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Tesla Gigafactory Berlin gets approval for one of its critics’ biggest pain points
Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin facility has received majority approval from the Strausberg-Erkner Water Association (WSE), the organization responsible for the water supply of the upcoming electric vehicle manufacturing plant. The approval effectively allows Giga Berlin to take a notable step forward, considering that its water supply was among the biggest pain points brought forward by the project’s skeptics.
According to a press release from the WSE, the majority of Tesla’s contract was approved during a closed-door meeting on September 22. The approval was made possible due to Tesla’s willingness to reduce its planned water consumption, which was related by the company in its updated permit application.
“With the decision that has now been made, the supply and disposal of the Tesla factory in the first expansion stage with the quantities applied for from the approval process and the currently available resources of the WSE is ensured,” the Strausberg-Erkner Water Association noted.
It had not been easy for Tesla to acquire the approval of the WSE. Back in July, the Strausberg-Erkner Water Association effectively thwarted Tesla’s water supply plans over concerns about the facility’s planned consumption. According to reports from rbb, the state’s news portal, the WSE is currently not allowed to pump more than 15 million cubic meters of water out of the ground per year.
This amount was enough to supply the area’s current population and Giga Berlin, but concerns emerged that 15 million cubic meters per year of water will not be enough in the future, especially if more companies settle in the area in the wake of Tesla or if the EV maker expands its planned facility. The WSE estimated that its annual quota of 15 million cubic meters of water will only last until 2022.
Apart from this, Tesla had also not signed a draft contract for Giga Berlin’s water supply, which listed a maximum consumption of 1.5 million cubic meters of water per year. In a statement, a WSE spokeswoman remarked that this may be due to the company’s plans to expand Gigafactory Berlin to a significant degree in the future.
With its water consumption approval secured, the WSE is poised to supply Gigafactory Berlin with 1.45 million cubic meters of water per year. Apart from this, Tesla will also be providing 0.95 million cubic meters of wastewater annually. In a statement to local media, Andre Bähler, the head of the association, stated that Tesla would have to create the necessary connections and comply with pollutant limits in the water.
Hearings are now underway for state officials to hear the oppositions that were brought forward against the construction of Giga Berlin. The hearings started on Wednesday, and they proved to be quite eventful, with critics taking issue with officials’ past statements and the fact that Tesla is already building parts of its factory despite only securing preliminary permits. The company’s opposition brought forward several complaints about Giga Berlin, one of the most notable being the facility’s water consumption.
The WSE’s recent press release on Giga Berlin’s water supply could be accessed below.
Giga Berlin Water Approval by Simon Alvarez on Scribd
Elon Musk
Starlink restrictions are hitting Russian battlefield comms: report
The restrictions have reportedly disrupted Moscow’s drone coordination and frontline communications.
SpaceX’s decision to disable unauthorized Starlink terminals in Ukraine is now being felt on the battlefield, with Ukrainian commanders reporting that Russian troops have struggled to maintain assault operations without access to the satellite network.
The restrictions have reportedly disrupted Moscow’s drone coordination and frontline communications.
Lt. Denis Yaroslavsky, who commands a special reconnaissance unit, stated that Russian assault activity noticeably declined for several days after the shutdown. “For three to four days after the shutdown, they really reduced the assault operations,” Yaroslavsky said.
Russian units had allegedly obtained Starlink terminals through black market channels and mounted them on drones and weapons systems, despite service terms prohibiting offensive military use. Once those terminals were blocked, commanders on the Ukrainian side reported improved battlefield ratios, as noted in a New York Post report.
A Ukrainian unit commander stated that casualty imbalances widened after the cutoff. “On any given day, depending on your scale of analysis, my sector was already achieving 20:1 (casuality rate) before the shutdown, and we are an elite unit. Regular units have no problem going 5:1 or 8:1. With Starlink down, 13:1 (casualty rate) for a regular unit is easy,” the unit commander said.
The restrictions come as Russia faces heavy challenges across multiple fronts. A late January report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated that more than 1.2 million Russian troops have been killed, wounded, or gone missing since February 2022.
The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War also noted that activity from Russia’s Rubikon drone unit declined after Feb. 1, suggesting communications constraints from Starlink’s restrictions may be limiting operations. “I’m sure the Russians have (alternative options), but it takes time to maximize their implementation and this (would take) at least four to six months,” Yaroslavsky noted.
Elon Musk
Tesla Korea hiring AI Chip Engineers amid push for high-volume AI chips
Tesla Korea stated that it is seeking “talented individuals to join in developing the world’s highest-level mass-produced AI chips.”
In a recent post on X, Tesla Korea announced that it is hiring AI Chip Design Engineers as part of a project aimed at developing what the company describes as the world’s highest-volume AI chips. CEO Elon Musk later amplified the initiative.
Tesla Korea stated that it is seeking “talented individuals to join in developing the world’s highest-level mass-produced AI chips.”
“This project aims to develop AI chip architecture that will achieve the highest production volume in the world in the future,” Tesla Korea wrote in its post on X.
As per Tesla Korea, those who wish to apply for the AI Chip Design Engineer post should email Ai_Chips@Tesla.com and include “the three most challenging technical problems you have solved.”
Elon Musk echoed the hiring push in a separate post. “If you’re in Korea and want to work on chip design, fabrication or AI software, join Tesla!” he wrote.
The recruitment effort in South Korea comes as Tesla accelerates development of its in-house AI chips, which power its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, Optimus humanoid robot, and data center training infrastructure.
Tesla has been steadily expanding its silicon development teams globally. In recent months, the company has posted roles in Austin and Palo Alto for silicon module process engineers across lithography, etching, and other chip fabrication disciplines, as noted in a Benzinga report.
Tesla Korea’s hiring efforts align with the company’s long-term goal of designing and producing AI chips at massive scale. Musk has previously stated that Tesla’s future AI chips could become the highest-volume AI processors in the world.
The move also comes amid Tesla’s broader expansion into AI initiatives. The company recently committed about $2 billion into xAI as part of a Series E funding round, reinforcing its focus on artificial intelligence across vehicles, robotics, and compute infrastructure.
Elon Musk
SpaceX and xAI tapped by Pentagon for autonomous drone contest
The six-month competition was launched in January and is said to carry a $100 million award.
SpaceX and its AI subsidiary xAI are reportedly competing in a new Pentagon prize challenge focused on autonomous drone swarming technology, as per a report from Bloomberg News.
The six-month competition was launched in January and is said to carry a $100 million award.
Bloomberg reported that SpaceX and xAI are among a select group invited to participate in the Defense Department’s effort to develop advanced drone swarming capabilities. The goal is reportedly to create systems that can translate voice commands into digital instructions and manage fleets of autonomous drones.
Neither SpaceX, xAI, nor the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit has commented on the report, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the details.
The development follows SpaceX’s recent acquisition of xAI, which pushed the valuation of the combined companies to an impressive $1.25 trillion. The reported competition comes as SpaceX prepares for a potential initial public offering later this year.
The Pentagon has been moving to speed up drone deployment and expand domestic manufacturing capacity, while also seeking tools to counter unauthorized drone activity around airports and major public events. Large-scale gatherings scheduled this year, including the FIFA World Cup and America250 celebrations, have heightened focus on aerial security.
The reported challenge aligns with broader Defense Department investments in artificial intelligence. Last year, OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and xAI secured Pentagon contracts worth up to $200 million each to advance AI capabilities across defense applications.
Elon Musk previously joined AI and robotics researchers in signing a 2015 open letter calling for a ban on offensive autonomous weapons. In recent years, however, Musk has spoken on X about the strengths of drone technologies in combat situations.
Starlink restrictions are hitting Russian battlefield comms: report
Tesla Korea hiring AI Chip Engineers amid push for high-volume AI chips
