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Tesla Gigafactory 4 job posting hints at battery cell production in Berlin

Tesla factory in Tilburg, Netherlands. (Credit: Tesla)

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It appears that Tesla aims to produce its own battery cells in its Gigafactory 4, as suggested by reports based on a recent job posting on the electric car maker’s website.

Tesla is specifically looking to hire an innovative senior process engineering lead for its Europe Gigafactory and is looking for one who can use engineering fundamentals and a broad set of tools to solve technical problems.

The electric car manufacturer also added that the candidate must be able to “create novel detailed designs for a wide range of systems from electrolyte to high purity water, involving unit operations such as pump and compressor systems, reverse osmosis, distillation, heat transfer fluid systems, etc.”

German publication Teslamag spotted the job posting and speculates that the Gigafactory in Berlin will not only produce vehicles and battery packs but also help develop and produce its own battery cells. It added that it also received information from an insider that there will be an “interesting surprise” in connection with Gigafactory 4.

While battery cell production in the upcoming factory remains a rumor for now, it won’t be much of a surprise if it is indeed the plan of Musk and his team. After all, Gigafactories going beyond local vehicle production means better resource utilization, which further helps Tesla be more cost-competitive. Developing its own battery cells will also allow Tesla to better control the prices of its electric vehicles, which could open the gates for cheaper electric vehicles for consumers.

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The Europe Gigafactory is expected to initially create 3,000 jobs but may later increase that number to 8,000. Initial reports estimate the annual production of the company to hit 150,000 vehicles. In mid-November, CEO Elon Musk announced that Giga Berlin will build batteries, powertrains, and vehicles, starting with Model Y.

Last week, reports emerged that Tesla is in the finishing touches of completing the contract to buy the site for Gigafactory Berlin and expects to accomplish this before the year ends. Tesla plans to start production of Model Y in the Europe Gigafactory as early as 2021.

Earlier this year, Tesla acquired battery company Maxwell Technologies and the move was seen as a way to lessen its dependence on partners such as Panasonic. While it is unlikely that the electric car maker will cut its ties with its battery suppliers soon, reports that surfaced in November suggest that Tesla is continuing its initiatives to produce battery cells in-house.

H/T to Teslamag and Electrive

A curious soul who keeps wondering how Elon Musk, Tesla, electric cars, and clean energy technologies will shape the future, or do we really need to escape to Mars.

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Tesla Cybercab sightings broaden well outside of Austin with autonomy in focus

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Credit: Tesla Robotaxi | X

Tesla Cybercab sightings are broadening far and wide, well outside of downtown Austin, Texas, with autonomy in focus as the company plans to launch the all-electric, two-seater this evening in the Lone Star State.

Tesla is set to launch Cybercab to a small group of people this evening in a dedicated event in Austin, Texas. Public details on the event are relatively slim.

However, Tesla’s focus on Cybercab falls well outside of the downtown Austin area and is expanding well across the United States as things continue to move quickly with the company’s autonomous efforts in 2026. Today, various images of Cybercab fleets in interesting locations have started to circulate.

The most notable is a fleet of at least 20 Cybercabs at Miami International Airport in Florida. Spotted last night, the fleet is expansive and is indicative of a looming release of Cybercabs once regulatory boxes are checked off.

Tesla has already been operating the Robotaxi platform in Miami for several months, but this Cybercab fleet at the airport could be joining the ride-hailing platform as approvals arrive:

Another fleet of Cybercabs was spotted at the Devon, PA showroom just outside of Philadelphia. We have seen several Cybercab units testing around the Philadelphia Metro Area, which is interesting considering Tesla does not have any active Robotaxi geofence in Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia would be an ideal location to test ride-hailing due to its dense tourist population, large, sprawling city layout, and to compete with other ride-hailing companies that operate in the city.

Expansive fleets of Cybercabs will be popping up in and around major cities throughout the rest of the year, if we were betting on it. Tesla has made it obvious that the Cybercab rollout will be aggressive and fast-paced, but within reason. Tesla is still prioritizing safety, so these testing phases will likely go on for some period of time before more members of the public are able to snag a Cybercab for a personal chariot.

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Tesla Model Y L gets suspension complaints in over odd issue China

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Credit: @TeslaNewswire/X

The Tesla Model Y L is arguably the most hyped trim of the all-electric crossover, other than the Performance configuration that comes with white-knuckle speed and sports car-level handling.

However, it is not all perfect. Tesla owners in China who took delivery of the Model Y L, denoted with an L to highlight its longer wheelbase, are experiencing what they are referring to as “collapsing” of the rear wheels, as suspension issues appear to be an issue with some of the builds.

The gap between the wheel arch and tire has narrowed to the point that “not even a single finger” could fit, according to a report from Car News China. The failures are not tied to a specific mileage, as one owner said that after just 9,000 kilometers (5,600 miles), they noticed the suspension issue when their car was fully loaded.

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Another one had the issue at 30,000 kilometers (18,640 miles) and noticed that the wheel gap shrank to two fingers, so not as drastic as the person who reported a similar issue at 9,000 km.

Tesla Model Y L is gaining momentum in China’s premium segment

Along with the visual recognition of the issue, others are saying the sagging is causing abnormal wear on the inside of the tires. Extra weight and instant torque already provide additional stress on the tires in electric vehicles during normal operation, so it is no surprise that this is another complaint.

There has been no recall issued by Tesla, and the company has not yet publicly acknowledged the issue.

Some are suggesting that owners use a “finger test” to self-diagnose whether there is an issue with the suspension. There should be four fingers between the tire and the wheel well; anything less than that starts to get dicey.

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Tesla Cybercab event gains steam ahead of massive launch

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Credit: TechOperator | X

Tesla is starting to truly tease and hype its groundbreaking Cybercab event, which takes place tomorrow in Austin, Texas. It will be the first time members of the public will be able to ride in a Cybercab, a vehicle without any manual controls, on public roads.

Tesla has been dropping some hype on X over the past several days, but this morning, the excitement has truly started to build up for the event. Although Cybercab has been unveiled before, this is truly Tesla’s announcement that it is ready to start offering autonomous rides for public passengers in its new ride-hailing-geared vehicle for the first time.

The hype has started with a variety of different social media posts that are a true indication that Tesla is preparing for something big. Teasing so much of the potential of Cybercab, including its ability to truly revolutionize how people hail rides for local travel, is what the big idea for the event entails. The time that many Tesla owners, fans, and investors have been waiting for is potentially here:

The event has remained slim on details. Even invitees are still awaiting true details about what the event will entail, where they’ll go, and what is in store for the evening. This is pretty typical for an event run by Tesla; they keep things under wraps for the most part until the very last minute.

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However, there is no secret about what the real intention of Tesla is for this event: it is going to be a huge reveal party for a vehicle that has no steering wheel and no pedals. It is a truly massive step for the company moving forward.

Speculation persists as to whether this is going to be an event that simply announces that rides will begin with the Cybercab, or it will be something more substantial. Tesla has said in the past that they plan to sell the Cybercab to the general public in what could become a great way to earn passive income by adding it to a more global fleet of Robotaxi-geared vehicles.

Tomorrow, the show begins in Austin, and the Cybercab goes live at some capacity; we just don’t know exactly how quite yet.

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