Tesla: Planned Expansion of the Grünheide Factory Delayed

The planned expansion of the factory of US electric car manufacturer Tesla in Grünheide near Berlin is being delayed. The first part of the approval is expected in the fall of 2024, the State Environmental Agency told the German Press Agency, following a report by the "Tagesspiegel." Tesla is maintaining its medium- to long-term expansion plans for the Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg, a company spokeswoman said in response to an inquiry. "We are confident that despite current delays, the next expansion steps can be initiated as soon as possible in coordination with the state government and authorities."

Tesla aims to expand production and enlarge the plant on the site of its only European electric car factory. The goal is to double the targeted number of 500,000 cars per year to one million. The half-million vehicle mark has not been reached yet. For the expansion, Tesla is applying for environmental approval from the state of Brandenburg in several parts. The State Environmental Agency has given preliminary approval for initial work. According to the authority, high-quality documents are necessary to have a solid basis for review.

New Expansion Schedule

Tesla plant manager André Thierig had hoped that approval for the first stage of the expansion would be granted between January and March of this year. Initially, it was anticipated for February and the commissioning for the first half of 2024, the "Tagesspiegel" reports, citing minutes from a task force meeting led by Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD). Tesla and the responsible authorities subsequently agreed on a new schedule, according to which a decision on an initial partial approval is expected in the fall.