Tesla - Tesla may expand factory in Grünheide
The US electric car manufacturer Tesla is allowed to expand its only factory in Europe in Brandenburg, Germany, to increase production capacity. The Brandenburg Environmental Office gave the green light for this expansion, according to the Environment Ministry. This allows Tesla to begin early construction work in Grueneheide near Berlin.
This expansion is about increasing production on the existing plant site without the clearing of forests, not about the controversial planned expansion of the land for the construction of a freight railway station. Tesla plans to double the production capacity of 500,000 cars per year in Grueneheide near Berlin to one million cars. Previously, around 300,000 cars were produced.
The US company, led by Elon Musk, has been producing electric vehicles at the Brandenburg plant since March 2022. Approximately 12,000 employees work there. The global workforce reduction at Tesla in the face of a market slump for electric cars also affects hundreds of jobs in the factory in Grueneheide. The company announced the reduction of 400 jobs for the plant in April. Tesla still plans to increase production there in the future.
Environmental organizations are skeptical
Environmental activists and residents have major concerns about the production expansion and the extension, as the plant is partly located in a water protection area. The carmaker plans to build another large hall and optimize existing production facilities. The capacity of battery storage production is also to be increased.
The early construction work, according to the Ministry, initially concerns a logistics area for new cars, including underground power lines, as well as the construction of staircases at the press shop and solar panels on roofs. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) supports the planned expansion. In March, unknown perpetrators carried out an attack on Tesla's power supply.
Protests against Tesla have been ongoing for months
Protests against Tesla have been ongoing this year. Since the end of February, environmental activists have been camping in the forest near the plant site. They are protesting against the planned expansion of the factory site for the construction of a freight railway station and logistics areas. Forests are to be cleared for this. Due to a negative citizens' vote, the building plan was recently changed, so that less forest needs to be cleared. In May, environmental activists tried to storm the Tesla site during protest days. There were disturbances and clashes with the police.
- Tesla's expansion in Brandenburg, a significant car factory in Germany, was approved by the Brandenburg Environmental Office, allowing an increase in the electrical industry's production capacity.
- The approved expansion aims to double the existing plant's annual production capacity of 500,000 cars to one million cars in Grueneheide near Berlin.
- Despite the global market slump for electric cars, Elon Musk's Tesla, with its European base in Brandenburg, is still committed to increasing production, albeit with a reduction in workforce by 400 jobs.
- Environmental organizations and locals express skepticism due to concerns over the planned production expansion and extension, as part of the facility is located in a water protection area.
- Tesla's plans involve constructing an additional large hall, optimizing existing production facilities, and increasing the capacity of battery storage production.
- Protests against Tesla's expansion have been ongoing for months in Berlin, with environmental activists and residents voicing their concerns over deforestation for logistics areas and a freight railway station.
