Tesla opened the Berlin Tesla Engineering Center (BTEC) on Wednesday, November 4, 2026 in the Berlin-Köpenick district. This technical center is located in the Friedrichshagener Straße area, renovated from the old workshops of the Draka cable factory. The ceremony marked the first phase of the center's operation, when about 250 engineers and technicians began working here.

Tesla Europe writes on X that the project went from permit to operation in less than a year. The company brings four technical sites and 30 laboratories together on one campus in Köpenick, about 30 minutes from Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg. Placing materials development, powertrain, vehicle engineering and testing under one roof, according to Tesla Europe, is intended to create a short feedback loop between development and production ramp-up.

In a statement, Tesla said the center “integrates materials, powertrain and vehicle development as well as inspection and safety testing in 30 specialized laboratories,” thereby covering the entire value chain. The labs specialize in materials, powertrains, vehicle engineering, inspection and safety testing. Tesla stated that it will develop and test batteries and motors, and use a large factory to test the safety of components, including airbags and battery cells.

According to Tagesspiegel, on opening day staff demonstrated a pedestrian impact test: a catapult rig pushes objects into the front of a Tesla car. The newspaper also tells of testing platforms for battery cells that can withstand extreme heat and cold, a type of "thermal garage" for the entire car, and robots sitting in the car that continuously open and close the doors to check the locking mechanism. BTEC's internal logo is a cubist-style Berlin bear; staff called “Cybaer”. This image was projected on the wall during a reception attended by Berlin mayor Kai Wegner.

BTEC started in phase one and is partially operational. About 250 engineers and technicians were transferred from Tesla's existing facilities, including Tilburg in the Netherlands and Freiburg. Tesla has applied for phase two approval; After renovating the remaining factory, the scale can increase to about 500 people. Total investment is about 100 million euros.

Tesla Europe calls BTEC its third center of this type, after Fremont and Shanghai. That statement comes from Tesla, so here we only confirm that BTEC is one of the company's global technical centers.

Tesla said its design and engineering teams in Berlin contributed to the Model Y, Semi Truck and Roadster, and will continue that work at the new center. The findings here also apply at Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg, the factory in Grünheide. BTEC not only serves European production: the center also develops and tests components for vehicles assembled in China and the US.

Tesla stated that the new technical center once again confirms the company's long-term commitment to Germany as a strategic innovation location. Berlin Mayor Kai Wegner was present at the opening reception. According to RBB, he called the opening of the center "a strong signal for our city and a clear commitment to Berlin as an economic location", and emphasized that Berlin has industry-leading research, high-quality human resources and innovation enough to attract businesses like Tesla.

Gigafactory Berlin is Tesla's only car factory in Europe. In mid-October, RBB and Tagesspiegel reported that Tesla wanted to increase capacity at Grünheide towards one million vehicles per year, from a target of 500,000 vehicles per year that has not yet been reached. The company explains that placing BTEC near the factory is to shorten the gap between development and production when the factory increases capacity.

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Source: Tesla / RBB / Tagesspiegel