Just under a year after the official opening of the Tesla factory in Brandenburg, the automaker has submitted an application to expand the plant. Tesla’s goal is to double the capacity to one million cars a year in the future, according to the state environmental agency. While the first expansion stage target of 500,000 cars per year has not yet been reached, the company has already submitted an application for expansion that relates to changes to the existing factory in Grünheide near Berlin. Further applications for partial approval are set to follow.

Tesla has optimized its planning and production processes in such a way that the volumes of fresh water used to date will be sufficient for this expansion. Complete treatment and reuse of wastewater generated during production will ensure that water shortages will not be an issue. However, conservationists and the regional water board Strausberg-Erkner remain concerned about the potential risks of the expansion, especially since the factory is located partly in a water protection area. Tesla rejects these concerns.

The automaker has promised “the greatest possible transparency” for the expansion process. The application will include all impacts of the planned expansion of the factory on the current plant site. Despite these promises, environmentalists accuse Tesla of lacking transparency. Furthermore, the company has had to pay a total of 16,950 euros in fines for violations due to illegal incidents on its factory site in Grünheide.

The expansion of the Tesla factory in Brandenburg is an ambitious plan that could save around 15 million tons of emissions of climate-damaging carbon dioxide on Europe’s roads, according to the company. Moreover, the goal is to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy beyond that. Currently, Tesla manufactures 4000 cars per week, which equates to approximately 200,000 cars per year. The first expansion phase is set to employ 12,000 workers, compared to the current workforce of 10,000.

Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) has promised support for the factory’s expansion in terms of water and electricity supplies. However, environmental groups such as the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (Nabu), the Green League, and the Association for Nature and Landscape have criticized this promise, accusing Woidke of crossing a line when he assured Tesla CEO Elon Musk that he would find a solution to all problems, some of which were caused by Tesla itself, in the interest of the company.

The expansion of the Tesla factory in Brandenburg is an exciting development for the electric car market. Despite concerns from environmental groups, the company has promised transparency and optimized its planning and production processes to minimize the potential risks of the expansion. With the aim of accelerating the transition to sustainable energy, Tesla is setting a bold vision for the future of the automotive industry. Only time will tell if the company can deliver on its promises, but the ambition and commitment are undoubtedly impressive.