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Tesla Giga Berlin update: cranes, excavation, foundation work, internet, and more

Credit: Twitter | Gigafactory_4

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Construction crews at Tesla’s Giga Berlin property in Brandenburg, Germany, are moving swiftly and efficiently to complete the large-scale project by its target completion date. An update of the Giga Berlin site courtesy of @gigafactory_4 on Twitter shows a variety of new tasks underway. These include new excavation, the buildout of new foundations and a fourth crane, as well as internet access.

New photographs were taken on June 22, showing the updates on the property that Tesla officially purchased in January. Overall, Gigafactory Berlin appears to be ramping nicely as Tesla plans to begin producing the Model Y crossover in July 2021.

A Fourth Tower Crane Appears Along with New Excavation Projects

A fourth tower crane has been spotted on the site, which will be used to efficiently lift and move heavy materials while maintaining a small footprint on the site. Tower cranes take up very little room and can move sizable objects quickly.

A new excavation project has also appeared on the site at the forefront of the photo below. Tesla’s contracted crews finished the general excavation of the facility in late March and early April.

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New Gravel Roads for Construction Vehicles

New gravel roads appeared on the area as well, hinting that projects across the entire property will commence soon. Initially, there was only one gravel road that allowed vehicles to gain access to Giga Berlin. Still, more are being put in every week to enable heavy vehicles to navigate across the site efficiently.

 

New Foundational Work

There are a series of new foundations set where a portion of the main facility will stand. In late May, Tesla received preliminary approval to begin foundation work from the German government, with the first portions being installed in early June. Load tests were performed in mid-May to determine the strength of the grounds. Several front loaders are currently working on this portion of the site, moving dirt and digging holes where the foundations are going to be installed.

Internet access for containers

Satellite dishes were spotted on top of the construction containers where supervisors and project managers will oversee the entire project. This addition could expedite communication between project managers and Tesla or could allow engineers to efficiently design parts of the future facility. Either way, it is an advantage to have internet access in the vicinity of the property for a variety of reasons.

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Credit: Twitter | Gigafactory_4

Tesla plans to begin building 500,000 vehicles annually at Giga Berlin starting next year. The Model Y will be first on the list, and the company also plans to build a world-class paint facility at the site, which is expected to completely abolish the company’s issues with build quality. Elon Musk has said that paint is a weakness of Tesla, but Giga Berlin will be the first step in improving the color quality of its vehicles.

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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Tesla China posts strong February wholesale growth at Gigafactory Shanghai

The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.

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Credit: Grace Tao/Weibo

Tesla China sold 58,599 vehicles wholesale in February, reflecting strong year-over-year growth. The figure includes both domestic deliveries in China and vehicles exported to international markets.

The update was shared by Tesla observers on social media platform X, citing monthly China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) data.

Tesla’s February wholesale result represents a 91% increase year over year, compared with 30,688 vehicles in February 2025. Month over month, the result was down 15.2% from January, when Tesla China recorded 69,129 wholesale units.

The February total reflects combined sales of the Model 3 and Model Y produced at Gigafactory Shanghai. The facility produces the two vehicles for both domestic sales and exports.

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Gigafactory Shanghai continues to serve as Tesla’s primary vehicle export hub, supplying vehicles to markets across Asia and Europe. Data compiled by Tesla watchers shows that 18,485 vehicles were sold domestically in China in January 2026, while exports accounted for 50,644 units during the same period.

Tesla has also been extending financing programs in China as it pushes to strengthen domestic demand. The company recently extended its seven-year ultra-low-interest and five-year interest-free financing programs through March 31, marking the second extension of the promotion this year.

The financing initiative was first introduced on January 6 as a strategy aimed at offsetting higher ownership costs ahead of China’s planned 5% NEV purchase tax in 2026. The promotion was originally scheduled to expire at the end of January before being extended to February and then again through the end of the first quarter.

Tesla’s efforts come amid growing competition in China’s EV market. According to data compiled by CNEV Post, Tesla’s 2025 retail sales in China reached 625,698 vehicles, representing a 4.78% year-over-year decline. Part of that decline was linked to the Model Y changeover to its updated variant in early 2025, which temporarily reduced deliveries during the transition period.

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Tesla Model Y L spotted on transport trucks in Australia

One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier. 

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Tesla’s upcoming Model Y L has been spotted on transport trucks in Australia. Sightings of the six-seat extended wheelbase Model Y variant have been reported on social media platform X by members of the Australian Tesla community.

One of the sightings was reported along Victoria Parade in Melbourne, and it showed multiple Model Y L vehicles on a transport carrier. 

The sighting follows earlier observations by Tesla enthusiasts in Sydney, where a covered vehicle believed to be a Model Y L was spotted at a Supercharger.

The Sydney sighting drew attention after observers noted that the vehicle’s tare weight appeared to match the ADR approval listing for the Model Y L, suggesting it could indeed be the extended wheelbase variant of the electric SUV.

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Tesla has previously confirmed that the Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026. The confirmation was reported by techAU following a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.

The Model Y L expands the existing Model Y lineup with seating for six passengers. The vehicle features a longer body compared with the standard Model Y in order to accommodate a spacious second and third row.

Tesla has opted for a 2-2-2 seating configuration instead of a traditional seven-seat layout for the Model Y L. The design includes two individual seats in the middle row to provide easier access to the third row and additional passenger space.

Tesla Australia and New Zealand has also stated that the Model Y L will be covered under the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.

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Tesla has not yet announced pricing or official range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.

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Elon Musk shares timeframe for X Money early public access rollout

X Money is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.

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Credit: UK Government, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Elon Musk has stated that X Money, the digital payments system being developed for social media platform X, is expected to enter early public access next month. 

The update was shared by Musk in a post on X. “𝕏 Money early public access will launch next month,” Musk wrote in his post.

As noted in a Reuters report, X Money is being developed as a digital payment service that’s directly integrated into the X platform. 

The system is expected to enable financial transactions within the app, expanding the platform’s capabilities beyond social media features.

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Musk has previously discussed plans to introduce payments and financial services as part of X’s broader development.

Since acquiring the platform in 2022, Musk has discussed expanding X to include a range of services such as messaging, media, and financial tools.

Elon Musk has shared his goal of transforming X into an “everything app.” During a previous podcast interview with members of the Tesla community, Musk mused about turning X into something similar to China’s WeChat, which allows users to shop, pay, communicate, and perform a variety of other tasks.

“In China, you do everything in WeChat… it’s kickass… Outside of China, there’s nothing like it, people live on one app. My idea would be like how about if we just copy WeChat,” Musk joked at the time.

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To prepare for the rollout of X Money, X has partnered with payment company Visa to support the development of payment services for the platform’s users. The move could allow X to tap into the growing demand for digital and in-app financial transactions as the company builds additional services around its existing user base.

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