German citizens reject Tesla expansion plans in Gruenheide

Berlin [Germany], February 22: Citizens of Gruenheide in Germany have opposed American car manufacturer Tesla's plans to expand its Gigafactory there.
Almost two thirds of people in the city near the German capital Berlin voted on Tuesday against the construction of a freight station, additional warehouses, and a company kindergarten. More than 100 hectares of forest would need to be cleared to make way for this construction.
Although the vote in the public consultation is not binding, it is considered an important indicator. The final decision now lies with municipal representatives.
"I am annoyed that it has not been possible to show people that very important infrastructure projects (...) are part of this development plan," Gruenheide Mayor Arne Christiani told public broadcaster RBB, blaming the vote result on local reporting, which "tended to be negative over the past year."
"Now it is a matter of Tesla and the municipality of Gruenheide evaluating the information and concerns and responding to them," Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke said on Wednesday.
"We remain convinced that the logistical optimization of the plant is a great benefit for the community," the company said, announcing that "based on the feedback of the last few weeks, we will coordinate further steps together with all those involved."
In addition to building new facilities, the car manufacturer also wants to expand the existing plant. It aims to double production capacity from the current interim target of 500,000 cars per year to one million.
Source: Xinhua