Elon Musk dances as he hands over Teslas from new German Gigafactory
Synopsis
"Thank you, Germany!" (Thank you, Germany), Musk tweeted following the red ribbon event, when he joined staff in congratulating the first 30 drivers to take the wheel of their new vehicles.
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, danced happiness on Tuesday at the inauguration of his "gigafactory" electric car facility outside Berlin, shrugging aside two years of bureaucracy and delays to see customers drive away with the first Model Y automobiles built in Europe.
"Thank you, Germany!" (Thank you, Germany), Musk tweeted following the red ribbon event, when he joined staff in congratulating the first 30 drivers to take the wheel of their new vehicles.
The $5.5 billion German Tesla plant is Europe's first of its sort. During the plant's grand opening, Elon Musk unveiled the first Tesla Model Y. Musk's enthusiasm for the launch is palpable as he dances beside the Tesla vehicles on display at the plant opening.
The factory's inauguration came after a two-year approval and construction process that saw Tesla face a slew of administrative and judicial challenges, including villagers' concerns about the site's environmental effect. Tesla began construction at its own risk and received the legal go-ahead from regional authorities to begin manufacturing earlier this month.
The "gigafactory" in Gruenheide, Brandenburg, Germany, is Tesla's first production plant in Europe, and local leaders hope it will help the region establish itself as a centre for electric car production.