Nothing Stops Tesla — Except the Snake That Delayed the Construction of Its Plant in Germany

The hibernation of the Coronella species would imply delays and high costs for Elon Musk, in addition to the problems it already has in the European country.

December 14, 2020 3 min read

This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process.

Elon Musk’s plans to build a new Tesla plant in Germany have suffered several setbacks. Just a few days ago we reported that the largest union in that country would start a battle against the company for the rights of its workers. Now, whoever got in the way of the tycoon is nothing less than a snake!

As is known, Musk plans to build Gigafactory 4 of electric cars on the outskirts of Berlin. But there is an unexpected obstacle: the area is the habitat of the Austrian coronella snake, currently in hibernation.

German laws state that environmental organizations must be consulted to authorize such projects. However, environmental groups such as the Union for the Conservation of Nature and Biodiversity (NABU) denounced that the Tesla project threatens this type of reptile because 83 hectares of forest would have to be cut down. This paralyzed the works, with the high costs involved.

The German authorities started an audit to assess the situation and this weekend the Contentious-Administrative Court of Frankfurt gave the green light to the project. The judge considered that the electric car manufacturer “has taken sufficient measures to protect the reptiles by complying with the requirements to capture and resettle them in an alternative habitat ,” according to the Electrek portal.

Tesla has not had it easy in Germany

Problems with the IG Metal union and opposition from environmental groups are not Tesla’s only obstacles in Germany.

In early 2020, one of the first setbacks was unexploded bombs left on the ground from World War II, delaying construction. Then, in February, a court temporarily halted deforestation work in the area because of the alleged impact it could have on wildlife and because the works could damage drinking water supplies.

In October, Tesla consulted with local residents and received more than 400 complaints about the potential water shortage when the factory comes online. In response, Tesla pledged to reduce its water needs, from 3.3 million cubic meters to 1.4 million. In November, the lack of administrative permits to build their new facilities were added to the list.

Despite everything, Elon Musk has not announced any changes to the opening plans of his plant in Germany, scheduled for 2021 .

Gigafactory 4 is key for Tesla, since the Tesla Model Y will be manufactured there, the electric SUV with which the company intends to establish itself in the European market and which may carry the legend ‘Made in Germany’ .

See also: Tesla will stop production of Model S and Model X for 18 days

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/361638