Tesla’s Gigafactory in Berlin started operations almost a year ago and now the carmaker is looking to expand the German site. However, the ambition has hit a roadblock after citizens voted against a motion to raze down trees and make way for the larger site, the mayor of Gruenheide told Reuters. Citizens in Gruenheide voted against the motion to clear enough forest for the company to build extra logistical spaces such as a train station and warehouses, leaving it to local authorities to decide how to proceed.
Non-binding vote
While the vote is not binding, it poses an obstacle for the US EV maker’s plans to double the site’s capacity to 100 gigawatt hours of battery production and one million cars per year, setting it up to dominate Europe’s EV market. Currently, the Tesla Berlin site has a capacity of around 500,000 cars a year, however, the site’s production ramp-up has slowed. In January, the carmaker produced 6,000 units in a week for the first time, after hitting the milestone of 5,000 cars per week in March.
Tesla Berlin Gigafactory
The Berlin Gigafactory is worth USD 5.5 billion and is the only second manufacturing facility from the US carmaker outside its home country and its first manufacturing location in Europe. The factory currently manufactures the Model Y Performance versions. The factory will also manufacture the in-house EV battery cells.
Tesla vs environment groups
The automaker has been planning expansion of its site since last summer. However, everyone hasn’t been on board with the project since the beginning. Locals and environment groups have been opposing the project over issues like water supply and deforestation of the site. In the recent voting, the municipality in Brandenburg announced that 3,499 residents voted against the expansion in a survey while 1,882 voted for it.