Tesla may expand its Berlin plant in Germany to increase its Model Y production
On May 6, German media reported that Tesla is seeking to acquire a 100-hectare plot of land near its Berlin mega-factory to expand its Berlin plant.
Tesla intends to buy an approximately 100-hectare plot of land located directly east of the Berlin plant, between the RE1 railroad and the L23 and L38 state roads. Tesla had announced in 2020 that the company would ship as many of its suppliers' products to the Berlin plant by train as possible, and that the Tesla cars that are assembled would also be shipped by rail. Tesla is currently planning more storage areas and a freight terminal for this purpose.
It is reported that the plan has not yet been finalized, and the price of this land has not yet been determined. However, according to foreign media reports, the price of the land could be around 13 million euros (about $13.7 million). If the plan goes through and is approved, construction could begin as soon as next summer.
Meanwhile, Tesla is currently trying to increase production of the Berlin plant's Model Y, but has encountered some challenges. The environmental group Green League applied to the Oder-Spree regional authorities to revoke the plant's operating license after learning of a leak in the paint shop at Tesla's Berlin plant.
According to the authorities, 15,000 liters of paint mixture leaked from the paint shop at Tesla's Berlin plant on April 11 and was subsequently pumped out by a treatment company. A day later, two to three liters of paint leaked onto the ground while being loaded. The paint was thought to be hazardous to water quality, but a report claims the paint did not seep into the sewer system or groundwater.
Nonetheless, the Green League is demanding that the permit for Tesla's Berlin plant be revoked until Tesla completes paving some unpaved areas around the paint shop to prevent the hazardous substance from entering the aquifer. the Green League claims that if the area does not act on its request, the organization will ask the Ministry of the Environment to intervene.
A person familiar with the matter revealed that the paint shop is the main bottleneck currently facing production at Tesla's Berlin plant.
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