The factory that Tesla Inc. is building in Germany could face further delays as local authorities plan to repeat a public hearing that was supposed to be the last hurdle to the project’s approval.
Brandenburg state environmental authorities said on Thursday that the online consultation process that ended earlier this month should be held again in November to reinforce the legal certainty of the process.
This move will delay the decision on final approval, threatening CEO Elon Musk’s plan to start production at the factory outside Berlin in November or December.
Tesla is still awaiting final approval of the project that underpins its expansion plans in Europe, just as Volkswagen AG, Daimler AG and BMW AG expand their electric vehicle lines.
For Germany, the plant in the small town of Grünheide promises new jobs in a region that lost much of its heavy industry during World War II.
Progress at the site has been less fluid than expected as Tesla faces lawsuits from environmental groups concerned about water use and wildlife, and the plant has already been delayed for several months. Tesla plans to build up to 500,000 vehicles at the factory, along with the production of battery cells.
Locals submitted more than 800 complaints for the online discussion that ended on October 14. Environmental authorities in the region have committed to making a final approval decision only when the process is complete.
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