Choo-choo! It's the Tesla train! Yes, Tesla has its own train shuttle in Germany. It's a diesel-electric rail vehicle that can accommodate up to 400 passengers per ride. The best thing about it? It's free! Here's everything you need to know.
Tesla is the world's most valuable automaker. Investors put a lot of their money into the brand and believe it's the one automotive company that will keep championing the global move to all-electric vehicles and help us get around without putting too much strain on local environments.
While the green impact of EVs is still debatable because of mining and complicated supply chains, what cannot be taken away from the now-Texas-based brand – that made an EV into a global best-seller so far into 2023 – is the fact that it knows how to create an ecosystem around its plants. At the same time, it entices curious people to discover the Tesla universe.
The latest proof in this regard comes from Germany. Instead of an underground system comprising a series of tubes in which pods would travel at speeds of nearly 800 mph, the EV maker chose the good old train. And it is old! The DMU unit could have started service 20 or 30 years ago.
As things stand when writing, Hyperloop is never going to materialize. Rail is cheaper, more dependable, and pretty safe, considering it has the right of way nearly everywhere it goes. It is the obvious choice for transporting hundreds or thousands of people every day without needing large parking lots, multiple-lane highways, and other costly infrastructure.
Besides that, a diesel-powered locomotive doesn't burn fossil fuel to move. That would lead to absurd consumption figures and would make them unfeasible.
Instead, the drivetrain works somewhat like a Honda with e:HEV tech. But rather than having an engine turn fossil fuel into electricity while staying constant rpms (most of the time) and storing that energy in a battery that powers one or two electric motors, a locomotive's diesel mechanical beating heart drives an alternator that produces electrons. These negatively charged particles go to the motors, make them spin, and that moves the entire train.
Photo: Tesla on Twitter
All that happens while the diesel powerplant isn't being strained. Nobody's forcing it to run at high rpms all the time. It stays within a reasonable range, which prolongs its life and keeps consumption at a minimum.
If you want to visit Giga Berlin by hopping on this train, you must first arrive at the Berlin Central Station (Hauptbahnhof), jump on a rail vehicle to Erkner, and from there take the Tesla train to the massive factory spanning over 1.2 square miles. Remember that only the journey's last leg will be free. For all other travel, you'll need a ticket.
Some may find it weird; others may consider it funny. But someone in Germany can now take the Tesla train, get off at the Tesla train station, and visit the Tesla factory that's situated on Tesla Street.
Finally, Tesla invited some lucky customers to inaugurate this short route. They were awaited by a small fireworks show, a DJ playing some tunes, and a discreet light show. The brand published the short video below on its European Twitter (X) account to showcase how it all went down.
Tesla manufactures the Model Y at Giga Berlin. It's the brand's most up-to-date plant, boasting the latest manufacturing technologies and procedures.
Giga Berlin now has its own train shuttle, capable of moving 400 people per ride ???? pic.twitter.com/gmvy80GFFn
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News