Tesla has been one of the most sought-after vehicles in recent years. Its surging popularity has prompted CEO Elon Musk to stop production at the Berlin Gigafactory, only to have time to upgrade the factory and add an extra shift.
Rising gasoline prices have driven people to seek alternatives to gasoline-powered vehicles, leading to increased demand for Tesla electric vehicles.
As a result, the company is prioritizing production to meet customer demand.
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Tesla’s factories have been productive, and the ramps of Gigafactory Berlin and Gigafactory Texas have some of the largest ramps, making them the top manufacturers for the company even though production has only recently begun.
The Berlin plant is making positive progress with its 2,170 cells, utilizing a battery infrastructure that Tesla has grown accustomed to. The Gigafactory Berlin also recorded a production rate of 1,000 model vehicles per week last June.
Meanwhile, the Texas plant could not crunch the same numbers due to difficulties in ramping up production of 4,680 battery cells and structural batteries. However, the factory significantly increased production in the last week of June thanks to Tesla’s decision to build the 2170-cell Model Y Long Range at the factory.
Tesla expects its Berlin factory, which is set to close for more than two weeks, to catch up after it receives an upgrade. German publication Bild reported that Tesla will temporarily close until facilities are improved.
“Tesla therefore wants to interrupt operation for two weeks starting next Monday,” wrote Bild. “It is unclear how many of the 4,500 employees will be sent on vacation and how many technicians will remain to convert production.”
Bild also reports that Tesla will organize to add a third shift and keep the production of electric motors within the factory rather than importing them from the Shanghai Gigafactory.
“According to employees, after the break-in production, work should be carried out in three instead of two shifts,” the publication elaborated. “In addition, Tesla could then start manufacturing the drive in a neighboring hall.”
Despite the improvement of the factory space, Gigafactory Berlin faces the challenge of finding workers.
Tesla has struggled to hire and retain employees for months, with wages rumored to be the primary concern. Local union IG Metall was tipped to get involved, but Tesla raised wages by 6% to address concerns.
