Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg is nearly up and running, though locals have remained divided on the German factory’s environmental impact nearly since construction began – and now the German government is saying the company must sit through a repeated consultation for locals to object to the factory.
On Thursday, Brandenburg, Germany’s Environmental Ministry said that an online forum for local residents to offer objections to Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg must be repeated, according to Reuters.
The factory, located in Grünheide and having been built over the last year and a half, is being criticized for failing to comply with the regulation process – which Tesla has previously slammed for being too slow.
Tesla Shares Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg County Fair Video in 4K https://t.co/yMCmbX7ZtY
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) October 10, 2021
The repeated consultation is only open to previous consultation attendees who expressed objections to the factory and weren’t satisfied with their answers from Tesla or the German environmental ministry. It will take place November 2 through 22 and will allow objections submitted from the previous forum to be repeated as well.
A Tesla spokesperson told Reuters it was keeping its target to start making cars before the end of 2021, before ramping up as fast as possible.
In a recent visit to the manufacturing facility, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he hopes to begin production on October 9, though that’s seeming less likely as authorities are still waiting to award the factory approval. In July, a German Minister also said Tesla’s Gigafactory would likely receive final approval in Q4.
Tesla held an open house at its Giga Berlin factory recently, allowing locals and select customers visit the new plant, with a ‘County Fair’ event.
