US Tesla Opens New Development Center in German Capital Berlin

Tesla has rehabilitated an old industrial facility in Berlin’s Köpenick district to serve as the center’s headquarters, located not far from the company’s car manufacturing plant in Grünheide. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner was among the dignitaries invited to attend the opening ceremony held this afternoon.

Tesla stated that more than 250 employees will work at the center during the first phase of expansion, coming from the company’s existing facilities in the Dutch city of Tilburg and other laboratories. Safety tests on car parts, including airbags, will be conducted in one of the large halls, alongside battery cell tests.

Tesla, owned by American tech billionaire Elon Musk, announced that it has already applied for the necessary licenses for the second phase of the center’s expansion, noting that the number of workers is expected to rise to approximately 500 engineers and technicians.

According to the company, the total investment cost for the center amounts to 100 million euros. It said, “The new engineering center reaffirms Tesla’s long-term commitment to Germany as a strategic location for innovation.”

Notably, Tesla’s plant in Grünheide is its only manufacturing facility in Europe. Expansion there will continue to increase car production. In mid-October, the company announced its intention to double the production capacity of its Grünheide plant, according to current plans, from 500,000 cars annually to one million, even though it has not yet reached the target production level of 500,000 cars.

Electric vehicles are gaining popularity in Germany, attributed in part to rising fuel costs. Additionally, the government’s subsidy program for purchasing electric cars is seeing strong uptake, according to the Federal Ministry for the Environment.