In November last year, it was announced that Tesla would open its fourth Gigafactory and the first one in Europe outside Berlin, in Brandenburg. Construction would start in the second half of 2020, with the first cars to roll off production lines in the next year.
The goal for the new Gigafactory is to produce 500,000 cars a year. The move was welcomed by German lawmakers, who believe Tesla’s presence in the area would produce thousands of jobs and deliver a much-needed boost to the local economy.
Yes, but what about the direct consequences on everything else? That’s a point protesters tried to make on Saturday, when they came out to criticize the decision to allow Tesla to buy land, deforest it and then build a factory on it. About 250 people came out to accuse Tesla of “stealing” their water, cutting off their forest and killing their wildlife, DW reports.
Their main argument was that the Gigafactory would consume an estimated 10,000,000 liters (2,641,720 gallons) per day, which would considerably decrease the already-dwindling water supply in the region, according to Ruptly. They chanted “Tesla or drinking water” and “No factory in the forest” to get their message heard.
“I think many people are not aware about the impact. But now, after the water association has issued a statement stating that the water supply needed for any phase is not enough to safeguard the water supply for the citizens. This is remarkable,” one protester told the media.
“We don't need cars, in particular no new cars that would block the streets once again. Additionally 90 hectares would be destroyed and 10 million liters (2.6 million gallons) of water would be consumed every day,” added another.
They also voiced concerns about the impact deforestation would have on wildlife.
On the other side of the street were about 50 anti-protesters, who came out to support Tesla and even brought their children along. Reports say the two parties came to verbal blows a couple of times, but did not escalate.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
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