Story By: Ana Marjanovic, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Newsflash
Multi-billionaire Elon Musk is reportedly aiming to expand his Tesla factory in Germany to create the electric car firm’s first major hub in Europe.
Just two months ago (March), Musk and German leader Olaf Scholz opened a new USD-5.5-billion factory just outside Berlin, the German capital.
The plant covers a 300-hectare area in the municipality of Gruenheide in the north-eastern German state of Brandenburg.
Now – according to the Brandenburg state government – Musk wants to expand the site and potentially turn it into the company’s first major hub in Europe.
Frauke Zelt, spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Environment in Brandenburg, confirmed on 5th May: “Tesla’s plans to acquire additional land east of the Tesla site are known to the state government.”
Local media said the company intends to buy around 100 hectares east of the current plant for storage facilities and a freight depot.
According to reports, six hectares of the planned expansion site belongs to the electricity supplier Edis and the rest belongs to Brandenburg State.
In the first expansion stage, 500,000 vehicles a year are expected to roll off the assembly line.
However, Tesla said it will only gradually ramp up production and it is still unclear when the number will be reached.
The planned battery factory, where Musk wants to manufacture his own modern battery cells, is still under construction.
Tesla is yet to confirm the reports of a planned expansion.
Such a site would have to be designated as an industrial area, which requires an updated development plan.
The state’s Ministry of the Environment confirmed that it has yet to receive a concrete offer from Tesla.
Musk’s long-delayed, USD-5.5-billion ‘gigafactory’ was given last-minute approval by the German authorities and obtained its final environment permit in March.
During the launch event, Musk said: “Thank you, Brandenburg, thank you, Gruenheide, thank you, Germany.”
He reportedly celebrated the opening of the gigafactory with a visit to a kinky Berlin sex club.
German daily newspaper Bild claimed the Tesla CEO went to the notorious KitKatClub before heading to other venues.
