"We build cars, not political positions," says the head of Tesla in Germany. The brand's stock of cars is reportedly at a record low.
Tesla's factory in Germany is operating at full capacity, according to factory manager André Thierig.
This comes after a period of declining sales in the country. The decline in sales coincided with a public debate about the political views of the company's CEO, Elon Musk.
Among other things, the CEO openly supports the right-wing German party Alternative for Germany (AfD).
This is written by Der Tagesspiegel .
Tesla established its newest factory in Grünheide outside Berlin in 2022. The opening followed a rapid construction process and was marked by the participation of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Brandenburg State Minister Dietmar Woidke and Elon Musk.
The factory is a significant employer in the area with around 11,000 employees. And according to the factory director, the employees are quite busy.
Tesla in Germany is running at full capacity with a record low inventory of cars
Production at the factory has fluctuated. Last year, production was around 1,000 cars per day. But this figure has since fallen.
Part of the explanation lies in a transition to production of the new Model Y. However, André Thierig says that production is now back to previous levels.
– There are no plans for production stops, staff reductions or other cuts. We have switched production from our previous model to the new Model Y, it takes time, says the director.
The Tesla factory in Grünheide also supplies many cars. And not just to the German market but to the whole of Europe. The produced cars are stored in Neuhardenberg before they are sent on to the customers.
Tesla generally operates on the principle of meeting set quotas before starting to ship cars to customers.
However, according to Der Tagesspiegel, Tesla's inventory in Germany is currently at a record low.
With only 3,200 cars in stock, equivalent to three days of production compared to last year's production, inventory is limited.
– We not only build vehicles for the German market, but for 37 other markets, both within and outside the EU, André Thierig explains to the media.
However, at the state level, there are already concerns that Tesla is making cuts, even though the factory management denies it.
In Norway, which is in many ways considered the paradise of electric cars, the brand is also back on top. Read more about it here .
While Tesla in Germany reportedly has very few cars in stock, the same could not be said for its parent company in the US last year. In June 2024, it emerged that the brand had DKK 20 billion tied up in stock cars that could be seen from space.
