Reactions to the Tesla vote in Germany: “That would be a catastrophe”

The voice of the residents of Grünheide, Brandenburg, was clear: with 3,312 (62.1 percent) votes compared to 2018 (37.9), they spoke out in a citizen survey against the expansion plans of the electric car manufacturer Tesla. American billionaire Elon Musk’s company wants to clear another 100 hectares of forest next to the 300-hectare ‘Gigafactory’, which will include the construction of a freight yard, warehouses and a corporate kindergarten.

The fact that the population rejected these plans led to mixed reactions in Grünheide and beyond. Watson media partner t-online asked around.

Citizen initiative sees clear results

The local citizens’ initiative, which had already fought against Tesla’s original settlement, sees the survey as an order for the city council to reject the associated development plan. “I can hardly imagine that the community representatives would turn against the citizens who elected them. If so, it would be a catastrophe,” said president Manuela Hoyer. She was “happy” with the result and a “clarity” she had not expected.

Either way, the roughly 75 percent turnout should give Hoyer a boost. In Grünheide, the municipality decides on the development plan. It’s not yet known when she plans to do so, but Hoyer expects a vote at the May meeting. The activist doubts whether the municipality will be able to involve citizens, environmental activists and their initiators again in the process by then. The investigation shows that the development plan cannot be put to a vote in its current form, she says.

Tesla continues to expand

Tesla itself stated that it would stick to its plans in principle. “We remain convinced that the logistical optimization of the factory is a great benefit to the community.” The car manufacturer said it wants to coordinate “with all those involved” and sees the “concerns” of citizens. It is now up to the municipality to decide on the development plan procedure. The goal is still to shift a lot of freight traffic to rail and expand the infrastructure around the factory.

Mayor Arne Christiani had already told rbb before the investigation that he believed “that the majority of the city council would then support the vote.” However, he now told the broadcaster that he could not say whether the community would adhere to the vote. The development plan has not yet been part of a consultation in the municipality. As mayor, Christiani heads the city council.

Christiani told rbb he was disappointed with the result. “I am annoyed that it has not been possible to show people that very important infrastructure projects such as the new national road L 386 or the station square are part of this development plan.”

Local state parliament member Rolf-Peter Hooge (AfD) told t-online that he would like to see “a compromise found” because there is “an understandable need to expand the factory”. It is important “that no decisions are made that ignore the citizens”. He welcomed the fact that citizens were involved in the investigation, even though I am “less critical of the factory than some colleagues,” Hooge said.

Mayor blames reporting

Christiani does not see the survey results as a sign of a general anti-Tesla attitude in the community. There is no negative sentiment about the American electric car manufacturer. For him, however, the outcome depends on local reporting. “The reporting on the overall Tesla project has been quite negative over the past year,” he said.

Now it’s Tesla and the community’s turn

Frank Steffen, district administrator of the Oder-Spree district, in which Grünheide is located, took the car manufacturer and the community to task. “The citizens have clearly expressed themselves in a purely democratic process,” the SPD politician told t-online. It is now up to Tesla and Grünheide to “reconsider the plans and then revise them.” The results of the research show “that we need to think much more about the infrastructure of a construction project in the area.”

“Make the conversation even more intensive”

The general manager of the Berlin-Brandenburg business associations, Alexander Schirp, reacted soberly to the outcome of the investigation. He announced on Tuesday evening that the investment in Tesla was a windfall for Grünheide and for the whole of Brandenburg. “We believe that the focus should not be on the risks, but rather on the opportunities of the investment, also with a view to the environment.”

US electric car manufacturer Tesla has created ‘unprecedented economic dynamism in the capital region’ since it began production, with thousands of additional jobs and hundreds of training places. “We see the voice of the citizens in Grünheide as a clear mandate to seek even more intensive dialogue and provide information about the expansion of the factory,” says Schirp.

Tesla already has an area of ​​300 hectares in Grünheide. Conservationists, among others, oppose the planned expansion because they fear problems with the water supply in the region. Tesla, on the other hand, sees benefits for the region if the development plan ultimately goes ahead. According to the car manufacturer, the planned factory station could relieve freight traffic. In addition, security of supply must be increased through additional storage space.

With material from the news agencies DPA and AFP