Tesla seeks approval for major expansion of Berlin factory

Tesla has applied to German authorities for permission to make extensive changes to its factory near Berlin, as part of its ambitious plan to turn the site into Europe’s largest car plant.

The electric car maker published application documents on Wednesday, showing the long list of modifications it wants to make at the plant in Grunheide, which currently produces around 5,000 cars a week.

The changes include constructing a battery cell testing lab, extending water recycling, expanding or changing existing parts of the facility like the press shop and paint shop, and building new elements such as a material storage facility.

Tesla said the modifications should become operational in the first half of 2024 and would not require any additional water capacity. The company has committed to use only the 1.4 million cubic metres of water it is licensed to use.

The changes are part of Tesla’s vision to double the capacity of the plant to 1 million cars per year and 100 gigawatt hours of battery production. This would make the plant more productive than Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg headquarters, which has a capacity of 800,000 vehicles and produced only 400,000 last year.

Tesla has not given a timeline for ramping up output at the Berlin factory, which has faced delays and opposition from local environmental groups. On Tuesday, Tesla held a question-and-answer session with local residents to address their concerns and explain its plans for the site.

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