Tesla thanks authorities for efforts to protect Giga Berlin-Brandenburg

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Tesla has shared its appreciation to authorities for their help in keeping Giga Berlin-Brandenburg safe amidst last week’s “days of action” against the electric vehicle maker. Tensions flared up on Friday as activists attempted to break into Giga Berlin-Brandenburg’s premises, though authorities and Tesla itself have maintained that the Model Y production plant remained safe. 

The protesters’ “days of action” against Tesla ended on Sunday, with a camp near Giga Berlin-Brandenburg being disbanded. On the aftermath of the protests, police have stated that 23 people have been arrested, 76 criminal complaints have been filed, and 27 police officers have been injured. Authorities did not share the number of protesters that were injured in the “days of action” against Tesla.

Officials from the East Brandenburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) criticized the protests, with officers like IHK Ostbrandenburg Monique Zweig stating that the demonstrations against Tesla were a threat to the region’s economic development.

Amidst the aftermath of the anti-Tesla protests against Giga Berlin-Brandenburg, the electric vehicle maker confirmed that Model Y production had resumed on Sunday evening local time. A Tesla spokesperson also thanked the police for their efforts to protect the Model Y factory. 

As per the spokesperson, the police’s efforts “protected freedom of assembly and at the same time effectively defended our factory against violent activists,” as noted in an rbb24 report. Tesla, however, also noted that from its point of view, it is regrettable that the “activists, some of whom are prone to violence, have dominated the situation on site over the last few days.” 

While tensions are still high in Giga Berlin-Brandenburg — with some anti-Tesla groups expressing their intention to attend the Grünheide municipal council’s upcoming discussion on the facility’s proposed expansion — Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) remained optimistic about Tesla’s plans in the region. 

During a discussion with the Editorial Network Germany (RND) on Saturday, Scholz noted that he is still looking forward to Giga Berlin-Brandenburg’s growth. “It’s controversial, as we see, but I hope it will double its production even further,” he noted. 

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Tesla thanks authorities for efforts to protect Giga Berlin-Brandenburg





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New Tesla Model 3 Performance details from Giga Shanghai revealed in MIIT catalog

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Tesla China has taken a key step towards the first deliveries of its most powerful Model 3 variant in the country. As per recent reports, the reengineered Model 3 Performance has been included in China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) catalog of upcoming vehicles.

The new Model 3 Performane’s inclusion in the MIIT catalog is the last major government approval a car needs so it can be sold in the country, as noted in a CNEV Post report. Public feedback on the new Model 3 Performance’s inclusion will be open from May 12th to 17th.

Credit: MIIT via @thinkercar/X
Credit: MIIT via @thinkercar/X

The Tesla Model 3 in the MIIT catalog features a model number of TSL7000BEVBA5. As per the catalog, the new vehicle is produced at Giga Shanghai, and it features a front motor that delivers 137 kW and a rear motor that delivers 265 kW of power. This translates to a top speed of 261 km/h and a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of just 3.1 seconds.

The car is also listed with a ternary lithium-ion battery supplied by South Korea’s LG Energy Solution. Tesla China itself handles the assembly of the revamped Model 3 Performance’s battery pack. The MIIT’s catalog also lists the new Model 3 Performance with a length of 4,724 mm, a width of 1,848 mm, and a height of 1,430 mm. Its wheelbase is also listed as 2,875 mm. 

Tesla had already launched the reengineered Model 3 Performance last month, though deliveries in China are expected to start sometime in Q3 2024, as per the vehicle’s order page in China. The new Model 3 Performance starts at RMB 335,900 (about $46,430), which is about 44% higher compared to the base Model 3’s RMB 231,900 (about $32,000).

The launch of the reengineered Tesla Model 3 Performance effectively completes the all-electric sedan’s revamped lineup. When the new Model 3, which was known among EV circles as the Model 3 Highland, was launched last year, it only included two variants of the vehicle: the base Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) and the mid-tier Long Range Dual Motor All Wheel Drive (AWD). It was not until late last month that the new Model 3 Performance was launched to complete the lineup of the all-electric sedan. 

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New Tesla Model 3 Performance details from Giga Shanghai revealed in MIIT catalog





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Tesla Megapacks near arrival at massive Melbourne renewables project

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Tesla Megapacks are getting ready to arrive on-site at a massive upcoming energy storage site in Australia, according to one official.

The Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (MREH) is currently under construction near Melton, Victoria, and it will soon receive 444 Megapacks, according to a post on X on Thursday from Victoria Minister Lily D’Ambrosio. When complete, the battery project will total 600 MW and 1.6 GWh of energy storage, capable of powering around 200,000 homes in times of peak electrical grid use.

The project was also detailed by the SEC in a press release in November, when construction crews officially broke ground on the site.

The project is being developed by the recently rebooted State Electricity Commission (SEC), in partnership with renewable energy investor Equis Energy. Equis Energy has developed 220 separate renewable infrastructure projects across multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including around 39 projects currently being developed in Australia.

“We’re building critical energy projects under the SEC – investing in our grid so household bills go down for every Victorian with cheaper and more reliable renewable energy across the state,” said Jacinta Allan, Victoria Premier, in the November release.

The SEC plans to invest $245 million into the MREH project as its first investment, while the total cost of the project is valued at around $1 billion. It also comes as part of a larger SEC initiative to build 4.5 GW of new renewable energy generation and storage projects. The BESS will also create over 155 new jobs, as well as 14 apprenticeship roles.

Additionally, the Labor Government is targeting 2.6 GW of energy storage capacity by 2030, and 6.3 GW by 2035. The project is aiming to have the BESS operational by 2025, and will be added to the now-long list of Australian BESS projects planning to use, or already using, Tesla Megapacks.

You can see the fact sheet for the MREH project here, and you can also watch a video detailing the project below.

Victoria also has what has been dubbed the “Victoria Big Battery,” a 212-Megapack, 300 MW/450 MWh system, which went online in 2021. More recently, it has been reported that the Neoen, the company that runs the Victoria Big Battery, has won a contract to help develop the Collie battery into a 560 MW/2,240 MWh system using Megapacks, which will make it Australia’s largest BESS upon completion.

Tesla is currently ramping up production of the Megapack at its Megafactory in Lathrop, California, which is expected to eventually be able to produce 10,000 Megapacks per year. In addition, Tesla has started construction on another Megafactory in Shanghai, China, which is aiming for the same annual output.

Updated 5:30 p.m. MT: Edited ninth paragraph for accuracy.

Tesla Megapack deployment, profitability reached all-time highs in Q1

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Tesla Megapacks near arrival at massive Melbourne renewables project





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