Proximity to Berlin Brandenburg Airport (about 20 km or 12 mi west) was explicitly cited as a factor in choosing the site.

[6] The facility and its Brandenburg location were announced by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on November 12, 2019, at the Das Goldene Lenkrad award show.

The sprawling facility, which is expected to be one of the largest manufacturing lines in Europe, will need a considerable number of employees despite many highly automated processes.

There is also a concerted effort in the region to encourage battery manufacturing since it is viewed as a strategic economic measure due to an increasing global transition towards renewable energy.

[48] The projected uptick in demand for electric cars and in-home power storage systems is causing concern about a European fuel dependency on Asia, which, as of early 2018, accounted for 88 per cent of global battery manufacturing capacity.

[49] By 2018, European governments were providing subsidies and incentives to companies like Tesla as well as local battery manufacturing startups like Northvolt and TerraE to build production infrastructure within its borders.

[50] According to Matthias Machnig, state secretary at the German economy ministry:We are in the center of the biggest and deepest change in the automotive industry since its beginning.

[49]On 12 November 2019, the selection of the Brandenburg location for the Gigafactory 4 facility was officially announced by Tesla CEO Elon Musk at the Das Goldene Lenkrad award show, held in Berlin.

[53] On 9 October 2021, Tesla held the Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg County Fair where they invited 9000 local guests to tour the factory.

[57] Later in December it was reported that the company faced issues with filling positions, working conditions, retaining trained employees, and a high level of absenteeism at the factory.

[93] Additional facilities will include a waste water treatment plant with a capacity of 252 cubic metres per hour (8,900 cu ft/h), a central supply building, an area for in- and outgoing deliveries (rail and truck) as well as employee parking lots.

[9][94] Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn began operating a free 400-seat Bombardier Talent diesel shuttle train between Fangschleuse station and the factory in September 2023.

[95] Some of the reasons for choosing Brandenburg were that the industrial site is expandable, the state has the highest production of green power per citizen in Germany, and there are qualified workers in the area.

[97] The project is subject to a number of concerns, including potential impacts to the water supply and local wildlife, and about proper wastewater disposal.

[105][106][needs update] On 15 October 2020, Associated Press reported that the German utility company WSE was shutting off water to the construction site due to unpaid bills.

[111] Criticisms came from groups opposing the factory construction, such as the citizens' initiatives and the Strausberg Erkner Water Board (WSE), which called for an immediate stop of Giga Berlin's vehicle production.

[116] In March 2024, the plant was forced to halt production after an electricity substation was set alight in a suspected arson attack.

The workers criticized the workload as "extreme" due to short cycle times, a lack of personnel and excessive production targets.

Employees also pointed to serious deficiencies in health protection, which led to sickness rates of up to around 30 percent and a high number of work accidents.

[125] When the union put up stickers in 2023 that read, "Our health is more important than the next billion to Elon," Tesla warned of disciplinary action that included termination without notice.