Tesla ‘Submits Application To Expand German Plant’

Tesla has submitted an application to build on a further 100 hectares east of its plant in Germany, expanding the site’s area by a third, local newspaper rbb reported on Thursday, citing the local mayor.

The electric carmaker, which already has 300 hectares of land for its auto factory and battery plant under construction, planned to build a freight station, logistics areas and parking spaces on the additional space, Gruenheide mayor Arne Christiani told RBB.

The proposal will be discussed at a municipality meeting on June 2.

Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Gruenheide plant, which at full capacity will produce 500,000 electric cars a year, began production in March 2022 after a series of licensing delays which chief executive Elon Musk said ran counter to the urgency needed to tackle climate change.

Local water suppliers warned when Tesla was granted final approval to begin production at the factory that servicing any future expansion to the plant will be impossible without importing water from other regions.

(Reporting by Victoria Waldersee; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)