Located in the forests of Gruenheide in Berlin is a large Tesla facility that debuted as Elon Musk’s electric car company’s first production branch in Europe. However, Musk’s goal to quadruple the scale of the business is stymied by the facility’s location in a drought-prone region in which access to water is limited.
Tesla needs a significant amount of water to accomplish things like painting exteriors, casting car accessories, and cooling heavy gear. According to Tesla’s deal with Germany, the enlarged facility would require over a million cubic meters of water each year, an amount enough for over thirty thousand people.
As local leaders and Tesla officials are looking for sustainable ways to get sufficient water to build the factory, residents are concerned about a major shortage. According to local activists, the water crisis is massive and things are getting worse. The region is receiving less rain compared to previous times.
The site’s development is now on hold seeking clearance from environmental regulators.
Tesla executives are sure that an extra build-out will be approved by authorities since the business has already begun cutting trees in anticipation. There is a mismatch between declining water availability and growing water demand, and someday there is a possibility that the water will not be sufficient for everybody. The extreme drought that has lasted for years in Brandenburg has produced conducive circumstances for wildfires to develop.
Farmers in this particular region have reported substantial crop losses as a result of excessive heat and insufficient rain. The water conflict has resulted in lawsuits, and the Tesla plant has been delayed by six months. Government authorities have come up with the solution of creating more freshwater sources in the region and have constructed wells near Hangelsberg, 9 miles from Tesla’s facility.
The pipes connecting the wells to the Tesla factory are already being installed by planners. Some water specialists are unconvinced that bringing in water from elsewhere in Germany will be a long-term answer. They argue that the newly constructed wells are not a long-term or hopeful solution because water shortage is widespread throughout Southeast Brandenburg.
There is fear that in the near future, there will be water scarcity for various uses.
The construction of the German plant is critical to Tesla satisfying worldwide desire for electric vehicles. Currently, the facility produces around 2,000 electric cars every week. Musk intends to raise that figure, but there are various challenges. Local groups battling Tesla on issues ranging from tree protection to sand lizard conservation have pushed back the timeframe. With the Tesla factory, it has come to the point where these local activists are stifling progress.
Musk complains about delays which irritates local activists who claim there was little community participation before the enormous site was allowed. Getting Tesla’s German plant running at full speed is essential for Tesla to reach its growth ambitions.