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Tesla sets the record straight once more about Giga Berlin’s water consumption
Tesla Giga Berlin-Brandenburg is already dubbed as the company’s most sustainable and efficient facility, but it still attracts a consistent stream of opposition. Among the most notable arguments against Giga Berlin is the facility’s water consumption, which critics have alleged is dangerously high. Tesla, for its part, has been doubling down on its efforts to set the record straight about Giga Berlin’s water usage.
In comments to rbb24, Tesla External Projects Lead Theresa Eggler provided an overview of the facility’s water consumption as well as the technologies that the EV maker employs to ensure that the factory could recycle as much water as possible. The Tesla employee highlighted that Giga Berlin recycles almost all of its dirty water from car production. By doing this, Tesla is able to use far less water than originally planned. “We manage to recycle up to 100% of all of our process wastewater here,” she said.
Alexander Riederer, who works at Tesla’s Public Policy & Business Development division, also highlighted that Giga Berlin is one of Germany’s largest wastewater treatment plants. “We have one of the largest industrial wastewater treatment plants in Germany here. There is only one larger one, which is in a nuclear power plant,” he said.
Tesla Giga Berlin is a huge facility, and thus, it was approved to use 1.8 million cubic meters of water per year. However, Tesla currently uses less than 500,000 cubic meters of water annually. A large part of this water consumption is actually just used for the sanitary facilities of Giga Berlin’s 12,500 employees. Thus, despite its large size and current vehicle output, Giga Berlin only uses about 4% of the total water volume of the water association WSE.
“We actually have one of the most efficient automobile factories in the world here in terms of water consumption,” Riederer stated.
While there is a notable amount of noise surrounding Giga Berlin’s water consumption, it is important to note that the facility consumes far less water than other industrial plants in the area. As per the Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment, the Jänschwalde power plant uses 44.9 million cubic meters of water every year, and the waste recycler EEW in Premnitz uses 23 million cubic meters of water annually. Even the Klaistow asparagus farm uses nearly 1.1 million cubic meters of water per year, more than twice the amount of water used by Giga Berlin.
Granted, Giga Berlin is situated in a water protection area. But it should be noted that Mercedes-Benz also operates a factory in Ludwigsfelde that is built in a water protection area. That factory employs 2,000 workers and has an output of about 50,000 Sprinters per year, and it has been operational since the early 1990s. The Mercedes-Benz facility also consumes less than 100,000 cubic meters of water per year. With this in mind, Tesla already uses far less water per vehicle in Giga Berlin, but as per rbb24, the Mercedes-Benz factory has not attracted any protests about its consumption or possible dangers to date.
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Elon Musk
Elon Musk: Tesla Model Y is world’s best-selling car for 3rd year in a row
The Model Y has now established an impressive streak that would otherwise have been impossible before Tesla.
Elon Musk has announced that the Tesla Model Y has become the world’s best-selling car by volume for the third consecutive year, capping 2025 with another dominant performance.
The Model Y has now established an impressive streak that would otherwise have been impossible before Tesla.
Three years in a row
Musk posted on X: “Tesla Model Y is now officially the world’s best-selling car for the third year in a row!” The CEO’s comment echoed an update that Tesla included in its 2025 recap, which highlighted, among other things, the Model Y’s incredible streak.
The Model Y has held the title since 2023, outperforming traditional leaders like the Toyota RAV4 and Corolla thanks to its bang-for-the-buck nature and its stellar combination of practicality, performance, and tech. The Model Y is also lauded as one of the safest vehicles on the road, making it an ideal choice for families in key markets such as China.
An impressive 2025
The Model Y’s sales feat in 2025 is especially impressive considering the introduction of the vehicle’s new variant. Tesla’s changeover to the new Model Y across its global factories resulted in sales being paused for some time in the first quarter. As per Tesla’s Q1 2025 vehicle delivery and production report, “the changeover of Model Y lines across all four of our factories led to the loss of several weeks of production in Q1.”
This suggests that the Model Y’s sales remained strong in 2025 to the point where it could still claim the title of the world’s best-selling vehicle by volume, even with its sales being throttled during the first quarter of the year. It would then be interesting to see just how far the Model Y can go in 2026, especially considering the rollout of new variants like the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y L, the affordable Model Y Standard, and the top-tier Model Y Performance.
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Tesla shares epic 2025 recap video, confirms start of Cybercab production
The cinematic montage, posted by the official Tesla account on X, celebrated the company’s progress in EVs, energy, and Robotaxi development.
Tesla has released an epic year-in-review video for 2025, recapping some of its major achievements from refreshed models to autonomy breakthroughs and production ramps.
The cinematic montage, posted by the official Tesla account on X, celebrated the company’s progress in EVs, energy, and Robotaxi development while looking ahead to an even bigger 2026.
Tesla’s 2025 highlights recap
Tesla has had a busy 2025, as highlighted in the recap video. The video opened with Elon Musk explaining the company’s pursuit of sustainable abundance. A number of milestones were then highlighted, such as the rollout of FSD v14, Optimus’ numerous demos, the opening of the Tesla Diner in Hollywood, LA, the completion of the world’s first autonomous car delivery, and the launch of the Robotaxi network in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Tesla also highlighted several of its accomplishments over the year. As per the company, the Model Y was the year’s best-selling vehicle globally again, and Teslas became more affordable than ever thanks to the Model 3 and Model Y Standard. Other key models were also rolled out, such as the refreshed Model S and X, as well as the new Model Y, the new Model Y Performance, and the six-seat, extended wheelbase Model Y L.
The Megablock was also unveiled during the year, and the Supercharger Network grew by 18%. Over 1 million Powerwalls were also installed during the year, and the Cybertruck became the first EV truck to get both an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award and an NHTSA 5-Star safety rating.
Cybercab production confirmed
Interestingly enough, Tesla also confirmed in its 2025 recap video that the production of the Cybercab has started. This bodes well for the vehicle, as it could result in the vehicle really being mass-produced in the first half of 2026. Elon Musk confirmed during the 2025 Annual Shareholder Meeting that Cybercab production should earnestly start around April 2026.
Musk has also noted that the Cybercab will be Tesla’s highest-volume vehicle yet, with the company aiming for an annual production rate of about 2 million units. “If you’ve seen the design of the Cybercab line, it doesn’t look like a normal car manufacturing line,” Musk said earlier this year. “It looks like a really high-speed consumer electronics line. In fact, the line will move so fast that actually people can’t even get close to it.”
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Tesla Cybercab is changing the look of Austin’s roads, and it’s not even in production yet
Videos and photos showed the sleek, two-seat autonomous vehicles navigating traffic.
Even before entering production, Tesla’s Cybercab is already transforming the appearance of Austin’s streets, with multiple prototypes spotted testing in downtown areas recently.
Videos and photos showed the sleek, two-seat autonomous vehicles navigating traffic. Interestingly enough, the vehicles were equipped with temporary steering wheels and human safety drivers.
Recent Cybercab sightings
Over the weekend, enthusiasts captured footage of two Cybercabs driving together in central Austin, their futuristic silhouettes standing out amid regular traffic. While the vehicles featured temporary steering wheels and side mirrors for now, they retained their futuristic, production-intent exterior design.
Industry watcher Sawyer Merritt shared one of the vehicles’ videos, noting the increasing frequency of the autonomous two-seater’s sightings.
Previewing the autonomous future
Sightings of the Cybercab have been ramping in several key areas across the United States in recent weeks. Sightings include units at Apple’s Visitor Center in California, the Fremont factory test track, and in Austin’s streets.
The increased activity suggests that Tesla is in overdrive, validating the autonomous two-seater ahead of its planned volume production. Elon Musk confirmed at the 2025 Shareholder Meeting that manufacturing begins around April 2026 with ambitious targets, and during an All-Hands meeting earlier this year, Musk hinted that ultimately, Tesla’s factories should be able to produce one Cybercab every 10 seconds.
Elon Musk: Tesla Model Y is world’s best-selling car for 3rd year in a row
Tesla shares epic 2025 recap video, confirms start of Cybercab production
