Elon Musk is under pressure to discontinue using Russian gas at Tesla Berlin Gigafactory.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has been a vociferous critic of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. However, it was discovered today that Musk is benefitting the Russian government by using Russian to build a gigafactory in Germany.
Apart from his abrasive internet statements, Musk has been instrumental in assisting Ukrainians on the ground. Through his space firm, SpaceX, and the company's Starlink satellites, Musk has been providing internet connectivity to Ukrainians who have been blocked off from the rest of the world by Russian forces.
Just recently, it was reported that SpaceX had supplied 3,667 Starlink terminals worth $10 million to Ukraine in the short time since the conflict began.
Additionally, following Russia's prohibition on the supply of rocket engines to the US, Musk stepped in and offered SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket to alleviate any constraint on America's access to space.
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Given all of this, one might expect Tesla's CEO to do everything in his power to ensure that none of his endeavours benefit the Russian government.However, it was discovered today that Tesla's newest gigafactory in Germany, Giga Berlin, is powered in part by Russian gas.
Giga Berlin's melting and drying furnaces have been particularly identified as requiring Russian gas to operate. Several Twitter users have requested a statement from Musk, but the Tesla CEO has yet to answer.
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Given Tesla's billion-dollar investment in Giga Berlin and the factory's potential to permanently reduce reliance on fossil fuels through the manufacturing of hundreds of thousands of electric vehicles per year, the decision to close Giga Berlin is undoubtedly challenging.
As it stands at present, it does not appear as though there is an easy remedy to the problem. Musk has also yet to comment on Giga Berlin's criticism of Russia's gas dependence. However, we will keep you updated when new information becomes available.
So, what are your thoughts? Are you disappointed that Tesla is assisting the Russian government with the purchase of gas for Giga Berlin? Do you believe Musk should shut down the plant until a new source of gas is discovered?
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