EVwire brief: Tesla is ordering three extra shifts at Giga Berlin to push production toward 7,500 vehicles per week by mid-October. The plant currently produces fewer than 6,500 vehicles per week. To close the gap, Tesla and its works council agreed on three mandatory extra shifts in September: a night shift on Friday, Sept. 18; an early shift on Saturday, Sept. 19; and a night shift on Friday, Sept. 25.
Each of the factory's three shift groups (Blue, Red, and Silver) would be called in once. The shifts cover all vehicle production and support functions, except Drive Unit, Battery, and Cell manufacturing. Workers receive a 35% surcharge for the extra shifts, though employees with negative balances on their time-tracking accounts get no bonus. Their hours would simply offset their deficit.
Giga Berlin currently produces around 6,500 vehicles per week. This is not enough to meet current demand.
Plant manager André Thierig first outlined the 7,500-per-week target in June, when Giga Berlin was building around 5,000 units per week. The plan called for cutting cycle times from roughly 80 seconds per vehicle to just 45 seconds. That cycle time has now been largely achieved, but actual production still lags the target.
Each shift at Giga Berlin currently produces around 450 vehicles. Even with the extra production days, Tesla expects its busiest week in September to reach about 7,100 to 7,300 vehicles, which is a notable improvement but still short of the 7,500 goal.
Tesla’s demand in Europe is seeing a notable increase this year, with YTD sales up 182%.
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Context:
The ramp comes as Volkswagen, based a few hundred kilometers to the west, heads in the opposite direction. Europe's largest automaker recently announced another 50,000 job cuts and put the long-term future of vehicle production at its plants in Emden, Zwickau, Hanover, and Neckarsulm in question. Volkswagen cited significant overcapacity across Europe.
It should be noted that Giga Berlin ran at just 54% capacity in 2025, producing just over 202,000 vehicles for the year. Tesla's sales in Germany have also been uneven. But the trend line is pointing up, with new registrations in August hitting 3,034 vehicles, up 110.5% year-over-year. Year-to-date registrations are also up 182%.
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Source: Handelsblatt, Elektroauto-News
