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Tesla Giga Berlin slated for late-Summer start: Economic Minister reiterates production dates

Tesla Gigafactory Berlin render (Credit: Tesla)

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Tesla Giga Berlin will begin producing cars in late-Summer or early-Fall. After a meeting with the Economic Committee of the Landtag, Brandenburg Economic Minister Jörg Steinbach said that there shouldn’t be major delays as previously reported.

Steinbach first confirmed to Teslarati last week that Giga Berlin would be slated for a late-Summer or early-Autumn start after questioning reports of the German factory beginning production in early 2022.

“I don’t have the faintest idea of how anyone can come up with a six-month delay,” Steinbach said to Teslarati in an interview. “If nothing happens out of the ordinary, I still expect a start of production in late Summer or Early Autumn,” the Economic Minister also said about the plant’s anticipated start time.

The delays until 2022 were initially reported by German media outlet Automobilwoche, which indicated that a member of Elon Musk’s personal circle had told them the Brandenburg-located plant wouldn’t start producing vehicles until next year, well beyond the originally anticipated start time.

EXCLUSIVE: Tesla Giga Berlin isn’t facing a 6-month delay: German Minister

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Steinbach, who has remained close to the project since its establishment because of its potential to provide an economic boost to the local economy, has remained strong on his prediction of a mid-2021 start time.

He reaffirmed and reiterated his predictions made to Teslarati to the Economic Committee of the Landtag in a meeting on Wednesday, according to Tagesspiegel.

The delay rumors can mostly be attributed to Tesla’s recent addition of a battery cell production facility on the Giga Berlin property. When Tesla submitted these plans, its application for the entire project had to be revised. While the initial production of vehicles won’t be pushed back due to the addition of a battery manufacturing plant, the entire project becomes prolonged due to more time being needed to complete the facility altogether.

Some other delay rumors could be caused by the extensive process a project of this magnitude takes to be approved. German engineer and Tesla enthusiast Alex Voigt said that some projects take 3-5 years to gain ultimate approval due to deliberate examination of the plans, the application, and the potential environmental effects of a construction project.

“If this additional investment now flows into the permit application, it goes without saying that the application documents must be revised, and then the approval authorities have the last word,” Brandenburg’s Prime Minister, Dietmar Woidke, said.

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Tesla indicated in the Q1 2021 Update Letter that Giga Berlin would begin production and deliveries later this year. The automaker indicated that the German plant’s production remains “on track for late 2021. Machinery for paint, stamping, castings, etc., continues to be moved into the building. In the meantime, we will continue to increase import volumes to Europe.”

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Elon Musk: Grok 5 now has a 10% chance of becoming world’s first AGI

If his prediction comes to pass, xAI could very well become yet another world-changing company from Elon Musk. 

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Credit: xAI/X

Elon Musk has shared his most optimistic forecast about Grok 5’s capabilities yet. In a recent post on X, Musk stated that he now believes that the upcoming update to xAI’s large language model has a 10% chance of achieving artificial general intelligence. 

If his prediction comes to pass, xAI could very well become yet another world-changing company from Elon Musk. 

Musk’s previous Grok 5 estimate 

Just last month, Elon Musk estimated that xAI might have a chance at achieving artificial general intelligence with Grok 5. Musk’s comments at the time already made headlines, considering that no company in the world today has achieved AGI yet, though numerous AI startups today are actively pursuing artificial general intelligence.

In a recent post on X, Musk noted that his “estimate of the probability of Grok 5 achieving AGI is now at 10% and rising.” In another post, he also noted that “Grok 5 will be AGI or something indistinguishable from AGI.” Grok 5 is yet to be released, though Musk’s comments about the update are definitely setting expectations.

AGI will be world changing

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) refers to an AI system that is capable of matching or surpassing human-level intelligence across tasks such as thinking, reasoning, and other domains by a notable margin, as noted in a previous report from Benzinga. With AGI achieved, industries from robotics to manufacturing would likely see a notable boost.

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As per a report from the Center for International Relations and Sustainable Development (CIRSD), AGI could eventually pave the way for artificial super intelligence (ASI), which would be more intelligent than AGI and likely more intelligent than all of humanity combined. 

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Tesla Model Y L becomes China’s 4th best-selling mid-to-large SUV in its first month of sales

Tesla Model Y L was able to sell 8,221 units domestically in September.

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Credit: Tesla China

The Tesla Model Y L has only started deliveries last month, but it is already making its presence known in China’s mid-to-large SUV segment. As per data aggregated by Tesla watchers in China, the Model Y L has quickly risen as one of the country’s best-selling large SUVs just weeks into its first deliveries.

The momentum of the Model Y L has been so notable that it ended up being China’s fourth best-selling mid-to-large SUV in September.

Tesla Model Y L September sales

As per data compiled by Yiche, the Tesla Model Y L was able to sell 8,221 units domestically in September. This places it in fourth place in China’s rankings for best-selling large SUVs, just below the Leapmotor C16, the Li Auto L6, and the Xiaomi YU7, which sold 8,312, 11,827, and 22,244 units in September, respectively.

A look at the prices of China’s top four mid-to-large SUVs would show that the Model Y L is one of the pricier vehicles among the four. The Xiaomi YU7’s inclusion in the list is also quite interesting as the all-electric crossover primarily competes with the five-seat Model Y, not the Model Y L. Needless to say, the price difference between the Model Y L and the Xiaomi YU7 is quite substantial.

Just getting started

The Tesla Model Y L only started deliveries sometime in September. Following its launch in August, the Model Y L received positive reviews from professional reviewers, with many praising the vehicle’s spacious cabin and its reasonable price. It did not take long before the Model Y L was sold out for October, and later, November as well. Considering that the Model Y L now has an estimated delivery date of December 2025 for new orders, it seems safe to assume that every unit built by Giga Shanghai this quarter will be sold to consumers.

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The Model Y L has the makings of a best-seller. With a spacious second row that features two captain seats with retractable armrests, as well as a third row that could accommodate regular-sized adults, the Model Y L is a true family hauler. Combined with its starting price of $47,566 before options, the extended wheelbase all-electric crossover SUV does seem to have the makings of a best-seller.

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Tesla makes a change to its ‘American Heroes’ $500 discount

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla has made a change to its “American Heroes” discount, which takes $500 off the price of a vehicle purchase if you work in a certain field.

Tesla first launched the American Heroes discount earlier this year on May 22, 2025, and it initially started as a $1,000 deduction on the price of any of the company’s vehicles.

It formerly allowed military veterans, retirees, active-duty members, their spouses, first responders, teachers, and students. It utilized ID.me to verify their occupation.

However, Tesla has added a few groups of workers to this discount, according to language on its website:

“Tesla vehicles are perfect for everyday American heroes. Offer available to verified military veterans, retirees, active-duty members, their spouses, surviving spouses, first responders, medical providers, nurses, students and teachers verified through ID.me1. Adjustments applied when you place your order after verification. Eligibility criteria detailed at ID.me.”

The discount applies to all five Tesla vehicles, so it is not restricted to just the S3XY lineup.

The American Heroes discount is one of the several offers and incentives that Tesla offers on its vehicles. Currently, it is one of four offers Tesla has on its vehicles, with the others being:

  • Full Self-Driving (Supervised) Trial: Three-month trial for those who use a referral code to buy a vehicle.
  • Premium Connectivity Trial: One-month free
  • Financing Offers: Tesla has various financing offers, including a 3.99% APR with $5,000 on Model S and Model X orders in the U.S.

These incentives help drive sales, but they also show Tesla’s appreciation for those who work in challenging fields. The discount has no expiration, as of now, but with this recent addition, Tesla likely has no plans to eliminate the program.

Tesla has occasionally launched discounts for military members near the 4th of July as well.

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