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Tesla Shares Impressive Videos From Inside Giga Berlin, Showing How Its Cars Are Built

We haven’t had new information about Giga Berlin operations for a while, thanks to Giga Austin taking all the limelight. Nevertheless, Tesla is keen on showing us the wonderful job its German gigafactory does with a series of videos dubbed “the machine that builds the machine.”
Godzilla is one of the largest industrial robots ever built 9 photos
Photo: Tesla | Edited
Tesla Model Y, from scrap metal to electric supercarTesla Model Y, from scrap metal to electric supercarTesla Model Y, from scrap metal to electric supercarTesla Model Y, from scrap metal to electric supercarTesla Model Y, from scrap metal to electric supercarTesla Model Y, from scrap metal to electric supercarTesla Model Y, from scrap metal to electric supercarTesla Model Y, from scrap metal to electric supercar
Almost a year ago, when Tesla had just started production at its German gigafactory in Gruenheide, the EV maker released a mesmerizing video from the production line. The video was shot from an FPV drone during Delivery Day on March 22, 2022, and showed some great images from inside the machines building the Model Y. As the EV maker is gearing up for the first anniversary, it shared more enlightening videos from the production line, this time also explaining what’s happening on the factory floor.

The new videos are part of the new Tesla’s resolve to promote itself, making use of the Twitter platform that Elon Musk now owns. Since Tesla disbanded its PR department, this is as much as we can hope to find details about its operations. The Giga Berlin is, next to Giga Texas, the most advanced Tesla factory in the world, with a lot of cutting-edge work pioneered in Gruienheide.

This is where the structural battery pack and megacastings have been introduced, and it’s also where Tesla tests new production optimizations. The Giga Berlin is truly a city, offering almost everything the workers need. But it’s also a machine, able to function by itself with very few connections to the outside world. This leverages Tesla’s large-scale vertical integration, unprecedented in the auto industry.

The video tour starts with the machines that stamp out the Model Y’s body parts. These can put out 7,300 tons of force and churn out 16 body parts per minute. Only 13 stamped body parts go into the Model Y body, thanks to extreme optimization. These are united in the body shop with the rear chassis underbody pieces that form the rear megacasting. Tesla uses a custom aluminum alloy for the megacastings produced using IDRA’s Giga Presses. The megacastings replace more than 70 metal parts each, streamlining production.

More than 600 robots weld together the stamped parts and the chassis castings, and the resulting car body is then lifted into the paint shop. Tesla uses a giant robot for this task, one of the largest industrial robots ever built. It’s called Godzilla for a reason. The paint shop uses Tesla’s most advanced painting techniques, “enabling multi-layer painting for depth, dimension and hand-painted look.”

Finally, the body goes into the General Assembly line, where everything is bolted to the body. This includes seats, power electronics, drive units, and the battery. The General Assembly line comprises more than 20 automated stations. This is the place where the Tesla Model Y gets its final touches, thanks to the dedication of more than 1,000 workers.

Getting Giga Berlin to such impressive results was no easy task, though. German regulators, the famous German bureaucracy, and environmentalists have been doing a marvelous job at delaying Giga Berlin’s opening. There were times when the whole project was in jeopardy, and even now, Tesla still faces opposition to its expansion projects in the area.

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About the author: Cristian Agatie
Cristian Agatie profile photo

After his childhood dream of becoming a "tractor operator" didn't pan out, Cristian turned to journalism, first in print and later moving to online media. His top interests are electric vehicles and new energy solutions.
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