Tesla’s Berlin Gigafactory May Start To Manufacture The Semi, Cybercab And Optimus

It must be quite handy to own a car brand and a large social media platform. After all, you can use the latter to communicate with the former, which is exactly what Elon Musk is doing with Tesla. In an interview, Giga Berlin director Andre Thierig asks Musk about the future of Tesla and its European operations, particularly in Germany.

The factory near Berlin reportedly produced over 211,000 cars last year. This is considerably more than the 149,000 units previously reported by Handelsblatt, but still only 56 percent of the factory’s capacity of 375,000 units. While this capacity doesn’t seem to be a concrete target at the moment, changes are certainly necessary, especially in light of the factory expansion.

“That will happen,” says Musk. Berlin will produce batteries as announced, but it can also prepare for at least one new product in the coming years. There are three candidates for this in total. Tesla, for example, wants to market and manufacture its truck, the Tesla Semi, in Europe as well. Moreover, the brand also sees a bright future here for its “robot products,” Cybercab and Optimus. The Cybercab is that cheerful, gold-colored coupe without a steering wheel or pedals; Optimus is the humanoid robot that, according to Musk, will be able to take over any tedious chore. Both are expected to go into production this year, possibly soon in Europe as well.

Incidentally, Musk also wants to build Tesla products in completely different locations. “Within twenty years, Tesla will have a factory on the moon,” he says without batting an eyelid. “Really.”

• Also See: German Union Accuses Tesla Of Having A Poor Working Environment