Tesla in Germany: local residents vote against factory expansion plan
February 20, 2024
Residents living on the site of Tesla’s large German factory in Grünheide voted against plans to expand the facility in a non-binding public survey consulted by local authorities.
Participation was high by the standards of these semi-formal citizen consultations. There were 3,499 votes against and 1,882 in favor, which is equivalent to a turnout of around 70% in the small town east of Berlin, very close to the border with Poland.
The results were released on Tuesday night by the local administration.
What are the expansion plans?
Tesla, owned by Elon Musk, is planning to build a rail freight depot and storage facility and an on-site kindergarten for employees’ children.
The process would lead to the felling of about 100 hectares (about 250 acres) of forest in the rural community of fewer than 8,000 residents near a nature conservation area.
Opponents of the expansion also say part of the project will impact a water protection zone; Grünheide is situated between two lakes.
The Tesla facility is located southwest of the community center, close to a road junction for the A10 motorway.
Source: DW
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