Tesla’s all-electric ‘Giga Train’ has launched in Germany
- The all-electric Tesla ‘Giga Train’ is up and running in Germany
- It is the first ever fully electric train in Berlin and Brandenburg
- The ‘Giga Train’ can carry up to 500 people per trip
Published on Aug 14, 2024 at 4:20 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Aug 14, 2024 at 5:39 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
The all-electric Tesla ‘Giga Train’ is up and running in Germany, shuttling passengers between Erkner station and Tesla Süd.
The rail service began operations on August 7, 2024, and is the first ever fully electric train in Berlin and Brandenburg.
The company estimates around 4,500 people will be transported daily.
The service is completely free and is open to the public as well as Tesla workers.
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The train can carry up to 500 people per trip
Tesla’s $5.5 billion Gigafactory in Berlin is the carmaker’s first and only in Europe, and joined other Gigafactory sites in the US and Shanghai, China, which is set to get its first-ever ‘Megafactory’ next year.
Originally planned to launch in April, the ‘Giga Train’ can carry up to 500 people per trip, with each carriage comprising 120 seats.
There are bicycle compartments, ground-level access for passengers with disability and mobility issues, and a passenger information system.
It is thought the train service will help to reduce road congestion in the area and make it easier for workers.
The service replaces an older one that used a diesel-electric rail vehicle.
The Giga Train is operated by Niederbarnimer Eisenbahngesellschaft (NEB) and isn’t built by Tesla.
Tesla said the new service is ‘in line’ with the company’s mission
According to Railway Gazette, the trains used are Siemens Mobility Mireo B battery-electric that have been leased from Siemens Mobility subsidiary Smart Train Lease.
NEB said it will eventually – and gradually replace – all of its older diesel fleet.
“We will commission 31 battery-electric multiple units and seven hydrogen multiple units, gradually replacing the diesel fleet we currently use,” said NEB general manager Sebastian Achtermann.
While Tesla has said the new service aligns with the company’s move towards renewable energy.
“We are particularly pleased that Tesla’s shuttle train is now battery-electric because it is simply in line with our company’s mission: to accelerate the transition to renewable energy,” Telsa Project Manager Theresa Eggler said.
Meanwhile, Tesla boss Elon Musk revealed that he was currently working on the Tesla Master Plan Part 4 – promising his fans that it would be ‘epic’.
What that actually entails, we’ll have to wait and see.
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Across her career she's covered a wide variety of topics, including celebrity, cryptocurrency, politics, true crime and just about everything in between.
