On February 21, 2024, Tesla Inc executive, Rohan Patel, confirmed that the company’s plans for expanding its gigafactory in Berlin, Germany, will proceed despite the local community rejecting the proposal to cut down trees for the project. Patel, the vice president of Public Policy and Business Development at Tesla, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the community’s decision will not impact future expansion plans, and Tesla will continue to collaborate with the community and stakeholders.
Addressing concerns about excess water use resulting from the zoning changes, Patel assured that the factory has the capability to recycle 100% of processed water. Additionally, the proposed expansion would potentially shift more freight traffic to an expanded rail infrastructure, which would benefit the environment.
Patel expressed confidence in Elon Musk and the Tesla team’s continuous investment in the employees at Giga Berlin, as well as their commitment to innovation, improved products, and strengthening the bond between Tesla and local educational and community institutions.
The recent vote against cutting down trees near Tesla’s gigafactory in Berlin poses a significant challenge to the company’s plans to double the plant’s capacity for battery production to 100 gigawatt hours and car production to 1 million units annually. Ultimately, the decision now rests with local authorities.
As stated in Tesla’s 2023 full-year report, the Berlin factory currently has an installed annual vehicle capacity of 375,000 Model Y SUVs. Recent reports indicate that Tesla may have achieved a weekly production of approximately 6,000 Model Y vehicles at the factory.
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