Tesla Germany Factory Manager Says Production Will Be Increased

According to foreign media reports, on September 14, André Thierig, the manager of Tesla’s factory in Gruenheide near Berlin, Germany, revealed to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) that, driven by strong sales performance, Tesla plans to increase production at this factory for the remainder of the year.

Image source: Tesla

André Thierig stated, "Our sales data is currently very good, so we have revised the production plans for the third and fourth quarters of this year." At the same time, André Thierig said that all the markets supplied by the factory are showing positive signals, and this trend is not limited to Germany. "We supply products to more than 30 markets, and currently, all these markets are undoubtedly showing a positive trend." However, he did not disclose the specific figures for the new production targets.

However, this optimistic statement contrasts sharply with Tesla's recent sales data. Last month, Tesla's new car registrations in Germany plummeted by 39% year-on-year; in the first eight months of this year, new car registrations in Germany saw a staggering 56% year-on-year decline. Additionally, Tesla's sales in France, Belgium, Denmark, and Sweden also experienced significant declines in August. However, in Norway, a market where Tesla has long been established (where nearly all newly registered cars are electric), Tesla's registrations in August saw a year-on-year increase of 21%, and in the first eight months of this year, registrations rose by 26% year-on-year.

In addition, data from the German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) shows that in July this year, Tesla's sales in Germany plummeted by over 50% year-on-year, with only 1,110 vehicles sold; in the first seven months of this year, Tesla's sales in Germany dropped by a staggering 57.8% year-on-year.

For Tesla, the competition in the German market is intense, partly due to strong competition from Chinese rivals. Analysts say that Tesla CEO Elon Musk's political activities may also have impacted the company's demand.

Elon Musk and other executives attributed the decline in Tesla's sales in several European markets this year to the revision of its best-selling model, the Model Y, as this adjustment temporarily disrupted production. The Tesla factory in Grünheide is the base for producing the Model Y.