This is how the opening of the Tesla factory went with Elon Musk

The electric car manufacturer Tesla has opened its first “Gigafactory” near Berlin. In addition to company boss Elon Musk, even Chancellor Olaf Scholz came to the big party. The message of the day was that car history was being written in Grünheide.

There he is, smiling and squinting in the sun. In one hand a waterproof felt-tip pen, black, in the other a small model car, Tesla brand, red. Will he come, stop, maybe give him an autograph?

Richard, 35 years old, is just one of many people who are standing in front of the gates of Berlin again this Tuesday. All hoping to meet the man they believe to be the messiah of motoring, the genius of electric mobility: Elon Musk.

The extravagant US billionaire has announced himself in Grünheide, southeast of the capital, because there is something to celebrate there: his company’s first gigafactory in Europe is officially launched, with great fanfare, even Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is announced, as well as Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens).

Half a million cars a year

The world’s leading e-car manufacturer wants to employ 12,000 people here one day. Around 500,000 cars are to roll off the assembly line in Grünheide at the peak, with a construction time of just ten hours per car, according to the company. For comparison: Germany’s car leader Volkswagen needs three times as long for a car. In normal times, almost 25,000 employees produce around 700,000 cars a year at the VW main plant in Wolfsburg.

Tesla is still a long way from reaching these top figures. So far, only 3,000 employees have been going in and out of the plant, and car experts like Ferdinand Dudenhöffer are expecting only 100,000 finished “Model Y” cars for 2022. Nevertheless, on the opening day, in Tesla-speak “Delivery Day”, everything and everyone should and wants to spray : This factory is something really big – for the car industry, for the region, for Germany. Just giga.

On the one hand there is the factory itself. From the outside a huge building, 227,000 square meters total area, inside a large hall: white painted production lines, in the middle a stage-like gate from which the first Teslas will later roll off the assembly line.

“Tesla pace also in other areas”

On the other hand, and that happens before the ceremony with pyrotechnics and music, there are the words that Musk and the political celebrities present lose at the opening. “The factory is a good sign that German unity is working,” says Chancellor Scholz, referring to the East German location. It is “a special day” for the mobility transition.

Economics Minister Habeck is also full of praise – and calls the speed with which the factory was built as a model for all of Germany: “This short time of factory construction can of course also be a requirement for Tesla pace in other areas too.” And it goes without saying that Brandenburg’s SPD Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (“We rocked it!”) is almost bursting with pride.

In view of these hymns, the host himself seems almost modest. “Tesla will make sure that this is a jewel for this region, for Germany and the world,” says Musk about his latest factory baby.

And addressed to those who are worried about the future of the planet because of the climate crisis, he follows almost pathetically: “You can have hope. This problem will be solved.” Meanwhile, outside the door, dozens of climate activists are demonstrating against the factory, some even paralyzing the autobahn – for free. The Gigafactory is part of the solution, the message said.

Operation even before final approval

Musk announced this in November 2019 at an awards ceremony in Berlin. Already in February 2020, the excavators rolled in and cleared the dense pine forest, much to the displeasure of environmentalists. Tesla initially relied on early approvals from the state of Brandenburg.

Musk originally wanted to produce in Grünheide from mid-2021. But the approval took longer than planned, partly because Tesla only registered a battery factory afterwards. This is still under construction.

The final approval for the plant, which is estimated to cost around six billion euros, only came about two weeks ago, when trial operation was already underway. Tesla tried to work off the conditions quickly.

30 buyers get their Tesla directly from Musk

In the end, it seems this Tuesday, everything worked out. After the speeches, Musk hands over the first 30 “Model Y” cars (purchase price: 63,500 euros) to their buyers, including a handshake and selfie with the company boss.

For some, Musk even does a little dance, fidgeting back and forth in front of the cars to changing music from Eminem to songs from “The Lion King”. “Insta-Gold” for his fans. And, so the hope, gold for the region.