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Tesla Giga Berlin cleared of water supply concerns as state government begins infrastructure planning
Tesla takes a step closer to begin construction of Giga Berlin in Grunheide as Brandenburg authorities announce initial plans to spend 100 million euros on infrastructure development around the facility. Additionally, the Agriculture and Environment Minister Axel Vogel confirmed during a parliamentary committee on Wednesday that there’s a secure water supply for the entire region, thereby eliminating one of the biggest risks that would have delayed construction of Tesla’s first European factory.
Local residents, business owners, and environmental groups initially sounded the alarm about water, in fear that the California-based electric carmaker’s plans for a large production facility will dry up their local water supply. Tesla plans to initially produce 150,000 electric vehicles annually at Giga Berlin and will eventually ramp up to 500,000 units per year.
Responsible water association Strausberg / Erkner (WSE) addressed the community in a meeting last week, noting that they can meet the water supply needs of the Gigafactory in Grunheide but need additional funding. According to Vogel, WSE supplied about 10.8 million cubic meters of water in 2018 and the government can stretch that to the approved framework of 16 million cubic meters. Tesla’s Giga Berlin will only need about 1.77 million cubic meters of water per year.
“The evaluations will be completed this week and then the approval notice will be issued, there is no reason to be worried that Tesla cannot be supplied with sufficient drinking water,” Vogel said.
In January, Tesla CEO and co-founder Elon Musk also chimed in on the water supply issue and clarified that Giga Berlin is designed with sustainability and the environment in mind.
Giga Berlin / GF4 will absolutely be designed with sustainability and the environment in mind
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 25, 2020
With Water Issues Solved, Government Thinks of Infrastructure
As Tesla Giga Berlin gains momentum with the assurance of the Brandenburg government that there’s enough water supply for the factory and for the rest of the community, authorities have announced plans to spend 10 million euros this year on roads and railway connections. Another 90 million euros will be allocated next year for various infrastructure projects around the car factory and a total of one billion euros would be spent by 2030.
Minister of Transport Guido Beermann disclosed plans for the electrification of the railway siding and an extension or relocation of the Fangschleuse train station.
There are also talks about the expansion of state roads, bus line networks that will serve commuters to Grunheide, and the extension of the S-Bahn, the city’s rapid railway system, to Grunheide.
Tesla enthusiast Emil Senkel has provided a clear illustration of these plans:
being examined:
– electrification of the railway siding
– possible extension of the S-Bahn to Grünheide
– bus lines networksplanned:
– new link parallel to the railway line between the motorway and L23
– extension or relocation of the existing train station
– 4-lane extension pic.twitter.com/R5ElDHJUzY— Emil Senkel (@EmilSenkel) February 13, 2020
With the influx of people expected when Giga Berlin goes online, the government is also planning to spend 30 million euros for new dormitories in nearby areas, 50 million euros for the renovation of dormitories, and 52 million euros for the rehabilitation of municipal bridges and bike lanes.
Environmental Protection Measures
As Tesla completes the necessary requirements to move forward with the construction of its facility in Brandenburg, the carmaker announced the steps it’s taking to ensure all measures are taken to protect the environment. Tesla will put up around 400 nesting boxes for birds breeding in the area and relocate several nests of forest ants. As planned, the carmaker will also search the forest for hibernating bats, forest lizards, and other creatures that need to be moved.
Tesla plans to start production of vehicles at Giga Berlin by July 2021. The factory is expected to employ around 8,000 to 12,000 workers to help with the production of the Model 3 sedan, the Model Y crossover.
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 is shipping a new feature that silences neighborhood Supercharger complaints, prompting drivers to be aware of those who might be impacted by excessive noise nearby.
Tesla is now rolling out a new location-specific “Quiet Charging Zone” that prompts drivers to lower their vehicle’s audio volume in an effort to make things comfortable for everyone, even those who are not Tesla owners.
Another beautiful example of Tesla’s vertical integration.
Neighbors were complaining about noise and commotion at this new Supercharger in San Francisco.
So Tesla pushed a software update that asks people to turn their volume down, with a button to do it in 1 tap. Smart. pic.twitter.com/8esuliuzwr
— Whole Mars Catalog (@wholemars) May 20, 2026
This is an impactful feature that will resolve many complaints from those who are living nearby.
When a Tesla plugs into this Supercharger and its media volume exceeds a certain level, the vehicle’s central touchscreen displays a polite notification: “Could you turn the volume down? Please be mindful of our neighbors.”
Accompanying the message is a prominent “Lower” button. One tap automatically reduces the audio to a more considerate level. Physical “Quiet Charging Zone” signs posted at the station reinforce the request, creating a cohesive experience that blends digital nudges with on-site reminders.
This feature highlights Tesla’s unique advantages. Unlike traditional automakers, Tesla owns both the vehicle software and the charging infrastructure.
Engineers can detect the precise location via GPS, trigger context-aware prompts, and deploy changes fleet-wide in hours or days without recalls or dealer visits. No public release notes highlighted the change, suggesting it was a quiet, site-specific rollout designed to test effectiveness before potential expansion.
These are usually referred to as “Undocumented Changes.”
Beyond immediate noise reduction, the initiative underscores Tesla’s customer- and community-focused ethos. While EVs are inherently quieter than combustion-engine vehicles, auxiliary behaviors like loud infotainment can still create friction in dense cities. Tesla’s rapid response turns potential conflict into an opportunity to demonstrate thoughtful engineering.
As Tesla expands its Supercharger network, which is now open to other EVs in many places, features like location-based quiet modes could become standard tools for harmonious integration into neighborhoods.
Ferrari unveiled its Luce EV over the weekend, and so far, its reception has been an absolute disaster, gathering negative reactions from a wide variety of people, including former executives.
The stock even took a hit on its first day of trading following the unveiling, dropping over 7 percent at one point.
Ferrari moving to EVs from its traditional V12s and mid-engine sports cars is a massive move. It was designed by Sir Jony Ive and Marc Newsom’s LoveFrom studio, which is known for design work for tech giant Apple. “Luce” means “light” in Italian, so Ferrari drew inspiration for its name from its sleek design, characterized by a smooth, sculpted body with rounded edges.
But its reception has been far from what Ferrari expected. The overall design has drawn some harsh criticism since its reveal, and it is simply stunning that such a storied company, with a rich history of beautiful, powerful cars has revealed a design that many are not a fan of.
Ferrari unveiled its all-electric Luce over the weekend, and it has truly gotten some attention…not for the right reasons.
From an Italian legend that has built some beautiful cars in its history, this almost feels like a ploy to inevitably cancel its electric program. pic.twitter.com/rczSSb3pJx
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) May 26, 2026
Responses to the design were widely negative, with some saying, “Enzo is rolling in his grave,” and “This looks like a Nissan LEAF with a bad body kit.”
Former Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo said:
“If I said what I really think, I’d harm Ferrari. We’re risking the destruction of a myth, I’m very sorry about that. I hope they at least remove the Prancing Horse from that car.”
🚨 Luca di Montezemolo former Ferrari chairman reacts to the new electric Ferrari Luce:
“I’ve seen the project has already been delayed more than two years. I don’t like commenting from the stands—when I was in the game, it annoyed me when people did that. I think for now the… https://t.co/TzIDxFzHso
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) May 26, 2026
Ferrari has scaled back EV commitments in the past, primarily in response to weaker-than-expected demand for its electric powertrains.
Priced at roughly $640,000 in the U.S., it is tough to see how this car will ever truly live up to the massive expectations many had for it. It almost feels like, to a certain extent, Ferrari is looking for a way to get out of building EVs.
Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim is nearing its first deliveries
Tesla ships new feature that silences neighborhood Supercharger complaints
