[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] Tesla's European production base, the Gigafactory near Berlin, Germany, has officially started operations.
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and others, Tesla held an opening ceremony for the Gigafactory built in Brandenburg, on the outskirts of Berlin, on the 22nd (local time), and delivered Model Y vehicles produced at this factory to their new owners.
Elon Musk, CEO, emphasized, "Every vehicle we make will be another step toward a sustainable energy future."
The Gigafactory aims to produce 500,000 units annually. It plans to employ up to 12,000 workers in the future. Currently, the workforce is about 3,500.
The official operation of the Gigafactory, which will be the largest electric vehicle factory in Europe, comes about two years after construction began. Brandenburg secured Tesla's factory construction in 2019. Tesla originally planned to start vehicle production in early summer 2021, but the plan was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain disruptions, and opposition from environmental activists.
The WSJ reported that although the European production base has started operations, disruptions may occur due to Russia's war in Ukraine, and it will be fundamentally difficult to escape supply chain bottlenecks.
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