Tree decree halts Tesla in its tracks
Work at automotive group Tesla’s first European factory has come to a halt after a court ruling in mid-February said tree-felling at the site had to stop, for the time being at least.
Tesla announced in November that it would build its first European production facility at a new factory in Grunheide, near Berlin. It said the facility would open in 2021 with the capacity to produce 500,000 of its electric vehicles per year. Moreover, it insisted production at the site would be carbon-neutral.
Ironically, local activists have successfully campaigned to have the development halted because Tesla has removed a large number of trees at the 92-hectare site.
Campaigners argued that Tesla ought not to be allowed to cut down any trees before the authorities have completed their assessment of the environmental impact of the factory. The Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg has agreed and has ordered a temporary halt.
