedule, and the shell of Giga Berlin could be coming very soon.
Elon Musk
Starlink powers Europe’s first satellite-to-phone service with O2 partnership
The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools.
Starlink is now powering Europe’s first commercial satellite-to-smartphone service, as Virgin Media O2 launches a space-based mobile data offering across the UK.
The new O2 Satellite service uses Starlink’s low-Earth orbit network to connect regular smartphones in areas without terrestrial coverage, expanding O2’s reach from 89% to 95% of Britain’s landmass.
Under the rollout, compatible Samsung devices automatically connect to Starlink satellites when users move beyond traditional mobile coverage, according to Reuters.
The service initially supports text messaging along with apps such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Maps and weather tools. O2 is pricing the add-on at £3 per month.
By leveraging Starlink’s satellite infrastructure, O2 can deliver connectivity in remote and rural regions without building additional ground towers. The move represents another step in Starlink’s push beyond fixed broadband and into direct-to-device mobile services.
Virgin Media O2 chief executive Lutz Schuler shared his thoughts about the Starlink partnership. “By launching O2 Satellite, we’ve become the first operator in Europe to launch a space-based mobile data service that, overnight, has brought new mobile coverage to an area around two-thirds the size of Wales for the first time,” he said.
Satellite-based mobile connectivity is gaining traction globally. In the U.S., T-Mobile has launched a similar satellite-to-cell offering. Meanwhile, Vodafone has conducted satellite video call tests through its partnership with AST SpaceMobile last year.
For Starlink, the O2 agreement highlights how its network is increasingly being integrated into national telecom systems, enabling standard smartphones to connect directly to satellites without specialized hardware.
Elon Musk
Elon Musk’s Starbase, TX included in $84.6 million coastal funding round
The funds mark another step in the state’s ongoing beach restoration and resilience efforts along the Gulf Coast.
Elon Musk’s Starbase, Texas has been included in an $84.6 million coastal funding round announced by the Texas General Land Office (GLO). The funds mark another step in the state’s ongoing beach restoration and resilience efforts along the Gulf Coast.
Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham confirmed that 14 coastal counties will receive funding through the Coastal Management Program (CMP) Grant Cycle 31 and Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (CEPRA) program Cycle 14. Among the Brownsville-area recipients listed was the City of Starbase, which is home to SpaceX’s Starship factory.
“As someone who spent more than a decade living on the Texas coast, ensuring our communities, wildlife, and their habitats are safe and thriving is of utmost importance. I am honored to bring this much-needed funding to our coastal communities for these beneficial projects,” Commissioner Buckingham said in a press release.
“By dedicating this crucial assistance to these impactful projects, the GLO is ensuring our Texas coast will continue to thrive and remain resilient for generations to come.”
The official Starbase account acknowledged the support in a post on X, writing: “Coastal resilience takes teamwork. We appreciate @TXGLO and Commissioner Dawn Buckingham for their continued support of beach restoration projects in Starbase.”
The funding will support a range of coastal initiatives, including beach nourishment, dune restoration, shoreline stabilization, habitat restoration, and water quality improvements.
CMP projects are backed by funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, alongside local partner matches. CEPRA projects focus specifically on reducing coastal erosion and are funded through allocations from the Texas Legislature, the Texas Hotel Occupancy Tax, and GOMESA.
Checks were presented in Corpus Christi and Brownsville to counties, municipalities, universities, and conservation groups. In addition to Starbase, Brownsville-area recipients included Cameron County, the City of South Padre Island, Willacy County, and the Willacy County Navigation District.
Elon Musk
The Boring Company wins key approval for Nashville Music City Loop
The approval allows The Boring Company to use state-owned right-of-way along Tennessee’s highway system.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee announced that the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) have jointly approved The Boring Company’s lease application and enhanced grading permit for the Music City Loop.
The approval allows The Boring Company to use state-owned right-of-way along Tennessee’s highway system, clearing a key hurdle for the privately funded tunnel project that aims to connect downtown Nashville to Nashville International Airport in approximately eight minutes, the Office of the TN Governor wrote in a press release.
“Tennessee continues to lead the nation in finding innovative solutions to accommodate growth, and in partnership with The Boring Company, we are exploring possibilities we couldn’t achieve on our own,” Gov. Lee said in a statement.
“The Boring Company is grateful for the leadership and hard work of federal, state, and local agencies in bringing this project to a shovel-ready point,” The Boring Company President Steve Davis said. “Music City Loop will be a safe, fast, and fun public transportation system, and we are excited to build it in Nashville.”
With lease and permitting approvals secured, The Boring Company will move forward with the Loop system’s construction immediately. The first segment of the Loop system is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
The Music City Loop will run beneath state-owned roadways and is designed to connect downtown Nashville to the airport, as well as lower Broadway to West End. The project will be 100% privately funded.
“The Music City Loop shows what’s possible when we leverage private-sector innovation and American ingenuity to solve transportation challenges,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “TDOT’s lease approval will help advance this ambitious project as we work to reduce congestion and make travel more seamless for the American people.”
The Boring Company described the Loop as an all-electric, zero-emissions, high-speed underground transportation system that will meet or exceed safety standards. The Vegas Loop, for one, earned a 99.57% safety and security rating from the DHS and the TSA, the highest score ever awarded to any transportation system.
Starlink powers Europe’s first satellite-to-phone service with O2 partnership
Elon Musk’s Starbase, TX included in $84.6 million coastal funding round
