Tesla’s German Factory to Employ 10,000, Produce 500,000 Cars a Year, Bild Says

Tesla Inc. aims to produce as many as 500,000 of its Model 3 and Model Y electric cars annually at its planned factory close to Berlin, Bild Zeitung reported.

The carmaker will employ about 10,000 people at the site, which will occupy an area equivalent to 420 soccer fields, the newspaper said, citing initial plans for the factory, which shows a complete production line as well as testing facilities. Construction is set to start next year.

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk wants Germany to sweep away its notorious red tape to speed construction of the facility, avoiding the bureaucracy that’s held up building Berlin’s new airport. Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said this week that he will try to ease regulatory hurdles that may snag construction. “There’s a lot at stake” in Tesla’s plan, he said.

After a slow start, electric-vehicle sales are picking up in Germany, overtaking Norway as Europe’s biggest market. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government is targeting as many as 10 million electric cars on German roads by 2030 to help achieve carbon-reduction targets.