Andre Thierig, the plant manager at Tesla's Gigafactory Berlin, took to X to announce an expansion for the German facility. Following a record-breaking start to the year, the plant is officially scaling up both its vehicle output and its local workforce.
Record First Quarter Drives Expansion
The catalyst for this new growth phase is a highly successful first quarter. According to Thierig's post, the Giga Berlin team successfully built more than 61,000 Model Y vehicles during Q1 of 2026. This impressive figure marks a new production record for the facility, averaging out to nearly 4,700 vehicles per week.
To build on this strong momentum and meet rebounding demand in the European market, Tesla has officially announced a 20 percent increase in Model Y production. This boost in production is slated to begin in July 2026.
Massive Hiring Spree and Permanent Roles
Scaling physical production by 20 percent requires a substantial increase in human capital.
Giga Berlin plans to bring on approximately 1,000 new employees, with the onboarding process beginning this May. This will give the new factory floor workers roughly two months to train and integrate before the production ramp in July.
In addition, as a sign of stabilization and long-term commitment to its existing labor force, Tesla is officially converting 500 temporary employees into permanent, full-time staff members. This move provides valuable job security to the local workforce and ensures the factory retains its most experienced operators.
As Tesla prepares for a massive second half of the year, Giga Berlin is proving to be a highly efficient, high-volume cornerstone of the company's manufacturing empire.
