Tesla requests approval for revamp of German plant – application documents

BERLIN (Reuters) – Tesla (NASDAQ:) has requested approval from German local authorities to make sweeping changes to its plant near Berlin including constructing a battery cell testing lab and extending water recycling and battery cell production, application documents published on Wednesday showed.

The car and battery maker is filing its application to extend the plant – doubling its capacity to one million cars per year and 100 gigawatt hours of battery production – in three stages.

The modifications outlined in the application for the first stage should become operational in the first half of 2024, according to the documents published by the local environmental ministry and water authority.

These include extensions or changes to existing parts of the facility like the press shop and paint shop, as well as constructing new elements including a battery cell testing lab and material storage facility, the document said.