Actually, the e-car was supposed to save the environment and prevent climate catastrophe. But the state environmental agency, of all people, has something against it. They are now forcing Tesla to scrap 2,000 brand new vehicles.
Even before around 2,000 Tesla vehicles touch the road with their tyres, they have to go into the scrap press. That’s what the Brandenburg environmental agency is demanding. But what is it actually about? Tesla applied for further possibilities for preliminary tests for its factory in Grünheide – despite the lack of final approval. This is because the quality of the first test specimens was „inadequate“. The Brandenburg State Office for the Environment approved the application for a functional test with up to 2,000 further e-car models. However, not without exceptions.
Tesla and the expensive e-car junk
As can be read in the Environmental Agency’s approval procedure, conditions are attached to the further functional test. The document states: „The parts and bodies produced during the plant tests may not be used as goods for sale. According to the environmental agency, it is not permissible to use the parts and bodies produced during the plant tests for the production of saleable motor vehicles. For Tesla, this means that they are allowed to produce 2,000 e-car models. But afterwards they have to go into the scrap press. https://5e35537f186a4c06d62a9aa8ad95429a.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
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For Tesla, this test run is an expensive affair. The approval applies to the Model Y. The average sales price is around 60,500 euros. Accordingly, the US carmaker produces vehicles worth 121 million euros for the scrap press. But it is not only money that plays a role. It is true that the Environmental Protection Agency imposes requirements on Tesla with regard to the waste produced, as well as air pollutants and „noise in connection with the tests applied for“. However, the unnecessary waste of resources, for which the environmental agency is equally responsible, makes the action a paradox.
→ E-Auto: Umstieg vom Verbrenner wirklich wegen der Umwelt? Das sind die wahren Gründe
Half a million electric cars
Since 2020, the world’s most valuable carmaker has been building a factory in Grünheide in Brandenburg. Every year, up to 500,000 e-cars are to roll off the production line here – at full capacity. Initially, only 1,000 Model Ys are to roll out of the factory per week. Tesla actually wanted to start production as early as 2020. But the German authorities and the environmental agency kept putting a spoke in Elon Musk’s wheel. The plant, which is about 30 kilometres from Berlin, will soon employ more than 12,000 people. Currently there are just under 2,000 employees.
