Tesla to Shut Down Berlin Factory for Two Weeks to Expand Factory Space

Tesla has been one of the most in-demand vehicles for the past couple of years, and its popularity has caused CEO Elon Musk to shut down production at the Gigafactory in Berlin just to make time to upgrade the factory and add a shift.

The increasing gas prices have prompted people to find alternatives to gas-dependent vehicles, creating a higher demand for electric-powered Tesla vehicles.

In turn, the company is prioritizing production to meet customer demand.

While Tesla’s factories have been hard at work, the ramps at Gigafactory Berlin and Gigafactory Texas have some of the more significant ramps and only recently started production.

The factory in Berlin is showing positive progress with its 2170 cells, enabling a battery infrastructure that Tesla has grown accustomed to. Gigafactory Berlin also reported a production rate of 1,000 Model vehicles per week last month.

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Meanwhile, the Texas factory is not nearly as consistent due to difficulties ramping up production of the 4680 batter cell and structural battery pack. However, the factory ramped up production significantly in the last week of June thanks to Tesla’s shift to building Model Y Long Range with 2170 cells at the plant.

Tesla is expecting its Berlin factory to catch up, and it is reported that the factory will be shut down for over two weeks while it receives an upgrade.

German publication Bild reported that Tesla would be ceasing operations temporarily until the facilities get an improvement.

“Tesla therefore wants to interrupt operation for two weeks starting next Monday,” wrote Bild. “It is unclear how many of the 4,500 employees will be sent on vacation and how many technicians will remain to convert production.”

Bild also reports that Tesla will be adding a third shift and hold electric motor productions at the factory instead of importing them from Gigafactory Shanghai.

“According to employees, after the break-in production, work should be carried out in three instead of two shifts,” the publication elaborated. “In addition, Tesla could then start manufacturing the drive in a neighboring hall.”

Despite the improved factory space, Berlin is tasked with finding employees.

Tesla has faced the issue of hiring and retaining employees for months, with salaries speculated to be the primary problem. The local union, IG Metall, was tipped to be involved, but Tesla increased salaries by 6% to address the concern.

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