- Around half a million trees were cut down for the Berlin Gigafactory
- The analysis revealed that this was equivalent to 13,000 tonnes of CO2.
- The Gigafactory is already a controversial place in Germany
Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company Tesla has cut down around half a million trees while developing a gigafactory near Berlin, a new satellite analysis has revealed.
According to an analysis by environmental intelligence firm Kayrros, 329 hectares (813 acres) of dense forest in southeastern Berlin were cut down between March 2020 and May 2023, equivalent to around 500,000 trees.
The amount of CO2 absorbed by trees varies from species to species, but a mature tree will absorb, on average, about 48 pounds (22 kg) of carbon each year, meaning the lost trees are equivalent to 13,000 tons of CO2, according to Kayrros chief analyst Antoine Halff.
Halff said: “The Tesla factory in Germany has led to a lot of tree felling. Of course, this has to be put into perspective, in relation to the benefits of replacing internal combustion engine cars with electric vehicles.”
Tesla boasts of its green credentials on its website, stating that all electricity used at the Berlin Gigafactory, which opened in 2022 after starting work in 2020, was “combined with renewables in 2023.”
Elon Musk’s (pictured) electric vehicle company Tesla cut down around half a million trees while developing a gigafactory near Berlin.
Protesters have been trying to enter the Gigafactory for months (pictured)
The Gigafactory is Tesla’s only European manufacturing facility
It is estimated that around half a million trees were cut down.
The Berlin Gigafactory has been the scene of regular protests since May, following news that an expansion of the already controversial manufacturing plant was being planned.
Environmental activists have been occupying tree houses at a nearby camp and have repeatedly attempted to storm the site.
One particularly enthusiastic group managed to halt production for several days in March after setting fire to an electricity pylon.
Musk himself has criticised local police for not doing enough to combat the actions of “left-wing protesters”.
Musk himself has criticised local police for not doing enough to combat the actions of “left-wing protesters”.
Tesla boasts of its green credentials on its website
A bleeding protester is seen as police officers hold back environmental activists during a protest against Tesla’s plans to expand its Gigafactory plant, in Gruenheide, near Berlin, Germany, May 10, 2024.
Environmental activists carry a banner as they gather during a protest against Tesla’s plans to expand its Gigafactory plant, in Gruenheide, near Berlin, Germany, May 10, 2024.
Halff said the amount of CO2 lost by cutting down trees — the amount emitted annually by 2,800 internal combustion cars — is insignificant compared to the carbon dioxide saved by Tesla cars.
“It’s a fraction of the number of electric cars Tesla produces and sells every quarter,” he said. “There are always trade-offs to be made, so you have to be mindful of what the terms of those trade-offs are.”
But the Berlin Gigafactory, Tesla’s only production site in Europe, has been criticized as the alleged source of many other environmental problems.
Earlier this year, German media reported that local water officials had sternly warned Gigafactory bosses that the wastewater the company dumps into the nearby River Spree contained levels of phosphorus and nitrogen six times higher than permitted.
Tesla has hit back at the allegations, with the publicly traded company’s vice president of public policy and business development Rohan Patel saying Tesla recycles “up to 100%” of its industrial water and that Tesla’s gigafactories use 33% less water per vehicle than the industry average.
