The American manufacturer Tesla inaugurates this Tuesday, in the presence of billionaire Elon Musk and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, its first European factory in Berlin.

The latter will immediately deliver its first cars after two years of construction and administrative adventures.

European gigafactory

"Today, Tesla delivers the first vehicles produced at the Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg," welcomed the Californian company in a press release published on Tuesday.

An inauguration ceremony for the plant is organized on site at 11:15 a.m., in the presence of the German Chancellor and the Minister of the Economy Robert Habeck.

Elon Musk present on site

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, also confirmed his participation Monday evening, in a Twitter message.

“I can't wait to hand over the first production cars produced by the Giga-Factory Berlin-Brandenburg tomorrow!

“, he said.

The opening near Berlin of Tesla's first European "gigafactory" was announced with great fanfare in November 2019.

A turning point in the industry

It marks a turning point for the automotive industry in Germany with the arrival in the country of Volkswagen and Mercedes, their main rival in the race for the electric car.

"With the launch of the Tesla factory, eastern Germany is strengthening its role as a global pioneer in e-mobility," the powerful IG Metall union said on Tuesday.

The end of adventures

This inauguration also puts an end to an administrative and legal soap opera that delayed the event, initially scheduled for the summer of 2021. Fears about the plant's ecological impact on the region, particularly in terms of water resources, have considerably slowed down the project.

From demonstrations to legal actions and open letters, local residents have exhausted all remedies, supported by associations for the defense of the environment.

The official approval of the regional authorities, essential for the start of production, was only issued at the beginning of March.

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