Tesla gave a series of fresh, new looks inside Giga Berlin, its electric vehicle production facility located in Germany. The videos show how the factory is truly “the machine that builds the machine,” as automation, as well as a few helpful hands on the manufacturing line, help produce its products.
Tesla Giga Berlin has produced the Model Y for just under a year now, reaching a run rate of greater than 250,000 vehicles per year. The facility finally produced roughly 3,000 vehicles per week by the end of Q4, helping Tesla maintain a significant market share in Germany and the European market as a whole.
Today, Tesla gave a fresh look inside Giga Berlin, showing everything from casting and stamping to its “world-class” paint shop and general assembly lines.
Casting Lines
Tesla utilizes the IDRA Giga Press in Berlin, just as it does at other factories, to not only make manufacturing more efficient but also improve vehicle quality and safety.
Tesla shared multiple videos displaying the numerous processes of the casting design for the Model Y. “13 different body parts are stamped with a total of 7,300 tons of force, in a press line that runs at up to 16 parts per minute,” the automaker said. Additionally, Tesla showed portions of the rear casting process, which eliminated over 70 parts and refine the manufacturing process for the Model Y.
Rear chassis underbody pieces are cast in single pieces using a custom aluminum alloy, replacing 70+ metal parts pic.twitter.com/Ka0OnHEW1X
— Tesla (@Tesla) February 13, 2023
Stamped parts and castings are welded together by more than 600 robots. The car is lifted into the paintshop by “Godzilla,” which Tesla said is “one of the largest industrial robots ever.
Rear chassis underbody pieces are cast in single pieces using a custom aluminum alloy, replacing 70+ metal parts pic.twitter.com/Ka0OnHEW1X
— Tesla (@Tesla) February 13, 2023
Paint Shop
Tesla has always said that the paint shop inside Giga Berlin would be its best yet. Referring to it as “world-class” before it was even operational, the automaker has utilized the facility to roll out new colors in the European market, including Quicksilver and Midnight Cherry Red:
“Giga Berlin is home to our most advanced paint system yet, enabling multi-layer painting for depth, dimension & a hand-painted look.”
Giga Berlin is home to our most advanced paint system yet, enabling multi-layer painting for depth, dimension & a hand-painted look pic.twitter.com/W4mCZWfF7D
— Tesla (@Tesla) February 13, 2023
Tesla has struggled with paint quality at its other factories, but Giga Berlin has undoubtedly helped as it utilizes a series of high-quality paint and better processes to improve its look. Tesla filed to upgrade paint shops in Fremont, where some quality concerns arose several years ago.
General Assembly Line
Relying on both automation and humans, Tesla’s General Assembly line at Giga Berlin is where the final touches are put into place, and the Model Y truly takes shape. Over 1,000 people build the Model Y at any given time, installing HVAC, power electronics, drive units, and other elements.
CEO Elon Musk said in the past that he relied too much on automation to get things done with production, and humans were “underrated.”
The new look at Giga Berlin shows the cohesiveness between both robots and humans, which helps to complete the entire production process.
Finally, the vehicle moves to General Assembly, where seats, HVAC, power electronics, drive units & more are installed, using 20+ automated stations.
This is our biggest shop by headcount—on any given shift, 1k+ people are helping build Model Y pic.twitter.com/IgSrCpH5DR
— Tesla (@Tesla) February 13, 2023
The videos truly encapsulate how “the machine” that is Giga Berlin helps build “the machine” that is the Model Y. Tesla has refined its manufacturing processes to take advantage of both automation and humans.
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Tesla opens Cybercab rides to the public, with no steering wheel or pedals
Tesla Cybercab rides are officially open to the public in Austin, Texas, as the company confirmed on Thursday following its launch event that the two-seater would be available in the company’s Robotaxi fleet.
Cybercab is Tesla’s first vehicle completely void of any manual controls. It has no steering wheel and no pedals, and it will utilize Tesla’s Full Self-Driving fleet to operate. The first rides have already happened, as those at the event were able to hail a Cybercab to any location within the company’s geofence in Austin.
Tesla’s $25K car is the Cybercab with no steering wheel or pedals
The addition of Cybercab to the public Robotaxi fleet is a major statement in Tesla’s trek to launch fully autonomous driving. For years, critics have complained about the need for drivers to continuously supervise the vehicle.
With Cybercab, there are no manual controls in the cockpit other than to control the seat, the center screen, and the climate. The vehicle is fully geared toward being a living room on wheels in a sense: equipped with Starlink V5 satellites, CEO Elon Musk said the vehicle would enable 4K live video, gaming, and other entertainment options during travel.
Cybercab is basically a super comfortable lounge on wheels with a great TV and epic sound https://t.co/X1aWKoJdJV
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 3, 2026
Musk noted that Cybercab is “designed and built for maximally efficient autonomous operation.”
Tesla continues to push the envelope on autonomy, and over the next several months, the company could start selling Cybercab units to the public.
The company opened up a public interest form on its website to gauge demand, and many have already submitted requests to purchase a fleet of Cybercab units for their own personal ride-hailing side hustle.
The launch of Cybercab in this area marks a major accomplishment for Tesla, as it also announced that it has reached 1 million unsupervised autonomous miles since launching driverless rides on the Robotaxi fleet.
Things are moving along at a fine pace, and although we have waited for this for some time, the day has finally come when Tesla is offering self-driving rides of some kind to the public.
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Tesla hints its already prepping for Cybercab fleet orders
Tesla has quietly opened a public interest form for companies that want to buy fleets of its purpose-built Cybercab robotaxis, marking the first official channel for commercial purchases of the two-seat autonomous vehicle. The form went live on September 3, the same day Tesla hosted an invite-only Cybercab launch event in Austin, Texas.
Tesla titled the page “Help Us Build Our Robotaxi Network.” Applicants provide name, email, phone number, company name, and deployment region. They then select one or more categories: Cybercab fleet vehicle purchasing, mobility hubs and infrastructure, event collaboration, or other. Tesla says a representative will follow up with those who express commercial interest.
Tesla has introduced a new form that you can fill out if you are interested in purchasing a fleet of Cybercabs:
Form: https://t.co/Ut0yoiEyXD pic.twitter.com/uuaCXmksIO
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 3, 2026
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Until now, the company had no public ordering path for the vehicle, which was first shown as a concept at the October 2024 “We, Robot” event.
The Cybercab is designed from the ground up for unsupervised operation. It has no steering wheel and no pedals.
Regulatory filings list a 48-kilowatt-hour battery, a single 219-horsepower front motor, a curb weight of 3,113 pounds, and an EPA-adjusted range near 290 to 300 miles. Tesla has already registered dozens of the vehicles with Texas authorities and has been testing them on public streets around Austin.
Tesla Cybercab sightings broaden well outside of Austin with autonomy in focus
The company’s existing Robotaxi service, which currently uses modified Model Y vehicles in parts of Texas and Florida, is expected to add Cybercabs as production ramps up at Gigafactory Texas.
The form signals that Tesla is preparing to treat the Cybercab as more than an in-house fleet asset. Investors and operators have discussed buying groups of the vehicles and placing them on Tesla’s ride-hailing network, with Tesla taking a platform fee. High-profile figures have publicly stated plans to acquire fleets if Tesla allows third-party ownership.
The new page gives those parties a direct way to register interest rather than waiting for a conventional configurator.
Whether the form leads quickly to firm purchase agreements remains unclear. Regulatory approval for widespread unsupervised operation still varies by state, and Tesla has not published pricing or delivery timelines for fleet customers. The company has previously discussed a target price near $25,000 to $30,000 per vehicle.
For now, the form is an early signal that Tesla wants partners to help scale the network rather than operate every Cybercab itself.
Pairing the launch of the Cybercab fleet form with the Austin event is no coincidence. Tesla is inviting businesses to participate in the next phase of its Robotaxi plan at the moment the production vehicle first appears in public.
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Tesla Robotaxi riders will face the best dilemma when booking a ride
Tesla has updated its Robotaxi app so riders can pick which vehicle they want before they book. The latest in-app screens now show two options side by side: the two-seat Cybercab and the four-seat Model Y.
A screenshot circulating Thursday shows the change in practice. In Austin, a rider could choose a gold Cybercab for two people or a Model Y for four. Tesla’s updated description calls Cybercab “our first purpose-built autonomous vehicle,” designed for safety, accessibility, and comfort, and says the lineup is available only through the Robotaxi app.
Tesla has updated their Robotaxi page in the App Store. You’ll be able to select if you want a Cybercab or Model Y Robotaxi.
“Our Robotaxi vehicle lineup now includes Cybercab, our first purpose-built autonomous vehicle. Designed for safety, accessibility and comfort, Cybercab… pic.twitter.com/Jff4klilDr
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 3, 2026
The distinction is more than cosmetic, and it’s important to note that Robotaxi refers to the platform, while Cybercab refers to a vehicle.
Model Y Robotaxis have carried the service since it opened in Austin in mid-2025 and later expanded to Dallas, Houston, and parts of Florida. Those vehicles are converted production SUVs that still have steering wheels and pedals.
Cybercab is different. It has no driver controls, butterfly doors, a low seat height meant to work with wheelchairs, extra trunk space for assistive devices, and braille on the handles. Tesla has registered dozens of the two-seaters with Texas regulators in the days leading up to its September 3 Austin event.
Giving riders a choice lets Tesla match the vehicle to the trip. Most rides involve one or two people, which is where Cybercab is meant to be cheaper and more efficient to operate. Groups of three or four, or anyone who needs more space, can still request a Model Y.
The same app handles booking, payment, cabin settings, and, on Cybercab, features such as phone-based door opening and in-cabin voice controls.
The update does not mean every city suddenly has both cars available. Cybercab support is listed for Austin first, and the purpose-built fleet is still small compared with the existing Model Y roster. Even so, the app change marks a shift from a single-vehicle pilot to a mixed fleet.
Riders can now choose between the compact, purpose-built robotaxi and the familiar SUV that launched the service.