Tesla produced several electric cars on a test basis in Grünheide

The US car maker Tesla has already produced several electric cars on a test basis in its factory in Grünheide near Berlin. According to Tesla, the scope of the early approvals for individual construction steps also includes the production of a limited number of test bodies. They are intended for test purposes in Grünheide or in external systems. The parts produced in this way are not allowed to be sold. The official test run in the car factory has not yet started. Tesla CEO Elon Musk hopes the first cars will roll off the assembly line this year. The "Automobilwoche" writes in its latest edition that five Model Ys have already been manufactured in the "Gigafactory" near Berlin. From the beginning of January, 1000 units per week should initially be produced, and production should be ramped up in the middle of the year. Tesla did not comment on these numbers. In the first phase, up to 500,000 cars per year with around 12,000 employees are planned. A permit from the state of Brandenburg for the factory is still pending. It is considered possible that the decision will be made this year. However, the Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment does not give a date for the decision on the green light for the factory. "The approval process continues," said a spokesman. Comments from critics from a repeated online discussion are currently being examined. In addition, documents from authorities and Tesla are pending. Conservationists and residents fear that the factory will have negative consequences for the environment. For example, they think water consumption is too high. Tesla had denied the concerns. Musk also wants to build a large battery factory in Grünheide. Last week, the carmaker surprisingly waived a possible government subsidy in the billions for the planned battery production. The reason is so far unclear.