Tesla Under Fire Again In Germany As Local Authorities Accuse EV Giant Of Polluting Berlin's Drinking Water Supply

A local water authority near Tesla Inc‘s TSLA German gigafactory has reportedly accused the company of polluting local rivers, in what is a fresh environmental concern surrounding the EV-making plant.

What Happened: The local water authority near Tesla’s Gigafactory in Grünheide has accused the electric car manufacturer of polluting Berlin’s drinking water, reported The Telegraph. The water authority, in a letter to the region’s mayors, has demanded that Tesla shut down its wastewater line until further notice.

The regional water board has called for a general meeting to discuss concerns that Tesla’s factory is discharging six times more hazardous pollutants into the water system than its permits allow, the report said. The meeting is scheduled for Friday.

Despite repeated warnings since last March, Tesla has allegedly not taken any action to rectify the pollution levels, which are said to exceed the permitted levels of phosphorus and nitrogen in the water.

Why It Matters: The latest accusation adds to the series of challenges Tesla faces in Germany. Earlier in February, local citizens near Tesla’s Berlin Gigafactory voted against the company’s plans to clear trees for the expansion of its plant.

This vote, although not binding, poses a significant challenge to Tesla’s plans to double the plant’s capacity for battery production to 100 gigawatt hours and car production to 1 million units annually. According to Tesla’s 2023 full-year report, Tesla’s Berlin factory has a currently installed annual vehicle capacity of 375,000 Model Y SUVs.

However, Tesla executive Rohan Patel then said that the company’s expansion efforts will continue and that it will work with the community and stakeholders. The executive argued that the zoning changes planned at the site pose no concerns about excess water use as the factory can recycle 100% of processed water.

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Photo Courtesy Tesla Inc