Tesla expands Berlin gigafactory workforce

U.S. electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Tesla announced on Thursday that it plans to hire an additional 1,000 employees at its Grünheide factory near Berlin, as it seeks to increase production at its only European manufacturing facility, DPA reported.

Tesla, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, said it aims to raise vehicle production at the German plant to 7,500 cars per week starting in October, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

The planned recruitment comes on top of the 1,000 additional jobs announced in April, with those employees expected to be hired by the end of this month. The expansion is intended to boost weekly production by 20%, to around 6,000 vehicles, amid growing demand in Germany, Europe’s largest automotive market.

In May, Tesla also announced plans to recruit more than 1,500 employees for battery cell production in Germany. The move follows Musk’s 2020 pledge to transform the Grünheide site, also known as the Berlin-Brandenburg Gigafactory, into the company’s largest battery manufacturing facility.

Tesla opened the plant about four years ago, with an initial production target of 500,000 vehicles annually.

According to data published on Tuesday by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), electric and hybrid vehicles continued to drive growth in the European Union’s car market in May. New passenger car registrations rose 3.2% year-on-year, reaching 955,013 vehicles.

ACEA said registrations of vehicles powered solely by internal combustion engines declined by around 20% in May, to 210,383 gasoline-powered cars and 69,482 diesel cars. Meanwhile, sales of fully electric vehicles surged by approximately 43%, reaching 203,417 units. Hybrid vehicle registrations also recorded strong growth during the month.

After experiencing a decline in sales in 2025, Tesla has recovered and achieved a 1.9% market share in Europe during the first five months of the year.

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