Tesla (TSLA) lays out plans to expand German factory into Europe's largest car plant

One day after Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) held a question-and-answer session with local citizens in Germany, the local environment ministry and water authority published application documents submitted by the electric automaker describing a long list of modifications planned for the plant.

The sweeping changes are a key next step in Tesla’s ambitious plan to expand the site into Europe's biggest car plant.

Ultimately Tesla aims to expand its production capacity to manufacture 1 million cars annually and produce 100 gigawatt hours of batteries. This ambitious plan would surpass the car production of Volkswagen's Wolfsburg headquarters.

The initial phase of modifications, as described in the application, involves the establishment of a battery cell testing lab and the extension of water recycling capabilities. These changes, which represent the first of three stages, are expected to be operational by the first half of 2024, according to the documents.

Tesla has faced significant delays to its planned opening date for the plant due to a high number of objections filed by local citizens, mainly over environmental impact and water usage. However, Tesla has committed to not using any additional water capacity for the expansion, and instead is licensed to use 1.4 million cubic meters of recycled water.

Locals have until mid-September to file objections to the latest proposals.

Shares of TSLA are up 0.69% in pre-market trading on Wednesday.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]

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