Current: Tesla opens European R&D center in Berlin-Köpenick for 100 million euros
Image: Tesla
It took a very long time at first, then things moved quickly: In addition to the German Gigafactory in Grünheide, Brandenburg, Tesla CEO Elon Musk initially announced a development center in nearby Berlin, but there was little follow-up on it. In September 2025, the topic resurfaced with the announcement that Tesla intended to build its European R&D center in the Köpenick district. And now, this location has indeed been opened in an old industrial hall (see photo).
Tesla Engineering Center in Berlin
Just over a year ago, Lars Moravy, Vice President of Vehicle Development, announced that Tesla had not given up on its plans for a separate R&D facility in Europe and had chosen Köpenick for its location. Without revealing the exact address, he praised the ample space, excellent energy supply, and proximity to Tesla’s Gigafactory in Grünheide. Moravy said applications to renovate the old industrial area had already been submitted, with work set to begin this year.
Berlin Tesla Engineering Center opens today
From permit to operation in under a year, it brings 4 engineering sites onto 1 campus w/ 30 different labs in Köpenick, 30 minutes from Giga Berlin
With our 3rd hub of this kind after Fremont & Shanghai, we’re combining materials,… pic.twitter.com/KRaetgkSFf
— Tesla Europe, Middle East & Africa (@teslaeurope) November 4, 2026
Tesla appears to have followed this schedule, as the company announced on X on Wednesday that the R&D center had opened and invited selected journalists there. It is called the “Berlin Tesla Engineering Center” (BTEC) and is led by Jan Brückner, who is a Ph.D.-qualified electrochemist according to MOZ. The new Tesla center is still operating at a partial capacity with around 250 employees, who came from other locations including Tilburg in the Netherlands.
According to Tesla, it took only a year from approving the applications for Köpenick to its opening. After Fremont and Shanghai, Berlin is the third location where the company combines work on materials, powertrains, vehicles, and validation under one roof. If engineers are in direct contact with each other daily, they will reach better solutions more quickly, says Moravy in the X video. Ultimately, this also means better products. The investment in the European facility is expected to amount to 100 million euros.
Germany’s Gigafactory Site Is Expanding
According to the paid MOZ report, battery technology is being developed in one of the labs in Köpenick, just as it was previously done at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Grünheide. Tesla plans to start producing its own 4680 batteries at this facility starting in 2027. Meanwhile, the company is expected to build more electric vehicles this year than ever before, as Tesla reported a weekly record of 7,000 Model Y vehicles in October. By the end of the year, it aims to utilize its full installed capacity with 7,500 Model Y vehicles per week, and a second large production hall is also planned.