American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla is to temporarily suspend work at a plant under construction in Grunheide, near Berlin. Until December 17, Tesla was supposed to post the € 100 million bail required by the Brandenburg State Environmental Agency, but did not.
The new deadline for posting bail is set for January 4, 2021. As long as there is no money, the permission to cut wood for the plant's shops has been stopped.
In the Supreme Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg, proceedings continue on the clearing of 82.2 hectares of forest, planned by Tesla, against which the Nature Conservation Association and the German Green League have filed claims.
The State Environmental Agency has requested a bond of 100 million euros to ensure the legal security of the decisions.
In a little more than six months, electric vehicles are to roll off the assembly line in Grünheide. Although the state of Brandenburg has yet to issue a final environmental permit for Tesla's first plant in Europe, construction is progressing rapidly - with temporary permits.
Starting next summer, Tesla initially plans to produce 500,000 vehicles a year in Germany.
This week the Grünheide community decided on a new development plan, according to which the infrastructure of the territory for the Gigafactory should be adapted. Two days ago, Elon Musk replied on Twitter: "Thank you Brandenburg and Grünheide."
