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Tesla factory in Grünheide

Photo: Patrick Pleul / dpa

The citizens of Grünheide near Berlin voted on the US electric car manufacturer Tesla's plans to expand its factory premises - and the majority rejected it. As the municipality in Brandenburg announced, 3,499 residents voted against the expansion in a survey. 1882 voted for it.

Although the vote is not binding, it is seen as an important indication - voter turnout was over 70 percent. Now the community representatives of Grünheide have to decide on the development plan. The state parliament's finance committee would also have to approve a sale of the area.

In addition to the existing 300-hectare factory site, Tesla wants to build a freight yard, warehouses and a company kindergarten on an additional 170 hectares. To achieve this, more than 100 hectares of forest will be cleared.

There have been protests against expansion for several months

For this reason, among others, conservationists and citizens' initiatives are against the expansion. They also point out that part of the site is in the water protection area.

Tesla, in turn, emphasizes the advantages of the development plan for the region. According to the car manufacturer, freight traffic could be relieved with the factory station. The company is also concerned with greater delivery security with storage space - Tesla recently had to suspend car production for around two weeks because parts could not be delivered on time following attacks by Houthi militias on freighters in the Red Sea.

There have been protests against expansion for several months - but supporters are also speaking out. Brandenburg's Transport Minister Rainer Genilke recently warned that the plans would fail. Canceling the development plan would significantly slow down infrastructure development in the region and prevent trucks from shifting to rail, according to a statement from the ministry.

The citizen survey was about the expansion with a freight station and logistics areas on new premises - but Tesla is also aiming to expand the factory on the existing factory site. The company wants to double production capacity from the current target of 500,000 cars a year to one million. Around 12,500 employees currently work there, who recently produced 6,000 cars a week. That corresponds to 300,000 vehicles per year.

spr/dpa