Editor’s note: This story was updated with Handelsblatt’s report about Musk’s comments on semi-trucks at the Berlin factory
Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk visited the company's gigafactory in Berlin on Wednesday, accompanied by his son, after the factory resumed production following a week-long pause due to an arson attack. He also reportedly hinted at the possibility of producing semi-trucks at the European factory.
What Happened: Tesla announced its return to operations with a post on X, formerly Twitter, accompanied by a video showcasing the Berlin gigafactory’s transition from a halted production facility to an active manufacturing plant. Musk, dressed in a black t-shirt, visited the factory on Wednesday, accompanied by his toddler son.
Addressing the gathering at the factory, Musk expressed the company’s gratitude to the Berlin team and the community for their support in getting the factory back online.
He also mentioned the possibility of producing Tesla semi-trucks at the factory, German publication Handelsblatt reported.
“I think it makes sense to produce the Semi truck in Europe at Giga Berlin,” Musk reportedly stated.
According to an Instagram profile tracking the CEO’s private jet movements, Musk landed in Berlin and later departed for France within approximately four hours.
Why It Matters: The Berlin factory faced a power outage and production halt on Tuesday, March 5, following an arson attack nearby, claimed by a far-left activist organization named the “Vulkan” Group. The factory was reconnected to the electricity grid on Monday at 8:45 p.m. local time.
Tesla’s 2023 annual report indicates that the factory currently has an installed annual vehicle capacity of 375,000 Model Y vehicles.
The company plans to expand the plant to double its capacity for battery production to 100-gigawatt hours and car production to 1 million units annually.
The Tesla Semi is still in pilot production. During the fourth-quarter earnings call in January, Tesla executive Karn Budhiraj mentioned that the company had initiated the next phase of Giga Nevada expansion, focusing on incorporating the Semi.
In a December episode of Jay Leno’s Garage on YouTube, Tesla executives Lars Moravy and Franz von Holzhausen mentioned that volume production of the Semi is anticipated in 2024. They highlighted that Tesla currently has about 100 Semis in its fleet and is collaborating with PepsiCo to assess the vehicle’s durability.
The beverage giant reported earlier this year that one of its Tesla semi trucks covered 1,076 miles in a single day with two drivers.
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