Tag: Giga Berlin

  • Water Supplier Completes Contract for Tesla Giga Berlin

    Water Supplier Completes Contract for Tesla Giga Berlin

    Water usage at Giga Berlin has become a hot topic for Tesla, sparking protests from local environmental groups around the facility. Yet, there appears to be a possible solution coming up, as the Strauberg-Erkner Water Association (WSE) has drafted a water contract aimed at the electric vehicle plant.

    WSE’s Role

    WSE is a regional water supplier and waste management service in Germany. It serves 16 municipalities and has gained attention lately for its lengthy discussions with Tesla regarding the Giga Berlin plant.

    Contract Details Pending

    While the specifics of the contract haven’t been revealed yet, reports indicate that it includes a reduced water supply for Tesla, along with new guidelines for managing wastewater generated at the factory. The WSE plans to send the draft to Tesla for their assessment.

    Hopes for Quick Resolution

    Thomas Krieger, the chairman of the association and the mayor of Fredersdorf-Vogelsdorf, is optimistic that Tesla will give a positive feedback before Christmas. However, it’s possible that both parties will have to go through more rounds of negotiations if Tesla asks for changes, which seems likely since it has expressed concerns about not being included in or updated on the final revisions to the draft.

    Tesla has managed to cut down its water use significantly, thanks to its effective wastewater treatment system. Nevertheless, the downside is that the wastewater produced is too concentrated for WSE’s disposal system.

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  • Tesla Increases Pay by 4% at German Gigafactory

    Tesla Increases Pay by 4% at German Gigafactory

    Between 2015 and 2018, Tesla had plans to open its first gigafactory in Europe. However, the specifics of the Giga Berlin, also known as Gigafactory 4, were revealed by Elon Musk in November 2019. The grand opening occurred in late March 2022, and by the end of April, the facility began producing the Model Y Performance featuring 2170-cells. With a workforce of 12,000 and an annual output of 250,000 vehicles, this sole production site in Europe has the potential to reach a capacity of 1 million vehicles per year in the future, though current market conditions have put this ambition on pause.

    Job Security and Wage Increases

    Last month, Tesla made the decision to convert 500 temporary positions into permanent ones, effective November 1st. Just today, the company announced that all employees at the German gigafactory will receive a 4% wage increase starting this month. Erik Demmler, the HR director, stated,

    "This is particularly good news for our workforce – especially when many companies in the German automotive industry are discussing layoffs and plant closures."

    Cost-Cutting Measures

    According to Reuters, Tesla has not renewed contracts with some subcontractors and has also implemented voluntary staff reductions earlier this year as part of its efforts to cut costs. However, these measures did not include any pay reductions. In contrast, Volkswagen, Europe’s largest automaker, is currently requesting that its employees accept a 10% salary cut to retain their jobs and maintain competitiveness.

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