Tesla's Gigafactory in Berlin-Brandenburg hit a manufacturing milestone by producing its 500,000th Model Y all-electric crossover. Tesla announced the achievement at the end of March on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The milestone comes at a time when Tesla is experiencing some of the worst sales and stock drops the company has ever dealt with, as many electric vehicle customers have turned away from the brand in light of CEO Elon Musk's political activity.
500.000 Model Y built at Giga Berlin pic.twitter.com/G5q2HryE83
— Tesla Manufacturing (@gigafactories) March 31, 2025
The achievement itself was celebrated by factory employees posing with the milestone vehicle, complete with balloons and confetti marking the occasion. The Berlin facility reached this impressive number in just over 1,100 days after its official opening on March 22, 2022, Teslarati reported.
This production achievement is good news for European car buyers looking to switch to a more planet-friendly vehicle. With increased Model Y availability across the continent, more drivers can access EVs produced locally rather than those shipped from overseas factories.
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The Berlin Gigafactory supplies vehicles to Germany and 37 other markets within and outside the EU. This local manufacturing approach helps reduce transportation pollution while supporting regional jobs and economic growth.
Tesla's Berlin plant has overcome several challenges since beginning construction in 2020, including pandemic-related delays and environmental concerns. Despite these hurdles, the factory's annual production capacity now exceeds 375,000 vehicles, according to Tesla's most recent financial reports.
"We not only manufacture vehicles for the German market but also for 37 other markets, both within and outside the EU," said factory manager André Thierig, speaking of the facility's impact on EV availability throughout Europe.
Whether the increased availability will boost the beleaguered company's sales remains to be seen, and Tesla has growing competition in the European market from brands with far less baggage. Reuters reported that in February, Volkswagen and BMW had higher sales than Tesla in Europe.
Still, the brand maintains a solid following.
One commenter on the Teslarati article was particularly excited about the achievement, noting: "The road blocks, speed bumps, challenges that Tesla faced and overcame in order to even get up and running here is amazing, so I'll take 500,000 Ys in a little more than 3 years! What is coming next (more affordable models and the CyberCab) should make hitting the next 500k a lot faster!"
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Cost 💰 The company reportedly plans to expand the Berlin Gigafactory further, which would allow for even greater production capacity of its best-selling electric crossover in the years ahead.
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