In the midst of all this Tesla factory hype going on in Grünheide, Germany (about an hour driving SE of Berlin, in a fairly wooded area), there's a new problem developing.
RBB (public TV from Berlin) tells this part of the story.
No one really says that Tesla or his organization was originally told about this requirement....my take is that it didn't really come up until papers had been signed already.
So, as part of the building of the factory....there is this 'bond' that Tesla must put 100-million Euro into....to guarantee if problems develop....that money will be used to dismantle his factory. You can laugh over the objective here, but it's one of those requirements upon virtually all businessmen look at while constructing a new factory in Germany.
At this point, the Brandenburg state Environmental Agency has NOT agreed to the construction of the plant. Yes, you'd laugh because tons of money has poured in and various phases of the construction are underway.
The new extension to pay the 100 million? 15 January. If it doesn't happen? No one really says much.
Construction 'freeze? It's opened up and potentially on the table.
This idea of the plant being 'done' by late-summer of 2021? Well....it's just talk. There are a thousand potential things that could delay it...not just one year....but potentially a decade.
The view by Tesla? I'm guessing they are looking at the 100-million Euro and asking....just when would they get the bond-money back, if the factory is concluded here in 2021? I imagine the Brandenburg folks are just grinning. You could have a hundred complaints lodged and the money could be sitting in an account for twenty years....before it's released back to Tesla.
Path out of this? Just a humble guess, but Tesla is probably meeting with federal folks and wanting them to get involved, and I'd suggest they are grinning....they can't do it. He might be suggesting to them....why don't you funnel the 100-million into the bond deal, and accept the risk.
The idea that Tesla would just stand up in mid-February and say the plant is unachievable? It's possible. He might say 'enough' and cancel out the deal....moving the whole thing into Czech, with them having open arms and refusing to play the German 'screw-you' game.
There's a reason why so much production has ceased in Germany over the past thirty years, and gone to Asia. It's mostly that they made factory construction nearly impossible.
How Tesla might progress around this 100-million deal? I'd suggest this crazy idea that once you start producing the cars....a Tesla-Brandenburg non-tax is put on each vehicle of 1,500 Euro. Then you tell each German customer....you will get your money back....when Brandenburg refunds our 100-million. If they seize it and never return it.....you never get your 1,500 Euro back either.
It's all silly chatter but it's a reflection of how screwed-up business operations are in Germany today.
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