Tesla plant shows eastern Germany 'at forefront of industry': Scholz

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the opening of a Tesla factory outside Berlin on Tuesday that it was proof of eastern Germany's industrial prestige, reported dpa.

"The east is at the forefront of industry," Scholz said in Grünheide south-east of the capital.

Scholz also praised the speed of the development of the so-called gigafactory. "Germany can be fast," he said.

The Tesla factory is located not far from the BER airport, which opened in 2020 nine years later than planned.

Tesla was able to open its site within two years of starting construction, partly thanks to the company's gambit to complete the project even before the approvals process had ended.