Featured image: Tobias Lindh/Twitter

Despite the crisis associated with Covid-19, Tesla wants to advance its plans to establish the first factory in Europe. According to the government of Brandenburg, the company filed a third application for early approval of measures to prepare for construction.

This means that the automaker may soon begin construction work. Tesla’s intentions are reinforced by action. Recently, the company announced a recruitment for some positions that relate to the planning and construction in the Giga Berlin. Everything indicates that Tesla Giga Berlin is entering the active phase of construction and, in spite of everything, the plant will be built on time.

Today, one of the enthusiasts Tobias Lindh/Twitter wrote that activity at 8:30 pm was noticed on the automaker’s site. This meant only one thing, that work on the site of the future Giga Berlin was carried out in two shifts. At the moment, it is unclear whether this is a constant innovation or whether this activity is needed only to perform certain work.

Nevertheless, the site is illuminated using lamps powered by generators, which makes it possible to examine in more detail what is happening there.

Looks like @Tesla is preparing for piling at #GigaBerlin.

The site was still busy at 8:30 pm and there are new generators with lights, so we might see night shifts again. pic.twitter.com/TFMl9UgocO

— Tobias Lindh (@tobilindh) May 13, 2020

A pile driver, is a device used to drive piles into soil to provide foundation support for buildings or other structures, was spotted on the site today. Tesla recently applied for a new building plan for the factory, most likely the new plan includes a new approach to construction. The earlier plan did not include the need for driving piles.

One of Tesla enthusiasts Morten Grove - Tesla-Ship Tracker suggested that piles are needed to accommodate stamping equipment for the assembly of Model Y, which needs a substantial foundation.

I've heard musings that the stamping equipment for the Model Y rear assembly needs a substantial foundation.
Further musings:
- Ground is soft and sandy at Grünheide (relatively)
- Tesla re-submitted plans b.c. of learnings from Giga Shanghai Model Y facility construction.

— Morten Grove - Tesla-Ship Tracker 🚢🕵️‍♂️ (@mortenlund89) May 13, 2020 

As we know, the automaker is seeking to switch to aluminum casting instead of a series of stamped parts. With Model Y Tesla switched from 70 parts to 4, and then plans to move to 1 with a reduction in weight, improvement in MBH, reduction in cost, and a significant drop in capital expenditure for all the robots that used to put 70 parts together.

To do this, the company creates a gigantic new casting machine to produce most of the Model Y frame in one piece. As far as know, this machine weighs 6,000 tons, which is an incredibly large weight. Perhaps the piles, which may now be driven into the ground, will serve as a support for the building in which this machine will be located.

Source: Tesla patent

Giga Shanghai struck the whole world with the speed with which the plant was built and put into operation. The construction speed of Giga Berlin was very doubtful, as everyone knows about the bureaucratic apparatus of Germany. However, the facts suggest otherwise. Tobias made a comparison of the progress of the Giga Berlin and Giga Shanghai project, which shows that at one point the European Tesla factory is building faster than the Chinese one.

I read a lot that the progress on #GigaBerlin seems slow.@Tesla plans to open #GigaBerlin in July 2021 which is exactly the same duration as #GigaShanghai since establishment of the local company.

So I've made a simple comparison of the timelines to see where we are right now. pic.twitter.com/mbDqUK9lDY

— Tobias Lindh (@tobilindh) May 8, 2020

Giga Berlin will have advanced technology, including the world's best paint shop, for the production of Model Y. Production start is planned for 2021.

Also a new train arrived while i was at the site. That's the second train today! pic.twitter.com/uz6UMk2Z24

— Tobias Lindh (@tobilindh) May 13, 2020