After planning on a max capacity of 3,500 at the upcoming Gigafactory Berlin event, Tesla is now seeking a COVID-19 restriction waiver from the German government to host nearly three times that many guests.
Tesla is seeking a COVID-19 restriction waiver to host as many as 9,000 guests at the upcoming Gigafactory Berlin County Fair event and factory tour, according to Reuters. The event is set for October 9, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk will reportedly be in attendance.
A spokesperson for local officials said, “The documents available suggest that the application will be approved.” Current COVID-19 rules in the region limit gatherings to 5,000 people.
Tesla needs to also prove it won’t damage the land or send toxic substances into the nearby groundwater, in order to host the event, which a local authorities spokesperson says the condition will likely be met.
The Giga Berlin County Fair Event will include a tour of Gigafactory Berlin, while also provide rides in a Model Y for those attending the event. Giga Berlin will be mass-producing the Model Y for Europe.
Tesla Opens Registration for Giga Berlin County Fair Event https://t.co/aBbbk7mp15
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) September 16, 2021
The factory, located in the town of Grünheide in Germany’s Brandenburg, is still awaiting final approval from local ministers to complete the factory, following a wave of regulatory delays and other issues. The company received a new round of approvals from the German government earlier this month and is expected to gain final approval of the factory by sometime in October.
Last month, Musk said he expects the first Tesla cars to be made at the Brandenburg factory in October, just weeks following the first arrivals of Tesla’s Model Y in Europe from Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai. The Berlin factory is expected to start by producing units of the Model 3 and Model Y, ultimately freeing up the Shanghai factory to focus on other markets.
