Tesla opens new engineering centre in Berlin-Köpenick

Tesla has opened its new development center in Berlin-Köpenick. Engineers and technicians will work there on new vehicles, engines, and materials, as well as research and testing. The location will bring together 250 employees who previously worked at various sites.

Image: Tesla

Tesla has announced that it has moved into its new Berlin Tesla Engineering Centre (BTEC) in Berlin-Köpenick. The US electric vehicle manufacturer renovated an old factory complex covering approximately 20,000 square metres for this purpose. Located in Köpenick, the new engineering centre is now roughly halfway between the city centre and the Gigafactory in Grünheide, Brandenburg.

We recall that when the Gigafactory was established a few years ago, a European engineering centre in the Berlin area was promised but had yet to materialise. However, a year ago, Tesla manager Lars Moravy, who oversees the development department, announced the final site decision. Now, the company reports that it has moved into the new premises. According to Tesla, Berlin now hosts its “third hub of this kind after Fremont and Shanghai”. It continues: “We’re combining materials, powertrain, vehicle engineering & validation under one roof – enabling a short feedback loop between development & ramp.”

Specifically, employees in Köpenick will work on new vehicles, motors, and materials, as well as conduct tests. According to the news portal RBB24, these include safety tests on vehicle components and tests on battery cells, which will be carried out in a large hall at the centre. Tesla states that the site brings together four development locations on a single campus with 30 different laboratories.

Image: Tesla

• 1/6
• 2/6
• 3/6
• 4/6
• 5/6
• 6/6

Initially, the Berlin Tesla Engineering Centre will provide a workplace for around 250 engineers and technicians. According to RBB24, approval for the second expansion phase of the centre has already been applied for, which would allow the site to grow to a total of around 500 engineers and technicians. Tesla states that it is investing a total of around €100 million euros in the project. The findings from the development and testing work on-site will subsequently flow back into production at the Grünheide plant, among other things.

According to last year’s statements by manager Lars Moravy, Tesla had examined more than three dozen locations and also considered new construction before deciding on Köpenick. The facility there was chosen “because of the spacious area and good energy supply – and the location between Berlin and Grünheide”. As of 2025, Tesla employed a total of around 2,000 engineers and technicians in Germany, distributed across many locations – including Tesla Grohmann Automation in Prüm, where Tesla acquired the plant manufacturer Grohmann years ago. This meant that in 2025, about one-fifth of Tesla’s global developers were based in Germany.