Tesla Giga Berlin is reportedly nearing its “first expansion stage” level of employment, the number of employees required to reach full production at the site.
Tesla Giga Berlin has faced one of its most substantial challenges in the form of hiring. Being a new name in the job market and facing a surprising public backlash has meant that the facility has continuously struggled to find the right employees to produce the maximum number of vehicles. However, with recent developments, it seems that Tesla has finally managed to conquer its hiring problem in Berlin, as the facility is now close to reaching the number of employees necessary for full production.
According to a tweet from the unofficial Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenber Twitter account by our friend Jurgen, who has been chronicling Giga Berlin’s construction and production with his drone from day one, the facility now has 8,500 employees of the 12,000 required for the “first expansion stage.”
The most recent employment growth at Giga Berlin may result in the addition of a third production shift, but the current workforce has already proven to be incredibly productive. The news that Giga Berlin has reached a run rate of 3,000 vehicles a week is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team. With a fully staffed team, Giga Berlin could not only increase their vehicle production to new heights, but they would also have the capacity to produce other parts, reducing the need for imports and reliance on external suppliers.
Giga Berlin’s production has become more crucial in recent months as it produces one of Europe’s most hotly demanded vehicles, the Tesla Model Y.
Here I want to give some credit to Tesla and Giga Berlin EV factory because hiring and training so many people in such a short period of time is a huge task. A user named John James, has a revealing comment under Teslarati’s coverage of this subject, who writes, “hiring and training a large number of employees, such as 8,000 to 12,000, for a new facility can be a daunting task. My experience running a smaller operation showed that even experienced employees took several months to fully adapt to their new roles. Training those with no prior experience further reduced the department's efficiency as they required constant guidance from more experienced staff. Additionally, hiring employees who had prior experience but were used to different methods of work led to friction and difficulties in adjusting to the company's procedures. Staffing such a large facility in an area not traditionally associated with this type of production will take time and will be a continuous process as employees come and go.”
Giga Berlin has continued to prove its prowess amidst numerous hurdles and is still pushing boundaries by expanding its physical footprint. In mid-2022, the facility procured an additional 30% of land to expand the facility. This new space could be utilized in a multitude of different ways, such as a freight/inventory area or even battery and vehicle production operations. This expansion is proof of the commitment to providing EVs to customers around the world and to continue to drive innovation in the industry.
In addition to the physical expansion, the facility has seen major growth in terms of employment. This has included multiple new hires and increased opportunity across different roles and departments. This achievement speaks to the success of the facility, and the team’s commitment to innovating and providing a robust product for customers.
Overall, Giga Berlin has been pushing the limits and showing its dedication to making an impact in the EV industry. With continued expansion and growth, the future is looking bright for the facility. As the facility continues to make strides, customers will reap the benefits and more quickly and easily transition to electric vehicles.
Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.
