Photo: the_wolfpack_berlin via YouTube | Edited
Drone flights have become the preferred activity for people following progress at Tesla gigafactories. Nevertheless, Tesla banned drones from flying over Giga Berlin without offering more details. Tesla might allow quarterly flights in the future, although conditions are yet unknown.
The Tesla community has closely followed progress at Tesla's newest gigafactories, thanks to enthusiasts using drones to record the construction works. Giga Berlin and Giga Texas have been particularly interesting because Tesla has said it deploys the latest technologies first to vehicles produced in these factories. For instance, the German gigafactory is where Tesla has built its most advanced paint shop. On the other hand, Austin is where the Cybertruck will start production, and everyone wanted to see how the production line work advances.
Drone flights have become hugely popular with content creators, offering a unique perspective. Drones also allow recording videos in areas usually out of bounds for most people, such as Tesla gigafactories' perimeters. Nevertheless, flying a noisy aerial vehicle over private property grounds can be annoying and sometimes even illegal. This is especially true in Europe, where "everything's illegal by default," as Elon Musk once said. We're not surprised that Tesla has banned drone flights over Giga Berlin.
Drone pilots Robert and Andreas from The Wolfpack Berlin announced the measure on Friday, and others confirmed it. Although flying drones over the factory is not allowed anymore, drone pilots can still operate their UAVs outside the factory perimeter. Tesla also promised to allow drone flights directly over the factory once every quarter, although it did not discuss any details about how it will regulate permission. Tesla did not explain its decision, although there are rumors that this might be connected to recent clashes between Tesla and German regulators.
Last week, Tesla was ordered to halt the construction of a parking lot solar array after the EV maker failed to acquire the necessary authorization. The work involved the installation of concrete piles in the parking lot, with solar panels installed on them to cover the parking area. Although this looks mundane, Tesla still needed a permit because the concrete piles are penetrating the soil in a sensitive area, and people worry they might affect the water reserves underground.
Needless to say, Tesla thinks the authorities found out about the illegal work thanks to the overhead drone flights and the videos shared afterward. Elon Musk got upset over the news and reacted with a "Sigh." Nevertheless, doing the work according to local regulations should've been Tesla's priority in the first place. In other words, the real issue should have been the permit, not the video. Interestingly, the flyovers continue unabated over Giga Texas and Giga Shanghai, where Tesla had no problems advancing the construction work.
Drone flights have become hugely popular with content creators, offering a unique perspective. Drones also allow recording videos in areas usually out of bounds for most people, such as Tesla gigafactories' perimeters. Nevertheless, flying a noisy aerial vehicle over private property grounds can be annoying and sometimes even illegal. This is especially true in Europe, where "everything's illegal by default," as Elon Musk once said. We're not surprised that Tesla has banned drone flights over Giga Berlin.
Drone pilots Robert and Andreas from The Wolfpack Berlin announced the measure on Friday, and others confirmed it. Although flying drones over the factory is not allowed anymore, drone pilots can still operate their UAVs outside the factory perimeter. Tesla also promised to allow drone flights directly over the factory once every quarter, although it did not discuss any details about how it will regulate permission. Tesla did not explain its decision, although there are rumors that this might be connected to recent clashes between Tesla and German regulators.
Last week, Tesla was ordered to halt the construction of a parking lot solar array after the EV maker failed to acquire the necessary authorization. The work involved the installation of concrete piles in the parking lot, with solar panels installed on them to cover the parking area. Although this looks mundane, Tesla still needed a permit because the concrete piles are penetrating the soil in a sensitive area, and people worry they might affect the water reserves underground.
Needless to say, Tesla thinks the authorities found out about the illegal work thanks to the overhead drone flights and the videos shared afterward. Elon Musk got upset over the news and reacted with a "Sigh." Nevertheless, doing the work according to local regulations should've been Tesla's priority in the first place. In other words, the real issue should have been the permit, not the video. Interestingly, the flyovers continue unabated over Giga Texas and Giga Shanghai, where Tesla had no problems advancing the construction work.
It's true. Drone flights above #GigaBerlin are not allowed on every weekend anymore.
— Tobias Lindh (@tobilindh) February 18, 2023
I will continue my weekly time-lapse videos from outside and think about what other kind of videos I can make about #GigaBerlin.
I hope @Tesla will allow fly-overs again when phase 2 starts. https://t.co/d2s1LOw5qI
Google News