Tesla wants to start building electric cars on a large scale in Grünheide near Berlin from July.
But the question marks behind the already ambitious schedule are getting bigger and bigger.
Grünheide - Tesla is stuck in a traffic jam: In Grünheide, construction work for Elon Musk's new Gigafactory is in full swing, but the final building permit is still pending. The first electric cars are scheduled to roll off the assembly line here in July. However, the date is becoming increasingly questionable: Because the plans of the US industry leader are apparently much more ambitious than previously known, because there is no water for them and because German mills grind slowly - much slowly, as Musk thinks.
The first European plant of the electric car manufacturer, which is currently growing skywards in Brandenburg, has already caused quite a few upset: residents and environmentalists because they see drinking water and wildlife at risk;
at Tesla, because that's why there are always delays in obtaining building permits.
Elon Musk criticized the German licensing law in a letter and, following a report on ZDF, had a public exchange of blows with the TV magazine “Frontal21”.
Tesla's mammoth project in Grünheide falters: Public participation possible again
In Grünheide, Tesla is currently building at its own risk.
If the final approval is not granted, the company must restore the site to its original state at its own expense.
Just recently, the Brandenburg Environment Agency granted Tesla another provisional permit to build the factory.
The further timetable was announced in a committee meeting in the Brandenburg state parliament: Environment Minister Axel Vogel stated that the state authorities had plenty of preliminary applications to check from Tesla.
A final permit is by no means expected by mid-May, as there is still a lack of basic information.
Vogel's department head Axel Steffen had even more bad news for the group last week: He did not rule out the possibility that new public participation would be necessary due to changes in the Gigafactory plans.
The deadlines alone (four weeks for design, four weeks for objections, then evaluation) would put a stop to Tesla's planned start of production in July and fuel the environmental debate again.
Tesla is finally building its Gigafactory in the water protection area.
Environmentalists fear negative influences on the course of the groundwater, pollutant input and saltwater uptake.
In addition, Tesla needs a lot of water that is not available in the region, it is said again and again.
Tesla's Gigafactory makes water scarce in Grünheide for five years
The company is now putting pressure on to keep to its ambitious schedule. At the end of March, the electric car manufacturer submitted two further advance applications in order to be able to work around the clock on weekdays and even on Sundays inside the Gigafactory. The applications are currently being examined, confirmed Minister Vogel. For Tesla's longer-term plans for the new location, the latest state parliament session did not bring any good news either. As with the delays in the first phase of the Gigafactory project, it is about water. Tesla already planned almost all of the reserves of the local supplier with the first expansion phase of the Gigafactory.
In Grünheide, Tesla will initially only build its Model Y for the European market. According to reports, the electric car manufacturer is already planning further expansion phases and is now expecting 40,000 instead of 12,000 employees. Plans would show three more large production
halls
, writes the
Teslamag
portal
. For this, Tesla needs water, which has not existed in Grünheide since it settled in the area. The state of Brandenburg is therefore examining a possible groundwater resource in Hangelsberg.
So far, a “preliminary exploration” has been going on, as an employee of the State Environment Agency is now reporting to the state parliament. It lasts two years. Only then can concrete planning begin and development requests made. And that in turn has to be approved and implemented. The official said that it will probably take a total of five years before water from Hangelsberg can flow to Tesla - if there are no "imponderables".
