Germany’s Federal Minister of Economics and Energy Peter Altmaier emphasized the importance of Tesla’s Gigafactory 4 in Brandenburg. The automaker’s facility in Europe seems to fit the Minister’s plan for Germany’s growth in sustainable tech in the future.
“If [Gigafactory 4] does not come, it would be a damage for all of Germany. If we are asked for help as a ministry, we will be happy to help,” said Minister of Economics and Energy Peter Altmaier in an interview with Tagesspiegel. “I explicitly encouraged Elon Musk to make this investment in Germany. At Tesla, they understood that anyone who can build and sell cars in Germany can build and sell them anywhere in the world.”
It seems the Minister wants to maintain Germany’s place in the global car industry by supporting new energy vehicles, specifically Tesla--which has been leading the charge in sustainable transport for quite some time now. “I want [Germany] to be as good and even better in the area of e-mobility than we were in the classic drive technologies."
Credit: Tesla
Altmaier wants to launch a multi-billion dollar fund for startups that focus on future tech, including battery cell production for green vehicles, artificial intelligence, and advancements in the medical field as well.
Tesla seems to fit perfectly among the startups Altmaier wants to support in Germany. For example, there has been strong evidence that point to the next-gen automaker's plans to build its own battery cells in Gigafactory 4, which is in line with the German government’s decision to reduce its dependency on Asian battery suppliers, like Panasonic and LG.
In his interview with Tagesspiegel, Altmaier also talked about Huawei’s exclusion in Germany's upcoming 5G network. “We should not target individual companies, but insist that everything that is installed in Germany in electronic and high-tech components meets the highest security requirements," he said.
The Minister of Economics and Energy seemed to recognize Huawei’s position as one of the world’s top network suppliers in his argument. He stressed that a reliable 5G network was essential for autonomous driving, which is another area within Tesla's circle of expertise.
🇩🇪GF4 Economy Minister Altmaier interview part 2
— Alex (@alex_avoigt) December 15, 2019
"If the plant doesn't come, it'll damage the whole of Germany... I want us to be just as good & even better in the field of e-mobility as we were with classic drive technologies"https://t.co/li4ZuHtfJD
The all-electric car maker just introduced its Premium Connectivity Package, which would benefit from the advent of 5G networks. Tesla is also one of the leading companies in autonomous driving, thanks to its Autopilot feature and Full Self-Driving suite.
Based on his interview, Altmaier pushed for Tesla Gigafactory 4 to be in Brandenburg because the company has already invested in tech that the Minister believes is important for economic growth in Germany. Tesla’s presence could encourage other companies in the country—not just those in the auto industry—to innovate and think outside the box. This belief has been catching on lately and has been dubbed the Tesla Effect.
Featured Image Credit: Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs Press Image and Energy and @Gf4Tesla/Twitter
H/T: @alex_avoigt
About the Author
Claribelle Deveza
Longtime writer and news/book editor. Writing about Tesla allows me to contribute something good to the world, while doing something I love.
