Tesla unveils world’s first electric ‘Giga Train’ that seats 500 with room for bikes – & passengers can ride it for free
By Olivia Salamone,
2024-09-09
TESLA has created an electric battery-powered train that can hold 500 people and is free to ride.
The Giga Train has made its debut in Germany and will passengers from Erkner Station to Tesla Sud, the station located at the company’s manufacturing facility, about 20 miles southeast of Berlin.
The train can currently hold 500 people with 120 seats, places for bikes, ground-level access, and an information center, per Teslarati .
It is expected to take 4,500 employees back and forth from the Tesla factory based on three eight-hour shifts.
Another stop will be added to the train once construction is finished.
An exciting feature of the train is its free tickets.
It’s free not only for Telsa employees but also for regular travelers.
BATTERY POWERED
The Giga Train is fully powered by electric batteries.
“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 outlet rbb24 .
Niederbarnimer Eisenbahngesellschaft, a private railway company in Berlin that operates the Gigia Train, hopes to switch to electric trains by the end of the year.
“We will put 31 battery-electric multiple units and seven hydrogen multiple units into operation, gradually replacing the diesel fleet we currently use,” said Sebastian Achtermann, the managing director, per Teslarati.
It is expected to save 50 tons of carbon dioxide pollution compared to other trains, Eggler told rbb24.
The train’s start date was pushed twice.
It was initially set to launch in April but just started transporting passengers on September 4.
Telsa, however, said it was supposed to start running on September 2, but construction pushed the date.
Once construction is finished, the plan is to add a stop from Berlin to Lichtenberg.
Electric vehicles vs gas
Pros and cons of EVs vs gasoline-powered vehicles
EV PROS:
Convenient (when charging at home)
Cheaper (depending on state or city)
Cheaper maintenance, due to lack of mechanical parts
Great for commuting
Reduced CO2 emissions
Federal and state tax incentives
More performance (speed, handling – depending on the make and model)
EV CONS:
Higher initial cost
Higher insurance rates
More frequent tire and brake replacement intervals
Higher curb weight (thus causing more rapid wear on crucial parts)
Low resale value
High depreciation rates
Lack of charging infrastructure
Unreliable public charging (related: slow charging times)
Poor winter and summer performance
Lack of clean energy alternatives means more “dirty energy” from coal and nuclear sources
Range anxiety
GAS PROS:
Highly developed refueling infrastructure
Fast refueling
Cheaper insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
Established repair industry
Lower initial cost
Higher range before refueling, especially with hybrids
Many manufacturers produce nearly emission-less engines
Cheaper refueling, depending on the location
GAS CONS:
Finite resource (related: heavy dependence on petroleum)
Carbon emissions/greenhouse gases
Higher repair costs
Higher insurance rates, depending on make, model, and configuration
Varying costs at the pump, depending on state, city, and county
While building the Gigafactory in Berlin, Tesla removed about 500,000 trees, per The Guardian.
The decision has caused protests and debate over the project.
Elon Musk , Tesla’s owner, has also slammed police for “letting off” “leftwing protesters” who stormed the building, per a post on X .
An environmental intelligence company named Kayrros shed further light on the situation.
“The Tesla factory in Germany has led to quite a bit of cutting down of trees. Of course, it has to be put in perspective, against the benefit of replacing internal combustion engine cars with electric vehicles,” said Antoine Halff, the chief analyst at Kayrros, per The Guardian.
The amount of trees cut down was about 13,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide which is the annual amount emitted by 2,800 average internal combustion engine cars in the United States, per The Guardian.
“So that’s a fraction of the number of the electric cars that Tesla produces and sells every quarter,” Halff said.
“You always have trade-offs, so you need to be aware of what the terms of the trade-off are.”
In response to the tree backlash, Tesla started a program that planted over 1 million trees in 2024, per Yahoo Tech.
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