Tesla assured that in preparation for construction work, all the animals had already been captured and relocated in two months. However, ecologists found it impossible to complete such large-scale works in a short time, and the continuation of construction could harm the reptiles that have fallen into hibernation. The Administrative Court of Frankfurt an der Oder sided with the Greens. Now consultations will be held with the state environmental protection agency and Elon Musk’s company. After that, the court will re-evaluate the situation.

Interestingly, this is not the first defeat of Tesla in front of German eco-activists. Previously, they demanded and achieved that Tesla reconsider plans for water intake, reducing it by more than a third, and also more closely approached the issue of waste disposal. 

According to CNBC, another delay in the construction of the Gigafactory near Berlin-Brandenburg Airport could force the company to postpone the start of production of the first European electric vehicles until the end of 2021 or even later. Tesla originally planned to start production of electric cars in Germany in July next year.

According to plans, the first European factory for the production of electric vehicles Tesla will cover an area of ​​approximately 300 hectares, which is equivalent in size to approximately 420 football fields. It is planned to produce up to 500 thousand vehicles per year here. In the local market, the company will have to compete with the offerings of Volkswagen and Audi, which produce the ID.3 and E-Tron electric vehicles, respectively.