Germany: Water turned off at Tesla Gigafactory over unpaid bills
US-based electric car manufacturer Tesla has lost water access at its plant in Germany due to unpaid bills.
A spokeswoman for the water company, Wasserverband
Strausberg-Erkner (WSE), said Tesla was repeatedly warned that it was behind on
its payments.
"The 14-day notice period has expired," WSE
spokeswoman Sandra Ponesky told the Associated Press. "We can't treat
Tesla any differently than other customers."
Ponesky said that as soon as the company paid the amount it
owed, the tap would be turned back on. She did not say how much Tesla owed.
The plant, based in Grünheide near the capital Berlin, is
the company's first Gigafactory in Europe. It is still being built and the
manufacturer hopes to build 500,000 electric vehicles there per year, with a
workforce of 12,000 employees. Production could begin as early as next summer.
Tesla had only just recently signed the contract for water
development. It was not immediately clear how or if the lack of water would
affect construction at the site.
The state of Brandenburg, where the plant is located, has
yet to give Tesla an environmental permit for the new plant. The construction
work thus far has taken place with preliminary permits for individual
construction stages.
Local residents and environmentalists have expressed
concerns that the drinking water around the factory would be contaminated, and
a nearby nature reserve would be greatly affected.
Comments
Post a Comment