Tesla's German Gigafactory delayed to next year, report says
The factory will be home to Tesla assembly on the Continent, but it's reportedly behind schedule.
Tesla's highly anticipated European production epicenter will not be operational until 2022, according to a report from Germany's Automobilwoche. The publication reported Sunday, citing company sources, that battery production equipment and regulatory approvals are the main causes of the delay.
Tesla does not operate a public relations department to field requests for comment, but CEO Elon Musk said in the past the German plant should be live by the end of this year. Now, according to the report, it won't start rolling out EVs until 2022. Late January is the current goal, the website said.
The site, which is just outside of Berlin, has seen its share of speed bumps. WWII-era bombs caused a minor delay after crews unearthed explosives, and Tesla nearly faced a long pause to give local wildlife time to, um, get it on, in accordance with local environmental regulations. Locals remain concerned about the plant's drain on resources such as water supplies.
The automaker plans to build 500,000 cars per year at the plant once up and running. It will mark Tesla's second factory outside of the US after the automaker's Shanghai-based plant.
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