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Tesla reaches agreement on sale of land for Gigafactory 4 in Grünheide

(Credit: @gigafactory_4/Twitter)

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Tesla is approaching the 2019 holidays with a victory in Germany, with the electric car maker and the state of Brandenburg reaching an agreement for the purchase of land in the municipality of Grünheide, where Gigafactory 4 will be built. An approval application for the upcoming facility has also been submitted by Tesla on Friday. 

With the purchase agreement in place, both Tesla and the state would now have the opportunity to review the specifics of the contract. It should be noted that the contract in itself is still subject for approval by Tesla’s Board of Directors and Brandenburg’s Finance Committee. As noted by news outlet rbb24, the specifics of purchase agreement remain confidential for now. 

Economics Minister Jörg Steinbach expressed his optimism about the agreement in a statement to Bild, calling the agreement a “milestone” for the upcoming factory. “We reached two more milestones before Christmas. That makes me optimistic about the further progress of this spectacular settlement in the coming year,” he said. 

Environment Minister Axel Vogel, who will reportedly be reviewing at several folders’ worth of applications and documents for Tesla’s Gigafactory 4, assured the media that everything will be done to expedite the progress of Tesla’s GF4. “We will do everything we can to move the process forward quickly, taking legal requirements into account. If there are good chances for the approval, Tesla can start with the construction before the procedure is completed,” Vogel remarked. 

Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke highlighted that while the first important steps in Gigafactory 4’s construction may have been taken, there is still a substantial amount of work that needs to be done for the facility. “It is very good that the first two important steps have been taken. I am pleased that the agreements made in the Task Force on Tuesday were met by everyone involved. That makes me confident for the future. But there is still a lot to do,” the Prime Minister said. 

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Tesla’s Gigafactory 4 is expected to start its electric car production activities in 2021. Unlike the company’s Fremont factory, which started with the Model S, and Gigafactory 3, which started with the Model 3, Gigafactory 4 will start its operations with the production of the Model Y crossover. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated that the Model Y will likely outsell the Model S, Model X, and Model 3 combined, hinting that the all-electric crossover will be the company’s highest-volume vehicle yet. Filings related to the facility’s water supply seem to highlight this point, with references hinting at Gigafactory 4 eventually reaching an output of up to 750,000 vehicles per year.

Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Tesla exec hints at useful and potentially killer Model Y L feature

The Model Y L could become the company’s vehicle that offers the best balance between utility and comfort.

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Credit: Tesla China

A Tesla executive from China has hinted at what could very well be a killer feature for the upcoming Model Y L. If speculations prove accurate, the Model Y L could become the company’s vehicle that offers the best balance between utility and comfort, possibly even exceeding what is offered by Tesla’s flagship vehicles.

Model Y L teaser

The Tesla Model Y L is expected to be a six-seat version of the best-selling all-electric crossover. With its six seats, the new Model Y L would be able to provide ample leg room to third-row passengers—something that the seven-seat Model Ys produced in the United States were unable to do.

With six seats, the Model Y L would be closer in size and more similar to the larger and much more expensive Model X, which remains Tesla’s de facto family hauler. The six-seat Model X, however, has one flaw that makes it a bit less useful than its seven-seat variant–its second row seats don’t fold fully flat.

Second row magic

In a post on Weibo, Tesla Vice President for China Grace Tao described the upcoming Model Y L as a “full-scene 6-seat luxury SUV.” This description, particularly the executive’s “full-scene” description, is notable, with Tesla China watchers such as @zhongwen2005 stating that “full-scene” typically means that all seats can be folded flat.

If Tesla is able to design the Model Y L’s second row seats to fold flat, it would provide the extended wheelbase vehicle with a lot more utility than typical six-seaters, including the six-seat Model X. And considering that the Model Y L will likely be priced just above the standard Model Y, its price would likely be extremely competitive, even in challenging markets such as China. 

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“Worthy of respect:” Six-seat Model Y L acknowledged by Tesla China’s biggest rivals

Tesla China’s biggest competitors seem to be welcoming the impending arrival of the upcoming six-seater.

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Credit: Tesla Asia/X

Tesla’s upcoming launch of the Model Y L in China has drawn praise from the CEOs of rival automakers Nio and Li Auto. While the upcoming extended all-electric crossover has the potential to make a huge impact in the domestic Chinese auto market, some of Tesla China’s biggest competitors seem to be welcoming the impending arrival of the upcoming six-seater.

NIO and Li Auto CEO react

Nio founder, chairman, and CEO William Li responded to Tesla’s announcement on Weibo, stating that with improvements in charging, battery swap infrastructure, and continued innovation in technology and product design, the era of large-space electrified SUVs has fully arrived. He referenced Nio’s sub-brand Onvo and its new L90 SUV as a product born from this shift in the market and encouraged the industry to “power up together,” as noted in a report from CNEV Post.

Li Auto CEO Li Xiang also weighed in, calling the Model Y L a “six-seat pure electric SUV worthy of respect.” He also suggested that consumers interested in vehicles priced between RMB 200,000 and RMB 300,000 should keep an eye on it. He also mentioned his company’s upcoming Li i6, a five-seat all-electric SUV that’s expected to debut in September, as a strong option for buyers not seeking third row seats.

New Model Y L

Tesla confirmed on its official Weibo account that the Model Y L will officially launch in China this fall. The vehicle appeared in China’s MIIT regulatory catalog, which revealed that the Model Y L will feature a longer body and extended wheelbase designed to accommodate its new three-row layout. 

The Model Y L measures 4,976 mm in length with a wheelbase of 3,040 mm, compared to the standard five-seat Model Y’s 4,797 mm length and 2,890 mm wheelbase. While Tesla has yet to announce official pricing, industry reports suggest it could be positioned around RMB 400,000. It remains to be seen if the Model Y L will also be produced in the United States and Germany. 

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Elon Musk reveals SpaceX’s target for Starship’s 10th launch

Elon Musk has revealed SpaceX’s target timeline for the next Starship launch, which will be the tenth in program history.

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Credit: SpaceX

Elon Musk has revealed SpaceX’s target timeline for the next Starship launch, which will be the tenth in program history.

Musk says SpaceX is aiming for a timeline of roughly three weeks from now, which would come about ten weeks after the previous launch.

Coincidentally, it would bring the two launches 69 days apart, and if you know anything about Elon Musk, that would be an ideal timeline between two launches.

SpaceX is coming off a test flight in which it lost both the Super Heavy Booster and the Upper Stage in the previous launch. The Super Heavy Booster was lost six minutes and sixteen seconds into the flight, while SpaceX lost communication with the Ship at 46 minutes and 48 seconds.

Musk is aiming for the tenth test flight to take place in early August, he revealed on X:

This will be SpaceX’s fourth test flight of the Starship program in 2025, with each of the previous three flights bringing varying results.

IFT-7 in January brought SpaceX its second successful catch of the Super Heavy Booster in the chopstick arms of the launch tower. The ship was lost after exploding during its ascent over the Turks and Caicos Islands.

IFT-8 was on March 6, and SpaceX caught the booster once again, but the Upper Stage was once again lost.

The most recent flight, IFT-9, took place on May 27 and featured the first reused Super Heavy Booster. However, both the Booster and Upper Stage were lost.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hit SpaceX with a mishap investigation for Flight 9 on May 30.

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