Tesla Launches ‘Cell Giga Challenge’ to Scale 4680 Production at Giga Berlin

Tesla is opening the doors of its Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg to outside innovators. André Thierig, Tesla’s head of Giga Berlin, announced the launch of the “Cell Giga Challenge,” a new initiative inviting startups to test their technologies in a live manufacturing environment.

The electric vehicle maker is preparing to ramp up to 18GWh of battery cell production at the German facility. Tesla is looking for startups that can challenge its existing methods in five key areas: materials, production, equipment, automation, and artificial intelligence.

Selected startups will have the chance to win a paid pilot project working directly with Tesla’s 4680 cell team on the factory floor.

Tesla first introduced its proprietary 4680 battery cells—named after their dimensions of 46 millimetres by 80 millimetres—during its Battery Day event in 2020. The larger cylindrical format is designed to significantly reduce manufacturing costs, increase energy density, and speed up vehicle production by integrating the cells directly into a structural battery pack.

While Tesla initially focused its primary 4680 manufacturing efforts at its Giga Texas and Kato Road facilities in the United States, the company has steadily expanded its battery infrastructure globally. Ramping up cell production to 18GWh at Giga Berlin represents a major milestone for Tesla’s European operations. Achieving this capacity would provide enough battery packs to support over 200,000 Model Y vehicles annually, reducing reliance on third-party cell suppliers and securing the local supply chain.

By turning to a startup challenge, Tesla aims to crowdsource quick solutions to the complex manufacturing hurdles, such as dry-coating technology, that typically slow down large-scale battery production.