Tesla has been approved for the first stage of plans to expand Gigafactory Berlin, eventually expected to double the plant’s production capacity.
As reported by Reuters on Tuesday, the local environment ministry approved Tesla to begin the first three phases of expansion, including new facilities for logistics, a battery cell test and recycling lab, and additional infrastructure for storage facilities. The ministry says the expansion will take place on land that Tesla already owns, and it follows the company’s recent tree-clearing efforts for the development.
Although Tesla applied to expand the factory in July 2023, the company has faced significant opposition from environmental activists and locals. Most recently, activists began camping and moving into treehouses in the wooded area to protest against Tesla’s move to clear more trees for the expansion.
Soon after, the protestors were asked to leave after an undetonated World War II bomb was found near the Gigafactory, kicking off a larger search of the grounds to check for other old ammunition and weapons. Earlier this year, local citizens also cast a non-binding vote against tree-clearing efforts, due to concerns surrounding the environmental impact.
The expansion approval also comes just a couple of months after Plant Manager André Thierig said that an expansion would only happen if the market signaled demand for increased production.
“We will not spend several billion on the expansion of the factory without the signals being clear that the market is asking for this,” Thierig said. “We firmly believe that the market will pick up again. It is certainly a question of how quickly and when.”
Tesla’s expansion of Giga Berlin is expected to boost annual production capacity from 500,000 vehicles per year to one million per year, effectively making the factory the most productive in Germany—and surpassing Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg facility.
Tesla Giga Berlin expansion faces roadblocks, but officials determined to find solutions
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