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Tesla applies for subsidies for Giga Berlin’s battery cell production

Tesla's 2170 battery cells. (Credit: Tesla)

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Tesla has officially applied for federal subsidies for its upcoming battery cell production in Germany. The move makes it clear that the company’s intentions in the European country are to foster a culture of sustainability and environmental consciousness, as represented by the production of premium electric vehicles that run on lithium-ion batteries.

The application was submitted by Tesla and first reported by German newspaper Handelsblatt, which revealed that Tesla was on the list of companies that applied for the subsidies. However, the German Federal Ministry of Economics has stated that they cannot discuss specifics about the said subsidies for now.

Subsidies for Tesla’s planned battery production in Germany would allow the company to develop its already industry-leading cells that power its vehicles at an optimal cost. This should allow the company to produce the Model Y and Model 3 at Giga Berlin at a cost that will not weigh down the company’s finances.

Tesla has acquired numerous battery technology companies, and it is currently putting efforts in developing a true million-mile battery for its vehicles. The subsidies are also expected to assist the German Ministry of Economic Affairs in developing a European battery cell manufacturing project that includes 14 European Union member states and over 55 domestic and international companies.

When Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the plans to build a Gigafactory in Berlin in November, it was met with support from many German officials. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier has been one of the most supportive members of the German government, at one point stating that the presence of Tesla in the country is a big step in the right direction.

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Altmaier offered a helping hand to Tesla and Musk in an interview with Tagesspiegel. “If the plant does not come, it would be a damage for all of Germany. If we are asked for help as a ministry, we will be happy to help,” he said. Altmaier has also stated that he was a big part of the decision to bring Tesla to Germany, as he was in Musk’s ear leading up to the final decision.

However, the Economy Minister stated that he would not give Tesla special or preferential treatment because of his support. He never discussed or encouraged Tesla to come to Germany because of the possibility of subsidies. “It’s clear that Tesla – if it invests in Germany and creates jobs here, will be treated like all other companies in the automobile and automotive industry,” Altmaier said.

Gigafactory 4 will be completed in July 2021, according to Elon Musk, and the facility will operations with Model Y production. The plant is scheduled to produce around 150,000 cars in its initial production phase. Tesla plans to ramp this manufacturing rate to 500,000 vehicles a year by its third phase. Gigafactory 4 will eventually produce the Model 3 as well.

Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Tesla Australia celebrates 150k vehicles on domestic roads

The milestone was announced by the electric vehicle maker on social media platform X.

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Tesla has reached a major milestone in Australia, celebrating 150,000 vehicles on local roads. 

The milestone was announced by the electric vehicle maker on social media platform X.

Sustainability for all

In its post on X, Tesla Australia and New Zealand noted that the 150,000-vehicle milestone is a notable accomplishment as it accelerates “sustainable abundance for all.” The company also thanked its customers down under for supporting its vehicles over the years.

“Accelerating sustainable abundance for all. Celebrating 150k Teslas on the road. Thank you, Australia,” Tesla Australia and New Zealand wrote in its post on X.

The post was accompanied by a photo of what appeared to be a Quicksilver Model Y premium with the Sydney Opera House in the background. This is an appropriate photo for the EV maker, as the Model Y consistently ranks among Australia’s top-selling electric cars, even as the market becomes flooded with cheaper, newer, and flashier competitors. 

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Australia’s FSD momentum

Last month, Tesla revealed that FSD Supervised users in Australia and New Zealand have collectively driven over 1 million kilometers within two weeks of the system’s public release. The company noted that drivers are averaging around 80,000 kilometers per day with FSD Supervised active, equivalent to 67 laps around Australia or 625 trips from Auckland to Invercargill.

“In less than 2 weeks, owners have travelled 1 million kilometers on FSD Supervised in AU & NZ,” Tesla’s local account wrote.

Australia became the first right-hand-drive market to gain access to FSD Supervised, which was officially launched in the country on September 18. Coupled with the presence of FSD (Supervised) subscriptions, the adoption of FSD in Australia has been understandably quick.

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Elon Musk hints at when Tesla can fix this FSD complaint with v14

Tesla has worked on resolving the issue and has worked on it with subsequent rollouts, but it has only improved slightly. The company has mentioned that it is working to fix it completely, but it seems the next big Software Update to actually resolve the issue altogether will likely be 14.2.

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted at when the company will resolve a major complaint with the Full Self-Driving suite. This particular issue has been persistent and a common complaint within the v14 suite.

Tesla has had its v14 FSD rollout deployed for over a month, and its earliest iterations featured a vast majority of improvements from the past versions. However, one common complaint has continued to be mentioned: stuttering and hesitancy.

Tesla Full Self-Driving’s biggest improvements from v13 to v14

Most commonly, FSD users have experienced this at intersections when the Tesla is at a complete stop. The vehicle will inch forward, contemplate proceeding, and then stutter pretty significantly before ultimately moving forward.

Tesla has worked on resolving the issue and has worked on it with subsequent rollouts, but it has only improved slightly. The company has mentioned that it is working to fix it completely, but it seems the next big Software Update to actually resolve the issue altogether will likely be 14.2.

Musk confirmed that on Wednesday:

When will v14.2 rollout? It’s likely a month or more away. Currently, Tesla is rolling out v14.1.7, which is the latest version and features some minor improvements to Hardware 4 vehicles.

These cars are currently on v14.1.4, but are not receiving v14.1.5 or v14.1.6, as both of those seemed to be internal releases to company employees.

The stuttering issue has been a main complaint of many FSD users, and it is something that is being addressed. Musk’s confirmation that the suite is likely to receive a fix for this issue with the next major FSD release is a sign of good things to come, but we’re hopeful it comes sooner rather than later.

Overall, v14 has been an excellent improvement from v13 with the addition of the additional Speed Profiles of Mad Max and Sloth, as well as new Arrival Options that give the driver an opportunity to let the car park in a suitable location upon arriving at the destination.

@teslarati 🚨🚨 Tesla Full Self-Driving and Yap is the best driving experience #tesla #fsd #yapping ♬ I Run – HAVEN.

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Tesla teases new market entrance with confusing and cryptic message

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(Credit: Tesla)

Tesla teased its entrance into a new market with a confusing and what appeared to be cryptic message on the social media platform X.

The company has been teasing its entrance into several markets, including Africa, which would be a first, and South America, where it only operates in Chile.

In September, Tesla started creating active job postings for the Colombian market, hinting it would expand its presence in South America and launch in a new country for the first time in two years.

Tesla job postings seem to show next surprise market entry

The jobs were related to various roles, including Associate Sales Manager, Advisors in Sales and Delivery, and Service Technicians. These are all roles that would indicate Tesla is planning to launch a wide-scale effort to sell, manage, and repair vehicles in the market.

Last night, Tesla posted its latest hint, a cryptic video that seems to show the outline of Colombia, teasing its closer than ever to market entry:

This would be the next expansion into a continent where it does not have much of a presence for Tesla. Currently, there are only two Supercharger locations on the entire continent, and they’re both in Chile.

Tesla will obviously need to expand upon this crucial part of the ownership experience to enable a more confident consumer base in South America as a whole. However, it is not impossible, as many other EV charging infrastructures are available, and home charging is always a suitable option for those who have access to it.

Surprisingly, Tesla seems to be more concerned about these middle-market countries as opposed to the larger markets in South America, but that could be by design.

If Tesla were to launch in Brazil initially, it may not be able to handle the uptick in demand, and infrastructure expansion could be more difficult. Brazil may be on its list in the upcoming years, but not as of right now.

@teslarati 🚨🚨 Tesla Full Self-Driving and Yap is the best driving experience #tesla #fsd #yapping ♬ I Run – HAVEN.

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