Tesla Did Not Want to Wait on EU Aid: German Economy Minister

Tesla Did Not Want to Wait on EU Aid: German Economy Minister
A Tesla logo is seen on the body of its electric vehicle during a media day for the Auto Shanghai show in Shanghai, China, on April 20, 2021. Aly Song/Reuters
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BERLIN—Tesla did not want to wait for European authorities to make a decision on state funding for its planned battery factory before going ahead with the construction of its site in Germany, outgoing German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier told reporters in Berlin on Monday.

As a foreign company, Tesla would have been eligible for state aid of up to 40 percent of its investment under a European Union programme that encourages production within the bloc.