‘Ich bin ein Berliner’ says Tesla – new European Tesla Factory to be built in Berlin

Elon Musk has revealed that Tesla will build its first European Factory in Berlin, as well as an engineering and design centre, bringing Tesla to the heart of European ‘Premium’ cars.

There was a hint that Tesla would build a factory and design centre in the UK a couple of years ago. But Brexit uncertainty appears to have put the kibosh on that notion and Tesla is now heading for Germany instead.

Elon Musk revealed Tesla’s plans to head for Germany – right in the heat of Europe’s ‘Premium’ car jungle – at an awards ceremony in Germany where the Tesla Model 3 beat the BMW 3 Series to the top gong in the mid-size category at the Golden Steering Wheel Awards.

Musk said:

Everyone knows that German engineering is outstanding and that’s part of the reason we are locating our Gigafactory Europe in Germany.

Musk followed up his news at the awards ceremony in a follow-up Tweet (where else?) declaring “GIGA BERLIN – Will build batteries, powertrains & vehicles, starting with Model Y“.

The new Plant in Berlin is due to start churning out batteries, powertrains and the Model Y (with the Model 3 also planned) by 2021, but this is an Elon Musk timescale so probably best to think of it as an approximation, and will join Tesla Gigafactories in the US and China as Tesla moves from a maker of expensive large EVs – the Model S and Model X – to a maker of almost mainstream EVs with the Model 3 and the soon to arrive Model Y SUV.

And where better to mark that intent than in the homeland of BMW, Mercedes and Audi?