Progress on Tesla Inc’s TSLA Berlin Gigafactory is threatened by hibernating snakes sheltering in a forest, Reuters reported Tuesday.
What Happened: A court in Germany has told the automaker to suspend clearing a forest at the site where the factory is to be built.
The court reportedly ordered the suspension after environmentalists said that cutting trees at the site could endanger hibernating snakes.
“The Landesumweltamt (state environmental authority) and Tesla will now be consulted, they need to make submissions by this afternoon and then we assess the situation,” a spokesperson for the administrative court in Frankfurt an der Oder said, as per Reuters.
The concern of the local environmentalists relates to a species of snake known as Coronella austriaca, which may overwinter in the ground at the site.
Authorities are also looking at claims by the activists regarding sand lizards — also known by their scientific name Lacerta agilis — which may be threatened by Tesla’s activities.
Why It Matters: Tesla is carrying out an environmental audit at its German site. At the beginning of October, the automaker allocated three days to consult with local and other critics of the project but the process ran into eight days and attracted 414 complaints, noted Reuters.
Locals are said to be worried about the stress the factory would exert on water resources, which led to Tesla cutting down its water consumption from 3.3 million cubic meters to 1.4 million cubic meters.
The Palo Alto, California-based automaker transformed its Shanghai Gigafactory from a greenfield site to a manufacturing unit in a span of just 11 months, reported Reuters.
Price Action: Tesla shares closed nearly 1.3% higher at $649.88 on Tuesday and fell almost 0.6% in the after-hours session.
Related Links:
Tesla's Biggest Challenge With Giga Berlin: German Auto Union
Tesla Remains Only Automaker To Grow In Germany Through November, With 37% Rise In Registrations
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