Tesla Submits New Factory Design For Giga Berlin

Featured Image Credit: @gigafactory_4/Twitter

Tesla submitted an amended application for Giga Berlin to the State Environment Agency on Wednesday, June 10. The revised application included details about a new factory design and updated information on Tesla's water consumption for its first Giga Berlin plant.

According to local media outlet RBB24, the State Environment Agency rescheduled a consultation date in September for Tesla's application, which was originally supposed to take place in March. Approval of Tesla's revised application or necessary changes that the company needs to make before it gets the green light will probably be discussed during the consultation. 

So far, Giga Berlin's revised factory design has not been revealed. Based on the original design Tesla submitted, Giga Berlin's Model Y production plant seemed similar to Giga Shanghai's MIC Model 3 factory design. However, since Giga Berlin's first design was sent to the State Environment Agency, Tesla may have already discovered ways to optimize vehicle production, especially for the Model Y. 

Today 10.45am at #GigaBerlin.
Really busy there.

1. New concrete squares visible.
2. Deep excavation. Maybe press area and they flipped the sceme? Means painting at east side.
4. What do you think they will build up there?

Google Foto Album updated:https://t.co/PvuZ6aIWcr pic.twitter.com/FfSEMkASbV

— Giga Berlin / Gigafactory 4 (@gigafactory_4) June 12, 2020

While work on Giga Berlin has started on the upcoming facility's foundation, the Fremont Factory began producing the Model Y, and Giga Shanghai continued to construct its MIC Model Y manufacturing building. As it stands, even Giga Shanghai's Model Y factory design has changed. Initially, there was only one building meant for the Model Y, but Giga Shanghai has continued work on another building, called Phase 2b, and a third triangular building. It is unclear whether the other two buildings will be involved in MIC Model Y production.

Tesla's tendency to continually improve may have impacted Giga Berlin's factory design, especially considering that it will start with Model Y production. One of the factors that Tesla may have to account for in Giga Berlin now could be its customized aluminum die-casting machine for the Model Y's rear underbody from IDRA Group. The bespoke Giga Press, aka the OL 6100 CS, is a massive machine that Tesla ordered from IDRA Group with specific upgrades. The OL 6100 CS will turn the Model Y's two-piece rear underbody casting into a single piece, potentially saving Tesla up to 20% in labor costs and significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Then there is also the matter of Tesla's water consumption and wastewater output. In the company's 2019 Impact Report, Tesla revealed improvements in its water consumption for vehicle production and its wastewater/stormwater management projects. 

"In 2018, we established a water-use baseline for our manufacturing operations of 5.2 cubic meters of water per vehicle. In 2019, we reduced water usage by 45% to 2.9 cubic meters per vehicle. We will continue to look for ways to reduce our water intensity per vehicle produced, and as we increase production and operate more efficiently in [the] coming years, we expect water use per vehicle to continue to decline," Tesla wrote in its 2019 Impact Report. 

The reports also stated that Tesla conducted projects like reverse osmosis and distilled water system installations to recycle wastewater and stormwater. The company has other projects to help clean and transform community water resources as well. One example included in the 2019 Impact Report was Tesla's work to clean the Buffalo River with the help of Gigafactory New York. 

Given that the Impact Report covers information about Tesla's environmental impact last year, the company may have already found ways to improve water consumption and wastewater/stormwater management. As such, it makes sense that Tesla revised its application for Giga Berlin. Much of the information in Tesla's original application probably needed to be updated.