Sleeping snakes stall Tesla's German gigafactory
Hibernating snakes are putting the brakes on Elon Musk's plans for a gigafactory near Berlin.
A German court has told the U.S. billionaire's electric vehicle company Tesla to suspend clearing a forest at the site of the proposed factory.
It comes after environmentalists said that cutting down more trees could endanger snoozing smooth snakes, which may be spending the winter there.
Tesla declined to comment.
The carmaker announced plans late last year to build its first European factory and design centre in Gruenheide, outside Berlin.
And plans to have it up and running by July 2021 to start building its electric crossover, the Model Y SUV.
Musk, who has transformed Tesla from start-up to the world's most valuable automaker in the space of 16 years, is used to moving fast.
The company's Shanghai Gigafactory went from greenfield site to building cars in just 11 months.
The decision to locate the company's first European factory near Berlin gives the U.S. electric car pioneer the "Made in Germany" label.
But it also means navigating local planning rules.
Tesla's permission to start construction hinges on a conditional approval by local authorities, who are obliged to consult environmental groups and the community.
Environmental activists are concerned that the smooth snakes may be hibernating in the ground at the site
Local authorities are also reviewing claims that a population of sand lizards could be put at risk by Tesla's expansion.
