Photo: Tesla
It seems Tesla has finally made up its mind on its German factory and will not submit any other changes. This is the primary reason for all the necessary documents for approval to have been presented to German authorities. Although that is good news for the company, it does not necessarily mean that the final permit will be immediate.
According to Reuters, the environment ministry of the German state of Brandenburg said that the process is still ongoing. Brandenburg premier Dietmar Woidke also suggested that the final decision should only happen in early 2022. That may mean the first quarter of the year, which extends until March.
When Elon Musk announced the factory in November 2019, he said it would start producing cars in record time. More than two years later, most of the delays can be credited to the constant plan changes Tesla submitted to the German authorities.
Most of them had to be submitted to public discussions. With the environmental concerns that part of the Grünheide population has, these consultations always received many objections. Although German bureaucracy is world-famous and was considered “irritating” by Elon Musk, the bureaucrats must also have considered the repeated modifications in the Giga Grünheide factory pretty annoying.
The bottom line is that they ended up being very convenient for Tesla – whether unintentionally or on purpose. The initial plan was to produce the Model Y for the European markets, and these EVs would already have the 4680 cells, a component that most Tesla fans and investors took for granted. The truth is that the company faced delays in its development.
If we are to believe Musk’s prediction for the 4680 cells, they may only be ready by April 2022 – and that’s the best-case scenario. The worst is October 2022. The German factory was conceived to produce a car with three main castings: one for the front structure, one for the rear frame, and a structural battery made with the 4680 cells. Without them, the factory would have to be changed – again.
It will be enlightening to watch how Tesla will solve this dead end, especially when the final permit is granted and production is allowed to start. Without German bureaucracy to blame, Tesla will have to start pumping Model Y units out of Giga Grünheide immediately, but it won’t. Make your bets on how long it will take the company to do so.
When Elon Musk announced the factory in November 2019, he said it would start producing cars in record time. More than two years later, most of the delays can be credited to the constant plan changes Tesla submitted to the German authorities.
Most of them had to be submitted to public discussions. With the environmental concerns that part of the Grünheide population has, these consultations always received many objections. Although German bureaucracy is world-famous and was considered “irritating” by Elon Musk, the bureaucrats must also have considered the repeated modifications in the Giga Grünheide factory pretty annoying.
The bottom line is that they ended up being very convenient for Tesla – whether unintentionally or on purpose. The initial plan was to produce the Model Y for the European markets, and these EVs would already have the 4680 cells, a component that most Tesla fans and investors took for granted. The truth is that the company faced delays in its development.
If we are to believe Musk’s prediction for the 4680 cells, they may only be ready by April 2022 – and that’s the best-case scenario. The worst is October 2022. The German factory was conceived to produce a car with three main castings: one for the front structure, one for the rear frame, and a structural battery made with the 4680 cells. Without them, the factory would have to be changed – again.
It will be enlightening to watch how Tesla will solve this dead end, especially when the final permit is granted and production is allowed to start. Without German bureaucracy to blame, Tesla will have to start pumping Model Y units out of Giga Grünheide immediately, but it won’t. Make your bets on how long it will take the company to do so.
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