EV giant Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) is reportedly launching its own train shuttle service to its Gigafactory in Berlin starting next month.
What Happened: The shuttle service will start on Sept. 4, Tesmanian reported. It will allow employees to get to the factory and also serve the general public free of charge.
It will run about 60 times a day between Erkner railway station near Berlin to the one next to Giga Berlin five days a week- from Monday to Friday and enable the commute of over 1,500 employees per shift, the report said.
Tesla acquired an existing track in Germany from the regional railway group Deutsche Regionaleisenbahn Group or DRE in January 2022 for the purpose of the shuttle. This was even before production commenced at Tesla's sole factory in Europe. Approvals for the shuttle were, however, received only earlier this year.
Why It Matters: The shuttle will make the commute to the factory, set far from settlements, easier for employees, and reduce traffic congestion.
In late March, Tesla announced that has achieved a weekly production capacity of 5000 vehicles. The company is now looking to scale production capacity at the factory to one million vehicles per year from 500,000 units.