According to the Brandenburg state government, the expansion plan for the rail connection of freight traffic to the planned factory of US electric car manufacturer Tesla in Grünheide has so far been lacking. The need for the expansion can only be determined in the end when the Tesla company has clearly defined its requirements, said Minister of Transport Guido Beermann (CDU) in a response to an inquiry from the left faction in the Brandenburg state parliament. Left-wing politician Christian Görke warned of delays. “Tesla and the state government have to deliver as quickly as possible,” he said in a message on Sunday. “Otherwise, the schedule will be difficult to keep.”
Tesla plans to manufacture up to 500,000 electric cars a year in Grünheide from summer next year. Because a permit has not yet been finalized, the company carries out preparations in Grünheide (Oder-Spree district) near Berlin at its own risk. Critics fear negative consequences for the water supply and had criticized the clearing of forests and the handling of animals on the site. They warn of environmental consequences because the site is in a water protection area.
