Environmentalists Halting Tesla's Berlin Expansion

Eco-warrior residents are trying to thwart Tesla’s plans to expand its production plant near Berlin in Germany, angered at the deforestation required of their local area.

In a local authority plebiscite of the residents of Gruenheide, where the battery-electric-vehicle maker’s existing facility is sited, saw them vote against a project to clear enough forest for the company to build extra logistical spaces, including a train station and warehouses, reports Reuters.

The vote does not commit local authorities to ban the expansion but will put pressure on them to restrict the amount of ecological disruption caused by Tesla. The company wants to double the site's capacity to 100 gWh of battery production and 1 million cars per year.

The plant's current capacity is around 500,000 cars a year but its production ramp-up has slowed largely in response to a European easing of demand for BEVs. The carmaker in January produced 6,000 cars in a week for the first time, after hitting the milestone of 5,000 cars per week in March 2023.