Tesla’s Berlin Plant To Churn Out 500,000 EVs Annually, Model Y Could Be Ahead Of Schedule

Tesla reportedly plans on building 500,000 electric vehicles per year at its new Berlin Gigafactory, while creating 10,000 new jobs.

Construction on the site will kick off next year, with the whole complex measuring as much as 420 soccer pitches, as per Germany’s Bild newspaper. The EV-maker will also establish an engineering and design center in Berlin, near the city’s new airport, reports Autonews Europe.

At first, the factory will focus on batteries, powertrains and vehicle assembly, with the Model Y being the first to enter European production and the Model 3 following at a later date.

Also read: Tesla Model Y Deliveries Could Start In First Quarter Of 2020

Meanwhile, Tesla might actually be way ahead of schedule with regards to Model Y production, according to research from Deutsche Bank. Reports indicate that suppliers in Taiwan have been asked to accelerate proceedings.

“Reports from suppliers of Model Y parts in Taiwan are claiming that Tesla is requesting that their orders be delivered much earlier than expected,” stated Deutsche Bank analyst Emmanuel Rosner in an interview with CNBC. “The Taiwanese suppliers are now indicating that the Tesla is accelerating orders to enter mass production a full six months ahead of the original schedule.”

This would move things up even more than Tesla’s own estimates from October, when they were anticipating that Model Y production could shift from fall of 2020 to summer of 2020.

“Model Y equipment installation is underway in advance of the planned launch next year. We are moving faster than initially planned, using learnings and efficiencies gained from our Gigafactory Shanghai factory design,” said the EV-maker less than two months ago.