Musk: Tesla ‘Gigafactory’ Opening In Germany This Fall

Tesla hopes to begin making cars at its German “Gigafactory” this fall, Chief Executive Elon Musk said during a visit to the plant on Friday (Aug. 13).

According to Reuters, Tesla has delayed the opening of the factory in Gruenheide — near Berlin — to later this year. The project has seen resistance due to environmental concerns and still needs final approval from German environmental officials, which means more delays are possible.

Tesla-related delays are not unheard of. Per a PYMNTS report about the company’s plans to offer a new subscription version of its Full Self-Driving package, Tesla in 2020 pledged to release a pay-as-you-go-subscription model of a level 5 self-driving system.

See also: Tesla Mobile App Update Includes $199 Monthly Self-Driving Subscription

However, that ended up being pushed back to this year, with Musk announcing later and later release dates. Musk has now attached the new subscription option to the Full Self-Driving v9 release, which has also been delayed.

Musk made Friday’s visit with Armin Laschet, Germany’s conservative candidate who is hoping to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor in next month’s election. The candidate’s approval has dropped, Reuters said, since he was spotted laughing on a visit to a flood-ravaged town.

The story notes that Musk was asked if he had advice for Laschet on how to bring energy to his campaign. Musk’s reply: “We’re adding energy right now. This plant’s all about energy, green energy that’s sustainable … Hopefully … this factory here can serve as an inspiration to people in Germany and throughout Europe for excitement about the future.”

Musk said regulations need to be reviewed periodically to determine whether they provide a net benefit, warning of a future where “eventually, people will not be able to do anything at all.”

“It cannot always be about problems every day. Do you want to wake up every morning and everything’s just a problem? Musk asked. “(I want) people to be inspired about the future, and don’t forget to have children — that’s important.”