Tesla is set to open a new European engineering centre in Berlin-Köpenick, transforming a disused factory site into a hub for research and development. From 2026, up to 250 engineers and technicians will work there on next-generation electric vehicles, battery technologies and charging infrastructure, reports The WP Times, citing rbb24.
A strategic move close to Grünheide
The new facility will be located only a few kilometres from Tesla’s Gigafactory in Grünheide, where around 11,500 employees already produce some 5,000 electric cars per week. The company says the choice of Köpenick is based on the building’s size, its energy supply and its proximity both to the main factory and to Berlin’s universities.
According to Tesla’s Vice President of Engineering, Lars Moravy, the centre will initially accommodate around 130 engineers relocated from Grünheide and smaller Berlin sites, with the workforce expected to expand to 250 in the coming years. The focus will be on materials research, vehicle design and powertrain development.
Investment and regional impact
Tesla plans to invest a “high double-digit million sum” in the project. Berlin’s Senator for Economic Affairs, Franziska Giffey (SPD), welcomed the move, describing the centre as a “new beacon” for Europe’s research and development landscape. “We look forward to the impulses that will flow from the European Engineering Centre into the city, the region and across Europe,” she said.
Economic experts have highlighted the wider significance of the decision. The head of Berlin Partner for Business and Technology said it strengthened Germany’s ambition to become “Europe’s number one innovation nation.”
A competitive European race
Treptow-Köpenick district mayor Oliver Igel (SPD) confirmed that the borough had been in talks with Tesla since October 2024, competing against several other European locations. He called the decision “naturally very good” for the district, but noted that the exact site would only be revealed by Tesla itself at a later stage.
Tesla’s ongoing expansion in Germany
The company already employs around 2,000 engineers in Germany, spread between Grünheide and three other sites. Despite weaker sales figures in parts of Europe, Tesla continues to prioritise its German base. Vehicles produced in Grünheide are exported to more than 30 countries, including Turkey and, due to current trade disputes, Canada.
The idea of establishing an R&D centre in Berlin was first mentioned back in November 2019 when plans for the Gigafactory were announced. The new Köpenick site now marks a concrete step in realising that ambition.
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