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Tesla announced its first European Gigafactory 1 year ago today: A timeline
One year ago today, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the automaker would open a production facility in Germany. Upon accepting an award at the Golden Steering Wheel awards alongside Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess, Musk shocked Tesla fans everywhere by revealing its intentions. But what has transpired for the electric automaker since then is a culmination of hard work, dedication, efficiency, and a little bit of luck, and Tesla has been able to erect several buildings of the facility just eleven months after the beginning of the construction process.
November 12, 2019: Elon Musk announces Giga Berlin
“Everyone knows that German engineering is outstanding, for sure. That’s part of the reason why we are locating our Gigafactory Europe in Germany. We are also going to create an engineering and design center in Berlin, because Berlin has some of the best art in the world,” Musk said at the Golden Steering Wheel Awards in Germany last year. Musk also stated that the Model Y would be the initial focus of the new Gigafactory’s production lines.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess exchange compliments at an award ceremony. (Credit: YouTube/AUTO BILD)
December 2019: Permits and Regulatory Approval
Tesla was working with the local government in Brandenburg to gain regulatory approval to begin ground clearing measures on the 741-acre plot of land that the automaker had purchased for a bargain price. After the land sale price was finalized, along with the permission of local authorities, Tesla could begin making progress on the land.
Credit: YouTube/J.-U. Koehler
January 2020: Ground clearing begins
After Tesla received preliminary approval, ground clearing began. While this sparked some controversy and concern from environmental groups, Tesla had already been planning to replace trees in areas surrounding Brandenburg, promising to replant three times as many trees as it had removed from the property. To be clear, the trees that were removed were of “inferior quality,” according to Grünheide Mayor Arne Christiani, as they were used for commercial cardboard production.
Credit: Emil Senkel
April 2020: Groundbreaking imminent, land preparation nears completion
On April 20th, Giga Berlin construction crews worked on the ground leveling and excavation of the land at the site. With only 90 hectares of land free from the trees, Tesla had its work cut out. Just a few days before ground leveling, the final tree was removed from the land, making it completely clear of any trees, all while not harming any wildlife.
Credit: YouTube | Giga Berlin / Gigafactory4, build GIGABERLIN
May 2020: Foundational work gets approval, begins
Foundational work began appearing at the site in late May. Tesla had to abide by some guidelines to keep drinking water protected and keep the noise down after 10 pm. Aquifers were also installed to protect any groundwater, which was a growing concern among local residents.
Credit: Twitter | @tobilindh
June 2020: Structures begin appearing, pillars and beams installed
The main pillars of the Drive Unit facility began appearing at the site, which were transported by train. Additionally, the installation of these pillars began just a few days later. It was the first structural portion of any of Giga Berlin’s facilities to be implemented, and prefabricated construction methods contributed to an accelerated construction effort at the site.
Credit: Twitter | @tobilindh
August 2020: Body In White construction begins, Drive Unit facility nears completion
The rapid pace of construction was evident as the Drive Unit facility neared completion, and the Body-in-White facility started construction. With pillars and beams being installed just two months prior for the first time, the rate of construction was certainly impressive. There was still plenty of work to go, however.
The Northern wall of the Drive Unit is nearly completed. (Credit: @gigafactory_4 on Twitter)
September 2020: Elon Musk’s First Visit to Giga Berlin
In a long-overdue visit because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Musk detailed Model Y redesign and battery cell production at the facility. Met with a warm reception, Musk’s first visit to Giga Berlin included visits with local politicians, including vocal supporter Jörg Steinbach, an economic minister.
Credit: @tobilindh | Twitter
Today: Where does Giga Berlin’s progress stand?
Currently, both the Drive Unit and Body-In-White facilities are constructed, with interior fittings being installed. Flooring and machinery have yet to make its way into these facilities, but progress is well ahead of schedule. While Tesla still lists Giga Berlin’s starting production date as Summer 2021, some of those in Europe have stated that deliveries could be expected in Q1 or Q2 2021.
A new Tesla patent that has been granted to the company this week has revealed a potential strategy for solving a major issue that could impact both the Full Self-Driving suite and Optimus.
The patent, which is No. 12,636,684, describes a “Lens Cleaning System,” and was submitted by Tesla in May 2025.
The language in the patent details a lens cleaning system that can dispense fluid and wipe it away with a wiper assembly.
Optimus can see you now… 🤖👁️
The patent for @Tesla_Optimus‘s eye structure just dropped. $TSLA pic.twitter.com/Jac4VhDmKH
— SETI Park (@seti_park) May 26, 2026
This would effectively clean any debris that would potentially impact the visibility of the cameras on Tesla automobiles or Optimus’s camera eyes. Perhaps the most pertinent example is through the Full Self-Driving suite, as debris that can accumulate on the vehicle’s exterior cameras can impact the suite’s ability to operate effectively.
This requires a remedy through manual cleaning, but this patent hints that Tesla could be planning to implement this new technology on its upcoming vehicles.
Interestingly, we have started to see it on some Robotaxi vehicles, and it will likely be included in the Cybercab, especially as that vehicle will enable full autonomy.
Back in January, the first Model Y Robotaxi units were spotted with camera washers on the side repeaters, as the video below shows fluid squirting and rinsing off any debris that is limiting visibility.
🚨 Tesla looks to have installed Camera Washers on the side repeater cameras on Robotaxis in Austin
pic.twitter.com/xemRtDtlRR— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 23, 2026
This hardware patent does bring up an interesting question for those of us who own Teslas with AI4 and have been told that our cars will one day be capable of full autonomy: Will this washer be available as a retrofit on already-built cars?
Perhaps the “Lens Cleaning System” patent is a good look at one way Tesla plans to combat one of the most obvious issues of autonomy that utilizes a camera-based system. For Optimus, it could be less needed as it could be manually cleaned by owners. For cars, it seems like a bigger necessity, especially as autonomy nears and Tesla gets close to launching a feature-complete FSD suite.
SpaceX’s Starlink product has just gotten its latest airline adoptee, and the move marks the successful partnership of three of the “Big Four” U.S. airlines.
American Airlines announced on Tuesday that it would utilize Starlink in more than 500 narrowbody aircraft beginning in the first quarter of 2027. These include the Airbus aircraft in its fleet, including the new A321XLR and A321neo.
With the new partnership with American Airlines, Starlink is now present on three of the largest airlines in the country: American, United, and Southwest.
Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee for stable and reliable internet access
Starlink’s VP of Enterprise Sales, Jason Fritch, said:
“We are proud to bring Starlink on board American Airlines, delivering fast and reliable internet to passengers and crew. Whether traveling for leisure or business, Starlink enables a fully connected experience gate to gate, making every flight smoother and more enjoyable.”
Additionally, American Airlines Chief Customer Officer, Heather Garboden, said:
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want. The addition of Starlink solidifies American as a leading airline in keeping passengers connected in flight.”
Starlink has been on a tear over the past year, as it has continued to be adopted by a wide variety of airlines as a more consistent and reliable way to provide WiFi to its passengers. It has already gained a great reputation among residential users, but its biggest commercial application appears to be how it is being used in the air.
American Airlines will adopt Starlink on more than 500 of its narrowbody aircraft beginning in Q1 2027
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want,” said American Airlines Chief… pic.twitter.com/XY2wflycc0
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) May 26, 2026
The only airline of the Big Four not to adopt Starlink thus far is Delta, which chose to opt for the alternative, which is Amazon Leo. CEO Ed Bastian said to Bloomberg that Delta chose Amazon’s product over Starlink’s because “the opportunities, in terms of the improved bandwidth with a much lower price point than what we’ve ever seen from Starlink, will make a big difference.”
Delta will not start installing Amazon Leo until 2028.
“Of course, we expect Starlink will be warning people that we’re going to go with an inferior product,” Bastian said. “But I’m not too worried about partnering with Amazon.”
Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim level is nearing its first deliveries just a few months after being offered for an incredible deal.
Back in February, Tesla officially launched a new trim of the Cybertruck, the All-Wheel-Drive, starting at just $59,990. It was a lot of truck for the money, especially considering what it offered the Rear-Wheel-Drive variant for last year, which was a total flop.
The $59,990 price that was offered initially was a deal due to its 325-mile range rating, powered tonneau, three bed outlets, Powershare capability, coil springs with adaptive damping for a refined suspension feel, Steer-by-Wire and four-wheel steering, a 6′ x 4′ composite bed, towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, and a powered frunk.
Tesla is now nearing deliveries of this trim, according to watcher Sawyer Merritt, as Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who ordered the vehicle initially:
I can confirm that Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who initially ordered the $59,990 Cybertruck Dual-Motor AWD, which means first deliveries should start in the coming weeks!
• 325 mile range
• 7,500 lb towing capacity
• 0-60mph: 4.1s
• Bed with… pic.twitter.com/PQwVYbZf6j— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) May 24, 2026
Earlier this month, we reported on units of the trim being spotted outside Gigafactory Texas by Joe Tegtmeyer.
Tesla Giga Texas buzzing as new Cybertruck appears to enter production
This Cybertruck trim was interesting because it was released basically out of nowhere, priced incredibly well, and gathered many orders in a small amount of time. However, CEO Elon Musk noted just days afterward that the vehicle would only be priced at this bargain level for ten days.
Tesla fans were not happy.
Awful way to treat customers – particularly when they already sent out a marketing email announcing the $59,990 truck…with zero mention of it being a limited-time offer.
— Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) February 24, 2026
However, the issues with the pricing strategy have blown over since the February unveiling event, and now that deliveries are near, Tesla fans are anticipating the truck making its way to their driveways soon.
The truck is currently priced at $69,990, and deliveries for new orders are slated for between August and September 2026.
Tesla patent reveals strategy for solving major Full Self-Driving, Optimus issue
SpaceX Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee, grabbing three of the ‘Big Four’
