Tesla to open R&D center in Berlin

Tesla plans to open a “European Development Center” in Berlin, Germany next year. The new unit will employ up to 250 engineers and technicians to create new models, batteries, and charging infrastructure.

The plans were announced by Lars Moravi, Tesla’s vice president and chief engineer, at a press conference. The exact location of the future center has not yet been revealed, but it is known that it will use a vacant factory near the Gigafactory in Berlin.

In the first phase, the center will welcome 130 engineers who previously worked at other, smaller sites. Tesla is set to invest tens of millions of euros in the project.

The company first talked about plans for a development center in Europe back in November 2019, when it announced the construction of Gigafactory Berlin. Now the project is close to becoming a reality.