Key Highlights:
- Musk stated during a visit to the Gruenheide plant that the factory will begin producing Model Y automobiles next month or in December.
- Tesla is still awaiting final clearance for the project that would support its European growth ambitions.
- In response to some of the environmental criticism, Musk stated that Tesla will plant more trees than it had chopped down and would use as little water as possible at the facility.
Tesla to begin production in Germany
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Inc, intends for the electric automaker’s facility in Berlin to begin production as soon as next month, despite the fact that the US company is still awaiting final clearance for the project, which has been delayed by legal challenges.
Musk stated during a visit to the Gruenheide plant, where Tesla welcomed hundreds of local residents at an Oktoberfest-style county fair, that the factory will begin producing Model Y automobiles next month or in December.
Until a cell facility in Germany is constructed, the company would most likely get batteries from Tesla’s Chinese plants, he added.
“The start of production is nice, but volume production is the hard part,” Musk said, adding that Tesla hopes to produce 5,000 to 10,000 vehicles per week at Gruenheide by the end of next year.
“We are going to need a lot of talented, hardworking people to get there,” he said.
Tesla awaits final clearance
While his visit coincides with the factory’s last stages of development, Tesla is still awaiting final clearance for the project that would support its European growth ambitions, even as Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG, and BMW AG expand their electric car lines. For Germany, the factory means new jobs in an area that lost the majority of its heavy industry during WWII.
Gruenheide progress has been slower than expected, with Tesla facing challenges from environmental organizations concerned about water consumption and wildlife, and the plant has been delayed for many months.
Tesla eventually intends to produce up to 500,000 automobiles at the facility, in addition to battery cells. More than 800 complaints have been made by residents, which are being addressed through an online dialogue procedure.
Environmental Criticism
Environmental authorities have pledged to make a final permission decision only once the procedure is completed. However, the mood was celebratory in Gruenheide, with photos on social media showing guests queuing for Model Y test rides, a Ferris wheel, and tours of the factory’s interior.
In response to some of the environmental criticism, Musk stated that Tesla will plant more trees than it had chopped down and would use as little water as possible at the facility. Musk stated that he intends to launch additional Tesla goods in Europe next year, including its solar roof and so-called Full Self-Driving system.
