The construction of the Tesla factory near Berlin appears to be seriously delayed. Not only is construction lagging behind, but the granting of permits does not seem to be completed yet.
The German Automobilwoche reports, based on sources around the Tesla factory, that major buildings of the factory have not yet been constructed and no application has yet been submitted for a permit from the battery manufacturing facility at the site. As a result, there are doubts whether the Gigafactory can open within five months, as planned. The site will be in Grünheide, southeast of Berlin, in the state of Brandenburg. Production of the Tesla Model Y should start there in July.
Tesla has been promised a subsidy of € 1 billion from the German government for the factory, but insiders say against it Automobilwoche that the amount may be lower. The total cost of the plant would be estimated by Tesla at approximately € 4 billion. CEO Elon Musk has said the Berlin plant could become the world’s largest battery manufacturing site.
Construction has been discredited several times. For example, there was several fuss about possible disturbance of the fauna in the area. Recently there have been concerns about wild animals soon to give birth. Local residents also complained about the expected busyness around the factory and the impact on the environment. However, the latter objections were dismissed not long afterwards. Now, however, there seems to be another hitch.