Tesla Gigafactory Berlin Gets Its First Pile Driver To Test Foundation

Tesla Gigafactory Berlin has placed its first pile driver into its newly-leveled grounds. The singular pile driver will likely test the ground to see if Tesla’s construction can proceed as planned. This latest development might be small, but it does show progress in Giga Berlin. Provided that there are no delays, Giga Berlin may be standing and operational by 2021 as scheduled. 

Drone operator @gigafactory_4 shared footage of Giga Berlin’s first pile driver via Twitter and YouTube. “The first pile driver at Giga Berlin deserves a 360 drone view,” the Tesla enthusiast said. 

Gigafactory Berlin’s progress has hit a couple of bumps over the first few months of the year. The latest bump concerned Tesla’s plans to drive piles into the grounds of Giga Berlin’s site. Fellow drone operator @Gf4Tesla reported that Tesla had revised some of the application documents it had submitted because the piles weren’t part of the original plans. The new submission postponed construction work on Giga Berlin’s plant for some time.  

However, the placement of the first pile driver may be a signal of smooth sailing ahead. If the foundation proves to be strong enough to handle more piles, work on Giga Berlin’s first facility could start as soon as possible.

According to Tesla, work on Giga Berlin’s first facility is on schedule. “We recently finished the land preparation phase and are about to break ground on the construction phase of this project. Based on the current progress, we are on track to start the first Model Y deliveries from Gigafactory Berlin in 2021,” Tesla wrote in its Q1 2020 Update letter. The sight of the first pile driver proves that the company’s projections were correct. The company broke ground in Giga Berlin a few weeks after its Q1 2020 Earnings Call. 

Giga Berlin would play a crucial role in Tesla’s Model Y ramp in Europe. Demand for the Model Y is expected to far exceed that of the Model S, Model 3, and Model X combined. Tesla’s ability to produce and deliver its vehicles on time with Gigafactories based abroad can be seen in Gigafactory Shanghai. With Giga Berlin, production and deliveries for Europe-based reservation holders could run smoother and meet demand, causing fewer backlogs. 

Featured Image Credit: @gigafactory_4/Twitter