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Live Updates: Tesla Giga Berlin final environmental permit press conference
After two years of construction, Tesla Gigafactory Berlin has secured its final environmental approval. The approval was discussed by Brandenburg Minister-President Dietmar Woidke during a press conference today.
A background of Tesla Giga Berlin, as well as the delays that hit the project along the way, have been discussed in our previous coverage from earlier today. Click here to access our backgrounder on Tesla’s Giga Berlin project.
But today, it’s all about Giga Berlin’s final environmental approval. The following were the topics discussed during the press conference, as well as some notable updates and quotes during the press conference (Quotes provided by Google Translate unless otherwise stated).
A press release has been sent out by Brandenburg about Tesla Gigafactory Berlin’s final approval. The following are some of the highlights from the document.
Potsdam/Frankfurt (Oder) – Today, Friday (March 4), the State Office for the Environment (LfU), which is responsible for immission control approval procedures, issued the approval for the Tesla factory in Grünheide (Oder-Spree district) in Brandenburg and handed it over to the project developer.
The approval notice will shortly be published in the official gazette for the state of Brandenburg, in the local daily newspapers and on the internet. The notice of approval is available for two weeks from the date of publication in the municipality of Grünheide (Mark), the town of Erkner, the Spreenhagen office and the seat of the administration of the Oder-Spree district in Beeskow as well as in the State Office for the Environment in Frankfurt (Oder) inspection off. The period of one month during which objections to the approval can be raised begins with the end of the exhibition. At the same time, the approval notice is published on the Internet on the EIA portal of the state of Brandenburg, where it can be viewed until the end of the objection period.
The project, which was approved with the 536-page decision, includes the plan for the production of up to 500,000 vehicles per year, aluminum smelting plants and an aluminum foundry, plants for surface treatment, heat generation, and storage. The facility also includes battery cell production, an operational wastewater treatment plant, a fire brigade equipment house, a high-bay warehouse, as well as laboratories and workshops.
The Tesla approval process is unusual in several ways. In a comparatively short time, the State Office for the Environment inspected and approved not just a factory, but an entire industrial area with several large-scale plants and repeated public participation.
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06:55 a.m. PST – Grunheide Mayor Arne Christiani highlights that Tesla’s work is a Herculean task. He also points out that Giga Berlin will provide opportunities, particularly jobs, in the area. Commenting on how the electric vehicle facility could benefit the region, the official stated that Tesla bringing Giga Berlin to the area is similar to “winning the lottery.”
06:52 a.m. PST – Jorg Steinbach takes the stage. He speaks about how important Giga Berlin is to the region. Brandenburg, after all, was not that prolific for high-profile investments before. With Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin, the state is now high on the list of locations that companies are looking at for industrial projects. Tesla’s presence has already signaled the development of an entire integrated supply chain.
06:50 a.m. PST – With the final approval now secured, Tesla now has to secure its operational permit for Giga Berlin’s Model Y production. About 400 conditions and requirements have been defined in the permit, which may seem like a lot, but are really not many, according to Vogel. The permit includes 23,700 pages of applications (HT Alex Voigt).
06:49 a.m. PST – Vogel reiterates that the final permit for Gigafactory Berlin is an “intermediate step.” He also praised those who were responsible for the approval of Giga Berlin, as they did not lose sight despite all the noise surrounding the project. “Those responsible for the approval have not been deterred by the media and political attention to the project. [We] have checked the approval requirements in this process,” Vogel remarked.
06:48 a.m. PST – Alex Vogel takes the stage and discusses the meticulous process involved in the approval of Gigafactory Berlin. “It couldn’t have been done faster, but we have to say that every procedure was carried out within the framework for federal German law approval,” he said.
06:46 a.m. PST – The Minister-President did highlight, however, that while the approval of Tesla Giga Berlin is a good day for the state of Brandenburg, it should not take away from the grave situation in Ukraine, which is currently being attacked by Russia. “I very much hope that this criminal attack by Putin on Ukraine will end as quickly as possible,” Woidke said.
06:45 a.m. PST – Minister-President Woidke highlights that the approval process of Giga Berlin was a challenge for Germany. “You know (this) was also doubted across Germany at the time. Is it even possible in Germany to meet the requirements, is it possible within two years to get the third-largest automobile factory in Germany (approved)? That’s what we’re talking about there, after all, building it up and making it a success…. I learned a lot from this project, yes. I also learned that (while) planning and approval is possible in Germany, I also have to change a lot. That is a discussion that we will continue at the federal level,” the Minister-President said.
06:41 a.m. PST – Almost 3,000 Tesla employees are already working daily in Gigafactory Berlin (credit to Alex Voigt for this translation)
06:40 a.m. PST – Minister-President Woidke notes that the approval of Giga Berlin was a mammoth task for Brandenburg. “I do believe that today, this March 4th, is a big step into the future for Brandenburg… I’m firmly convinced that in 20, 30, 40 years, if you look at the history of Brandenburg, there will be a time before Tesla and a time with Tesla,” Woidke said.
06:35 a.m. PST – Minister-President Woidke confirmed that the final construction permit for Gigafactory Berlin has been issued and given to Tesla.
06:30 a.m. PST – The press conference begins. Introductions are made. Brandenburg Minister-President Dietmar Woidke’s Tesla Team are introduced. Appreciation is extended to every member of “Task Force Tesla,” as each one was pivotal in getting the facility’s approvals passed.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
A Tesla owner who purchased a Model S Signature Edition, one of the final 250 units of the all-electric flagship vehicle that the company discontinued earlier this year, is attempting to sell the car despite a no-resale clause that prohibits reselling for the first year.
The car is being sold by J&S Autohaus in Ewing, New Jersey, and is priced at $260,490, well above the $159,420 that Tesla sold it for earlier this year.
🚨 The first Tesla Model S Signature Edition is up for sale for $260,490
Tesla placed a no-resale clause on the Model S and X Signature, so it will be interesting to see if the company takes any action. https://t.co/N9rKGHnbD6 pic.twitter.com/6FZhDL1KNR
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 14, 2026
To those who do not know, the Model S Signature was a highly exclusive, limited-run farewell variant of the Model S Plaid that was produced this year to mark the end of production of both the Model S and Model X, Tesla’s two flagship vehicles.
Limited to just 250 units with invite-only sales, it serves as a collector’s item celebrating the legacy of the Model S, which helped pioneer Tesla’s electric vehicle success since its 2012 launch.
It bundles top-tier performance with bespoke cosmetic and luxury upgrades, plus Tesla’s Luxe Package. Here’s what the Model S Signature has over the typical Model S Plaid:
- Exclusive Exterior – Unique Garnet Red Paint, matching door handles, gold Tesla “T” badges upfront, gold Plaid and Signature badging at the rear.
- Premium Interior – White Alcantara upholstery with gold piping/accents, gold Plaid seat badges, Signature-marked door sills, individually numbered dashboard plaque, gold puddle lights, special interior lighting sequence, and a custom Signature key fob.
- Performance Upgrades – Carbon-ceramic brakes with gold calipers
- Bundled Luxe Package – Full Self-Driving (Supervised), four years of Premium Connectivity, free lifetime Supercharging
- Performance Metrics – ~1,020 horsepower, sub-2-second 0-60 MPH, ~390-mile range
Tesla quickly introduced a No Resale Agreement for the Signature Editions of the Model S and Model X, which would penalize the seller for “the amount of $50,000 or the value received as consideration for the sale or transfer, whichever is greater.”
The company continues:
“If you sell or otherwise transfer the ownership of your Model S or Model X, the remainder of the Recommended Maintenance, Wheel and Tire Protection Plan, and Windshield Protection Plan will transfer automatically to the buyer. The Full Self-Driving (Supervised), Free Supercharging and Premium Connectivity will not transfer with the vehicle and will terminate once the ownership of the Model S or Model X is transferred.”
Tesla will likely come after the seller, especially as it has been about two months since Tesla launched deliveries.
Tesla rolled out Full Self-Driving (Supervised) v14.3.5 yesterday, and about fifty miles of driving on the new version has given me enough time to highlight what seems to be strong about the release and what is not.
Additionally, Tesla has added a few new features with this specific update, which we’ll highlight as well.
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 Performance
The new update is business as usual. Things seem to be running completely normal and necessary, but there are a few things that we’ve seemed to pick up on based on our own experience with v14.3.5, as well as what other users are seeing.
Initially, it seems to be more aware of its surroundings, making moves that are incredibly courteous to other drives and operating just a tad more reserved than what the suite might have done previously.
We had two instances where it showed this, the first being FSD needing to pass a Flagger Force vehicle that was placing down signage for the day. Their work truck was right at the front corner of a right-hand turn; typically where most cars travel when they take that turn.
FSD v14.3.5 recognized this, slowed down, and took the turn wide with no issues:
🚨 Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 takes a wide turn as flagger crews set up signage for the day https://t.co/3v0PL9qhlI pic.twitter.com/i4CKqxE16c
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 13, 2026
Additionally, v14.3.5 backed up for a semi truck that was making a wide turn onto a road my car was on. This is not new, but it seemed to be backing up for courtesy; it didn’t seem completely necessary, but it might have put some peace of mind in the truck driver’s head:
🚨 Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 backs up for an oncoming tractor trailer taking a wide turn https://t.co/0WuAqNMpRR pic.twitter.com/s6yZGVm5Te
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 13, 2026
X user Mike P, also a Pennsylvania native like myself, shared three clips of his Tesla running v14.3.5 performing similar maneuvers. He said:
“FSD turns right into a small alley that only fits one car at a time, sees oncoming car, reverses out of alley to make space, realizes oncoming car is actually parking, re-enters alley.”
Check it out here:
Rapidfire epic moments on FSD V14.3.5
1) FSD turns right into a small alley that only fits one car at a time, sees oncoming car, reverses out of alley to make space, realizes oncoming car is actually parking, re-enters alley.2) Insane speed to vehicle cues. As FSD approaches… pic.twitter.com/bSnySSlFHR
— Mike P (@mikepat711) July 13, 2026
It seems like Speed Profiles are still in need of some tweaking; I am adjusting what Speed Profile I’m in frequently, constantly changing it to get it to travel at the correct speed. This was an issue for me on v14.3.4. It seems like they’re just a little inconsistent.
Terrible Parking
Parking attempts on v14.3.5 were not good. There are quite a few people who have said this:
Yeah it seems like FSD v14.3.5 is having some issues with parking early on https://t.co/Bw5ULfVmDq pic.twitter.com/RHdpjOEpIo
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 13, 2026
David Moss, the Tesla owner who has taken multiple coast-to-coast drives without any interventions, also has had some issues with parking early on with v14.3.5:
Horrible first impression v14.3.5 on my 2025 Tesla Model 3 LR RWD Premium 😭
3 terrible parking jobs in 23 min including parking on a ramp in a business park & parking perpendicular out in the road on street only parking situation.Wish I had a better drive but I still believe… pic.twitter.com/TtyhRHAFG7
— David Moss (@DavidMoss) July 13, 2026
New Features
Tesla has added the ability to open Camera Preview at any time. Previously, it was only available in Park. Here’s what that feature looks like in action:
🚨 Here’s the new Camera Preview feature on FSD v14.3.5 pic.twitter.com/OodfZgDppy
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) July 13, 2026
Check back later this week for a longer review of what we’ve noticed on Full Self-Driving v14.3.5.
Lifestyle
Tesla makes the cut on California’s newest EV Rebate program
California just signed a $270 million EV rebate into law and it starts this summer.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 168 into law on Monday, July 13, 2026, creating a $270 million EV rebate program that delivers money directly at the dealership rather than as a tax credit applied months later. The program, called MyFirstEV, is funded equally by California’s state budget and participating automakers, with each contributing $135.5 million to make the math work.
The timing is directly tied to the loss of federal support when the $7,500 federal EV tax credit ended, removing the most significant consumer incentive that had driven EV adoption in the U.S. California, which accounts for roughly one-third of all EVs sold nationally, moved to fill that gap with a state-level replacement.
The rebate structure is straightforward. First-time EV buyers can receive $3,500 off any new battery-electric vehicle with an MSRP up to $50,000. Used EVs priced at $25,000 or below qualify for a $1,750 rebate. The credit is applied at the point of sale, which removes the friction of the old federal system where buyers had to wait for tax season to see the benefit. The program goes live later this summer, with the California Air Resources Board expected to release full participation details next month.
California hits Tesla Cybercab and Robotaxi driverless cars with new law
For Tesla buyers, the implications are mixed. The Tesla Model 3 RWD at $42,490 and the Model 3 Long Range at $47,490 both fall under the $50,000 cap and would qualify for the full $3,500 rebate for first-time buyers. The Model Y, which starts at $44,990 after Tesla’s recent price adjustment, also qualifies. The Model X, Model S, and Cybertruck all exceed the cap and receive no benefit. As Teslarati has reported, the program also includes a carve-out exempting California-based automakers like Rivian and Lucid from the price cap entirely, a provision that puts Tesla at a disadvantage since it relocated its headquarters to Texas in 2021.
Other qualifying vehicles include the Chevrolet Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and Volkswagen ID.4.
Tesla owner attempts resale of Model S Signature Edition for over $260k
Tesla Full Self-Driving v14.3.5 Early Impressions: new features and early performance
