European Tesla customers may soon be driving Model 3s and Xes that are "Made in Germany" instead of "Made in U.S.A." - or at least that's what the American electric carmaker hopes for with its upcoming production plant.
As reported by Reuters, at a "Giga-festival" held over the weekend at the plant's site in Gruenheide, Germany, Tesla CEO Elon Musk estimated that production of Berlin-Brandenburg's first Teslas could commence as soon as next month. A caveat was added, however, that it would take some time for the site to operate at volume production.
Gigafactories, in the increasingly colourful and confusing dictionary for EVs, differ from conventional factories in that they do not necessarily house assembly lines. Instead, they are primarily responsible for producing and developing energy storage solutions, like batteries. Tesla's Gigafactories 1 and 2 are located on the West and East Coasts of the U.S. respectively.
Despite the robust turn-out at the Gruenheide Giga-fest (attended by 9,000), the production plant has had a rocky journey over the past year, receiving pushback from locals and environmental groups.
Critics point to Musk's/Tesla's side-stepping of strict local regulatory laws - construction of the site went ahead before receiving all necessary layers of approval - and worry about the environmental impact of the Gigafactory in the tranquil Brandenburg region. Construction works have apparently already affected local flora and fauna, and Giga Berlin is projected to consume up to 3.6 million cubic metres a year, equivalent to 30 per cent of the region's available water supply
Still, Europe's first Tesla Gigafactory is expected to benefit local communities in at least one way - by creating up to 12,000 jobs. It also has some crucial local support, including the vocal approval of Brandenburg's Economy Minister, Joerg Steinbach.
