BERLIN -- German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Monday that he did not expect any major delays to the construction of Tesla's factory near Berlin due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Tesla said last November it would build a factory in Gruenheide in the eastern German state of Brandenburg.
The factory is due to open in 2021. It has faced opposition from environmentalists to stop the felling of trees on the site.
Tesla is moving into Germany's heartland to vie with Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz as the country targets a massive increase in electric-car sales.
Tesla plans to build several models at the plant starting with the Model 3 sedan and Model Y crossover, with more cars to follow. It would build as many as 500,000 vehicles annually.