The German auto industry is slowing down, while Tesla in Germany is accelerating and looking to hire. It’s also challenging startups.

Tesla is today one of the few car manufacturers with factories located in Germany that looks optimistically toward the future and plans for company growth. In June, it announced plans to create an additional thousand jobs, with another thousand positions set to be created by the end of the year. By 2027, as many as 1,500 jobs are expected to be created in the production of 4680 cells (4.6 cm in diameter, 8 cm in height). Alongside this, the manufacturer is challenging startups in the battery industry.

Giga Berlin expands as Tesla shines amid gloomy trends in the industry

As part of the Juni program (Just Unite to Innovate), supported by the German government, Tesla announced the Cell Giga Challenge. The company is inviting all startups developing in the Li-ion battery industry that possess innovative technologies to solve specific problems in industrial cell production. The best candidates will qualify for discussions with Tesla experts and paid pilot projects, allowing them to test their technology in real-world conditions.

The deadline for submissions is July 24, and the application form can be found HERE.

Tesla has just launched a pilot production line for 4680 cells at Giga Berlin, with the goal of producing 18 GWh of these cells annually. At a battery capacity of 80 kWh, this would equate to 225,000 vehicles. Based on suggestions and some leaks, Tesla’s German facility is intended to rely solely on locally produced Li-ion cells (compare: Giga Shanghai), allowing for cheaper vehicle production and easier implementation of a Battery Passport. A potential issue could be battery efficiency, as thicker cells heat up faster, resulting in slower charging speeds for vehicles.

Currently, Giga Berlin assembles batteries using cells sourced from China and supplied by CATL and LG Energy Solution. But this is set to change over time. The facility responsible for producing 4680 cells is planned to employ 1,500 people and begin operations in 2027. Earlier, in October 2026, car production is expected to reach 7,500 vehicles per week, creating jobs for another 1,000 people in addition to those needed to boost production from 5,000 to 6,200 vehicles per week starting in July of this year.

Tesla – Cell Giga Challenge at Giga Berlin

We are getting ready for 18GWh of cell production and you can be part of it!

If you are a start-up and think you can challenge us in a real production environment on: materials, production, equipment, automation or AI – this is your chance… pic.twitter.com/qaw10VhrRx

— André Thierig (@AndrThie) July 6, 2026

Editor’s note from Elektrowozu: It’s hard to say whether this initiative will succeed, but the situation is quite remarkable. Now German companies are mainly saying “buy, buy, buy,” because campaigns like the one above were organized eighty-seven-sixty years ago.

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