Tesla will reportedly shut down production at its Grünheide, Germany, plant for one day starting on Friday, in response to protests against its expansion plans.
Update: Tesla has confirmed the shut down is one day, not four days, to @SawyerMerritt.
According to Handelsblatt, the company has directed all employees to work from home on Friday, following a public holiday on Thursday.
Production at the Grünheide facility, known as Giga Berlin, will shut down for one day on Friday. During this period, access to the factory will be restricted, requiring managerial approval.
“We are preparing for a major operation,” a police spokesperson stated on Tuesday, anticipating potential traffic restrictions due to the protest, reports RBB.
This operational pause follows a setback in February when local citizens voted against a proposal to clear additional forest areas for the plant’s expansion, reflecting growing public scrutiny over Tesla’s environmental impact.
The upcoming week will see several protests, including a significant rally planned in front of the factory gates on Friday, as part of a broader series of actions targeting Tesla’s water usage and environmental practices. These events are being organized by various activist groups, including the “Turn off Tesla” alliance and the anti-capitalist coalition “Disrupt.”
Giga Berlin is producing over 5,000 Model Y vehicles per week, showcasing Tesla’s rapid production ramp-up.
Tesla has plans to expand Giga Berlin’s production capacity to 1 million electric vehicles a year and increase battery cell manufacturing capacity to 100 gigawatt hours per year. This expansion, if approved, would make Tesla’s Gigafactory Berlin the largest car plant in Europe.