Tesla invites to the “Gigafest”. On October 9, Tesla invites the curious to an open day at the factory site in Grünheide. 9,000 guests are expected. The electric carmaker had to apply for several special permits for the festival.
Tesla invites to open day
There seems to be no such thing as small and inconspicuous at Tesla. For its planned Gigafactory in Grünheide near Berlin, the electric carmaker now wants to invite to a big public festival. The “Gigafest” is planned for October 9. As has now been announced, around 9,000 guests are expected.
According to various media reports, Tesla has submitted a corresponding application to the Oder-Spree district. After all, only gatherings of up to 5,000 people are currently allowed there due to Corona restrictions. For larger events, a special permit is needed.
Tesla had submitted this application to the health department for its open day, and submitted a corresponding hygiene concept. Now, district spokesman Mario Behnke said that Tesla’s application would most likely be approved. Visitors must therefore be prepared for correspondingly large crowds.
Fun, games and Elon Musk himself
Tesla also had to apply for a second special permit. This is because the Tesla site is located in a water protection area and the company has to prove that no substances hazardous to water will enter the groundwater during the celebration. Tesla seems to have provided sufficient proof of this, too, so that the Gigafest can presumably take place as planned.
The “Gigafactory Berlin-Brandenburg County Fair,” as the event is officially called, is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. and run until 7 p.m. The event will also include food and drinks.
On site, there will be food (including vegetarian and vegan dishes) and first impressions of the factory site. Tours of the factory interior will also be offered. “In addition, there will also be the opportunity to experience the unique acceleration of the latest Tesla Model Y,” the Gigafest website says.
But the highlight will likely be Tesla CEO Elon Musk himself. He has promised via Twitter to be on site at Tesla’s open day.
Guests from the region have priority
Interested parties can still reserve tickets online until September 30. However, this is not yet a guarantee of admission, because Tesla has to limit the number of visitors. The company intends to send out a corresponding final confirmation some time after the reservation has been made. Citizens from the region have priority.
All visitors must also be either fully vaccinated or recovered, or have a negative Covid 19 test.
Travel by car is possible. But Tesla asks guests to arrive by train. Shuttle buses will be available from the “Fangschleuse” train station.
Mixed reactions
The reactions to Tesla’s open day are mixed. Tesla fans are looking forward to getting their first glimpse of Giga Berlin. Others also believe that the company can better convince skeptical voices with its vision on site.
Others, however, find it disconcerting that Tesla is inviting people to the big folk festival and showing off its factory before the final building permits have been issued. Final approval for factory construction is still pending. Tesla is currently building with preliminary permits. The company hopes to receive the final building permit in October.
It is therefore strategically wise for Tesla to get local residents excited about its gigafactory. After all, resistance to the planned construction has been stirring, especially among local residents. On Friday, the relevant hearings began, in which concerns can be presented and Tesla can respond to them.
Tesla has addressed many of these concerns, which primarily relate to nature conservation, in a paper that is nearly 500 pages long. In this atmosphere, therefore, direct exchange with local people certainly cannot hurt the company at the moment.
