GRÜNHEIDE, Germany—Tesla Inc. has released a series of short videos on Twitter that provide an in-depth look at its electric vehicle assembly plant here.
The five videos, which were shot using drones and handheld cameras, take viewers on a wide-ranging tour of the massive factory, known as Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg, Giga Berlin or Gigafactory 4.
The factory, which opened officially on March 22, 2022, cost some 4 billion euros to build. The vertically integrated factory currently produces the Model Y, including batteries, battery packs, powertrains and seats. At full capacity, the factory can produce 500,000 annually.
The factory is the company’s largest in terms of headcount, employing more than 8,000 people. On any given shift, more than 1,000 people are helping build the Model Y.
The first video shows the stamping line, where 13 different body parts are stamped with 7,300 tons of force. The press line runs at up to 16 parts per minute.
The next video shows the casting line. Rear chassis underbody pieces are cast in single pieces using a custom aluminum alloy, replacing more than 70 metal parts.
The third video shows the body shop, where stamped parts and chassis castings are welded together by more than 600 robots. Each car body is then lifted into the paint shop by one of the world’s largest robots, a Fanuc M-2000iA nicknamed “Godzilla.”
The fourth video shows the paint line. Giga Berlin is home to company’s most advanced paint system, enabling multilayer painting for depth, dimension and a hand-painted look.
The last video shows final assembly, where seats, HVAC, power electronics, drive units and other parts are installed on more than 20 automated stations.