The USElectric car buildersr Tesla is committed to the planned expansion of its plant in Grünheide – but is waiting for sales to pick up speed. “We will not spend several billion dollars to expand the factory without the signals being very clear that the market is also asking for this,” said the factory manager of the only European Tesla car factory, André Thierig, to the German press. Agency.
The Tesla factory manager not only makes it clear that building another factory would cost several billion euros, but also states the conditions for this. “We can step on the gas when we feel we need it,” said Thierig, who has worked in the automotive industry for almost 25 years. Production continues in three shifts five days a week and can be restarted at any time.
Expansion with better market conditions
“We firmly assume that the market will pick up again. It is certainly a question of how quickly and when.” He pointed to the production of vehicles for the British Isles as a positive signal. “Because we are now also entering the right-hand drive market Great Britain and Ireland “We serve from Berlin, but we have a larger sales market that we can access directly.”
The car manufacturer still wants to increase production from currently estimated at over 250,000 cars per year to one million. Protests against the US company – especially against a planned expansion with forest clearing and construction of a freight station – have increased.