Tesla has plans to expand in Germany, which has left the gigafactory project in Spain up in the air. The company is carrying out the necessary procedures to expand its Grünheide plant. The goal is to increase the production of electric cars in Berlin, so the dream of a second factory in Valencia begins to fade.
A report of The confidential mentions the plans of Elon Musk and company to expand the Berlin gigafactory. The expansion would allow production to double at Grünheide, which is located at 250,000 vehicles per year. Tesla’s plan is make a million cars in Berlinalthough to achieve this it requires the approval of the Brandenburg authorities.
André Thierig, director of the Berlin gigafactory, declared that They hope to obtain approval for the first partial application before the end of March. However, the Brandenburg State Environment Office has not given an estimate on when the petition will be approved.
According to the newspaper Tagesspiegel, Tesla submitted a three-part change approval request to the State. Before starting the discussion on the development plans, the city council considers that the inhabitants of Grünheide should be asked their opinion. The mayor, Arne Christiani, said a few weeks ago that it will hold a vote during the first half of 2024, although it omitted the exact date.
The expansion of the gigafactory has generated controversy between residents and environmental groups, who oppose the logging of 100 hectares and the exploitation of water resources in a protected area. Given this, Tesla argued that they use less than half the water agreed with the Strausberg-Erkner association. The company ensures that it recycles 100% of its wastewater in the factory itself.
The Tesla gigafactory in Valencia is the second option
The project of The Tesla factory in Valencia is not entirely dead, but now it becomes a plan B for the company. The municipality of Cheste has already begun the process of expropriation of the land on which it would be located, while the Generalitat changed the law to avoid a new leak.
As reported The Spanish, Tesla has the ground ready to settle in Spain. Valencia wants to become the destination for the electric car and all that remains is for Elon Musk to decide to invest the 5,000 million euros for the gigafactory to become a reality.
The first details of the Tesla factory in Spain emerged in mid-2023, when it was learned that The company was in talks with the government of the Generalitat of Valencia. The leak upset Elon Musk and company executives, who canceled negotiations and eliminated the region as a possible candidate. Although the manufacturer returned to the table months later, the decision to establish a gigafactory on Spanish soil depends on external factors.
Valencia has redoubled its efforts and wants to ensure that the land is ready to install the Tesla plant in case the Grünheide plans fall apart.