The municipal council of Grünheide in the district of Brandenburg, Germany, has indefinitely delayed the vote on the planned expansion of Tesla’s Berlin gigafactory, according to a report from local broadcaster RBB.
Tesla wants to expand its nearly 750-acre factory site by another 250 acres to build a freight depot, among other factory parts. The Grünheide main committee had approved the plans in June and passed it to the local council to begin the development plan. The Grünheide mayor, Arne Christiani, removed the item from the council meeting agenda, saying the council needs more clarification and that he couldn’t promise the plan will be voted on this year.
While it’s not exactly clear what other information the local council needs from Tesla to move forward with the automaker’s expansion plans, it’s possible that Russia’s moves to turn off gas supplies to Europe in general and Germany in particular are giving Christiani pause in approving a plan that will undoubtedly require energy to see through.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has previously promised that his gigafactories and electric vehicles would be produced as sustainably as possible, but it will be hard for Tesla to avoid the factory shutdowns sweeping Germany.
The news comes just days after Tesla held an information day event at the facility, during which the company said its production ramp-up at the factory was progressing “very well,” without providing specific details.
Vote to expand Tesla’s Berlin gigafactory delayed indefinitely by Rebecca Bellan originally published on TechCrunch
