Elon Musk once laughed at the water supply problem at the Tesla factory. That’s the real problem now
The Tesla factory set up near Berlin has yet to start production as local authorities believe that once the company starts operating, the water crisis in the region will worsen.
It’s been a while since Elon Musk balked at the suggestion that building a Tesla factory in Berlin would deplete water levels in the area. The Tesla chief later said that the concept was ‘completely false’, but it appears that what was later deemed false has turned out to be true.
The cuts come six months later and the company has yet to start production at the plant because of water problems.
As reported by Bloomberg, the situation in and around Berlin is difficult as groundwater levels are falling and the region is also facing prolonged droughts due to climate change. Last year, in August, Musk said there was water ‘everywhere’ around Berlin. This has sparked a legal controversy and the matter will soon go to court along with an admission from the local government that the state’s water supply will not be sufficient for once. Tesla slope to the factory.
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The issue has the potential to delay or even lead to a permanent halt to the €5 billion ($5.7 billion) project that could prove to be an expensive setback for the car company. electricity. Irina Engelhardt, head of the department of hydrogeology at the Technical University of Berlin, insists that Tesla will certainly increase the region’s problems. “There may not be enough water for everyone,” he told Bloomberg.
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Setting up a facility in Europe is a key ambition for the electric vehicle group as the region is a rapidly growing electric vehicle market and is expected to become larger and more competitive than the European market. the US market in the coming years. Although Tesla has built the factory at breakneck speed, it is still awaiting final approval from the local government. “The current water supply is sufficient for the initial phase of the plant,” said Mr. Steinbach.
Date of first publication: February 22, 2022, 12:17 PM IST
