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Tesla officially opened its German gigafactory, Giga Berlin, in March 2022. The facility, which produces the Model Y, was the automaker’s first manufacturing location in Europe. The gigafactory’s website claims that the site is Tesla’s most advanced, sustainable, and efficient yet. The factory also employs a company-high workforce of over 1,000 people.
The public recently got a sneak peek at the factory’s inner workings, including Tesla’s latest electric vehicle (EV) production line, an advanced paint system, and a “Godzilla” robot.
A video series on Twitter shot primarily with drones begins at the stamping section, where 13 body pieces are stamped with a combined 7,300 tons of force at a press line that can produce around 16 parts per minute. The next video discusses how rear chassis underbody pieces are cast in single pieces using a custom aluminum alloy to replace over 70 metal parts. A later video shows the body shop where over 600 robots weld chassis castings and stamped parts.
The next step introduces the car body to the Godzilla robot. The Godzilla robot, which Tesla calls one of the largest industrial robots in the world, resembles Fanuc’s M-2000iA and transports complete car bodies to the paint shop line. The gigafactory’s paint system, which Tesla described as its most advanced to date, enables multi-layer painting for depth and dimension.
The Twitter thread concludes with the vehicles at the general assembly, where over 20 automated stations install features such as power electronics, HVAC, seats, and drive units.
