Tesla's Berlin Gigafactory halted due to hibernating snakes

Tesla's colossal Gigafactory being built just outside Berlin could see construction halted again, but this time by an unlikely foe: hibernating snakes.

First reported by Berlin's Tagesspiegel and then by Reuters, a German court has required Tesla to suspend all forest clearing at the 300-hectare site, located in Grünheide in Brandenburg, south-east of Berlin, due to concerns from environmentalists it could threaten local snakes in hibernation.

“The Landesumweltamt (state environmental authority) and Tesla will now be consulted, they need to make submissions by this afternoon and then we assess the situation,” a spokesman for the administrative court told Reuters.

Mashable has reached out to both Tesla and the Landesumweltamt for comment.

Local environmental group NABU told Reuters their main concern was for the smooth snake (Coronella austriaca), which they said hibernates in the ground, and could be disturbed by the deforestation onsite. These claims are reportedly being investigated by local authorities. Mashable has reached out to NABU for further information.

Smooth snake (Coronella austriaca), a non-venomous colubrid species found in northern and central Europe. Credit: Arterra / Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Announced in Nov. 2019, Tesla’s Berlin-Brandenburg Gigafactory is set to open in 2021, and will be the fourth of its kind following Gigafactories in New York, Nevada, and Shanghai. Aiming to produce 10,000 vehicles per week, according to Tesla, the factory will focus on Model Y production at launch. CEO Elon Musk revealed renders of the Gigafactory in July, which confirmed a solar roof.

It’s not the first delay for the Gigafactory due to environmental concerns. Since early 2020, local activists have protested against the factory, raising concerns over the site's mass clearing of forest and impact on the local environment. Construction was briefly halted in February after environmentalist group Green League Brandenburg challenged the impact of the factory on local water supplies among other things in a Berlin court. Tesla quickly got the green light to continue clearing an approved 92 hectares of forest.

Notably, a statement on Tesla's website used to read, "We are committed to improving the natural environment near the factory and in the wider state of Brandenburg. We aim to replant an area three times the factory plot, with mixed trees native to their habitat and the potential to become an old growth forest, while working with environmental and other expert groups for the best possible outcome.

"We are also working to ensure plenty of clean drinking water through water-saving measures in the factory as well as a structural solution with and for the community in the medium term."

Now, the same page just reads, "Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg will be an ideal work environment with modern and sustainable features. Situated in the municipality of Grünheide and its natural surroundings..."