A local council in Germany has approved a plan by electric carmaker Tesla to expand the grounds of its first plant in Europe. The councilors in the Gruenheide municipality, just outside Berlin, voted 11-6 in favor of the proposal with two abstentions. The plan involves adding a freight depot and logistical space to the existing factory, which began operations in 2022. The proposal was modified to reduce the number of trees that would be felled compared to the original plan.
Earlier in February, residents of Gruenheide had rejected Tesla's initial proposal, which would have required clearing over 100 hectares of trees. This decision led to persistent protests by activists concerned about water resources and deforestation. Activists have been demonstrating in a nearby forest since February, and a court ruling just before the council meeting prevented the police from removing tree houses built by the activists.
The group 'Stop Tesla,' supporting the protest, expressed disappointment with the council's decision and pledged to continue demonstrating to protect the water and forest. Despite the opposition, the state government of Brandenburg welcomed the councilors' approval, with the regional economy minister calling it a positive step for the future development of Gruenheide and Tesla.
In March, an arson attack on an electricity pylon, claimed by a far-left group, disrupted power supplies to the Tesla factory for nearly a week, impacting production. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, criticized the perpetrators as 'dumb eco-terrorists' and argued that targeting electric vehicle production was misguided compared to fossil fuel-powered vehicles.
