A new report published by the German press indicates that the opening of Giga Berlin, Tesla’s new European factory, could be delayed due to the lack of some permits. At the time, Tesla decided to go ahead with the construction of the factory without final approval of the project, moving forward through the use of individual permits.
However, Tesla is no longer able to continue with the facility’s construction due to the lack of permits for further logging of the forest in which they are located and for the paint shop. “Construction work on the new Tesla plant in Grünheide is not currently progressing as planned. The reason is the lack of permits for logging and the paint shop.”
Despite these setbacks, internal sources indicate that July 2021 is still the estimated date to start production at the plant. To avoid further delays, Elon Musk himself has met with Brandenburg’s economic affairs minister, Jörg Steinbach, to discuss the factory’s current situation.
Giga Berlin is a crucial element for Tesla’s expansion. It will be in charge of producing the Model Y for the European market, to which, initially, neither Fremont nor Giga Shanghai units will be exported. This model, which according to forecasts, should be able to outperform Model 3, will arrive almost at the same time as direct rivals such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Nissan Ariya, or the Volkswagen ID.4.
The European variant of the SUV will have significant changes compared to North American. First, its front, center, and rear frames will each be made up of a single large cast piece; on the other hand, it will feature the new 4680 cells recently revealed by the company and structural batteries.
Later Tesla will also manufacture Model 3 at its European facilities, which will probably incorporate the same improvements as the Model Y. On the other hand, in the medium term, it is also expected that the factory will host the production of a compact hatchback called to compete against models like the Nissan LEAF, the electric Renault Megane, or the Volkswagen ID.3.