Tesla's highly anticipated "Giga Train," its first all-electric battery-powered train, has debuted in Germany.
The Giga Train takes passengers from Erkner Station to Tesla Sud, the station located at the company's manufacturing facility, about 20 miles southeast of Berlin. Currently, 500 people can be transported on the train, with 120 seats, space for bicycles, and an information system for passengers, per Teslarati. It's also free to not just Tesla employees, but regular passengers as well.
It's eventually expected to transport 4,500 employees to and from the factory, based on three eight-hour shifts. An additional stop will be added once construction in the area is completed.
"We are particularly pleased that the Tesla train shuttle is now battery-electric because it is simply in line with our company mission: to accelerate the transition to renewable energies," Theresa Eggler, a project manager at Tesla, told German media outlet rbb24.
Niederbarnimer Eisenbahngesellschaft, or NEB, said there are additional plans to switch the fleet from diesel to e-trains at the end of this year.
The introduction of the electric train is a great option for employees and the general public to utilize greener transportation options to save on gas and maintenance for cars and pollution from personal vehicles. The train is expected to save 50 tons of carbon dioxide pollution compared to other trains, Eggler told rbb24, a major environmental win.
Tesla has led the way in green innovations and backing up its policies. When the company faced backlash over cutting down trees near Berlin to build the Gigafactory, it invested in a program planting over 1 million trees in 2024 alone to help replace the loss.
It also continues to focus on saving commuters money through projects like the recently launched ride-share program in Tampa, which shuttles passengers around several different hubs for only $2.
Investing in an EV can be a chance to save the planet and some cash, with studies showing you can save $1,500 on gas and maintenance a year. If you want to know more, check out The Cool Down's Guide to Buying an EV.
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