Electric car manufacturer Tesla opened its first European factory Tuesday on the outskirts of Berlin in an effort to challenge German automakers on their home turf.
The company says its new “Gigafactory" will employ 12,000 people and produce 500,000 vehicles a year once it's fully up and running. Initial production will focus on Tesla's Model Y compact sport utility vehicle.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz attended the opening ceremony in Gruenheide, southeast of the German capital, with Tesla boss Elon Musk, who performed an impromptu dance for fans as the first cars rolled out of the factory for delivery.
He later posted a comment on Twitter thanking Germany with the words “Danke Deutschland!” surrounded by German flags.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said the opening of the factory was “a nice symbol” that gasoline-powered cars can be replaced with electric vehicles at a time when Germany and other European nations are trying to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and wean themselves off Russian oil.
Tesla began building the vast facility less than three years ago, before it received official permits to do so. Had those permits not been issued, the company would have had to level the site.
“That's a different company risk culture,” Habeck said, after being asked to compare Tesla's approach with the slow pace of German construction projects such as Berlin's nearby new airport, which opened with a nine-year delay.
Environmental activists have warned that the factory could affect drinking water supplies in the region.
Tesla has dismissed those warnings. The company refused most media access to the site and the ceremony Tuesday.
Taking a look at investment strategy as the new year gets into full swing.
Americans stepped up their spending in December more than expected, closing out the holiday season and the year on an upbeat tone. The Commerce Department said retail sales rose 0.6% in December compared with a November’s 0.3% increase.
A New York architect charged in a string of slayings known as the Gilgo Beach killings was accused in a 25-year-old Connecticut woman's death.
Uber purchased Drizly in a cash-and-stock deal for $1.1 billion in 2021. The drink delivery app will shut down in March, according to Uber.
After Donald Trump's victory at the Iowa caucus, Nikki Haley and DeSantis continue their campaigns as New Hampshire's primary looms.
Christine Short, VP of Research at Wall Street Horizon, shares insights on small and big banks earnings, a fresh round of layoffs in the tech world, and what to expect from upcoming rate decisions.
More executives are feeling better about the global economy. But a growing number don’t think their companies will survive the coming decade without a major overhaul because of pressure from climate change and technology like artificial intelligence.
The International Olympic Committee has signed the first beer brand in the 40-year history of a sponsorship program that earns billions of dollars for the organization and international sports.
The latest calculations from several science agencies showing Earth obliterated global heat records last year may seem scary. But scientists worry that what’s behind those numbers could be even worse.
Along with the $122 million from delinquent millionaires in October, nearly half a billion dollars in back taxes from rich tax cheats has been collected.
