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Representatives from the German Green Party and major German environmental organizations have called for work to continue at Tesla鈥檚 proposed e-car factory in Gr眉nheide, outside Berlin. The comments come in opposition to a local environmental group, the Green League, which forced Tesla to stop clearing land at the site when it filed a legal complaint citing environmental concerns. Green Party politicians distanced themselves from the local activists, arguing that the forest where the factory is to be built is itself an industrial site. 鈥淚t is absurd to turn a pine plantation into a battlefield,鈥� Oliver Krischer, deputy leader of the Greens' parliamentary group in the Bundestag, said, according to . 鈥淭his has nothing to do with nature conservation.鈥�

Kai Niebert, president of the German League for Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection, an umbrella group of environmental NGOs, also weighed in. 鈥淕r眉nheide is the wrong battlefield,鈥澨�. 鈥淐onservationists are interested in intact nature, not in industrial forests.鈥� His statement was retweeted by听, of the Social Democrats, who called it a 鈥渧ery good comment鈥�.听

The criticism joins听comments from conservative politicians and business organizations听earlier this week, who said the delay at Tesla鈥檚 factory could damage Germany鈥檚 reputation.

Tesla announced plans in November to invest several billion euros in the factory outside Berlin. The project, which will produce both electric cars and batteries, has been hailed as a听potential gamechanger听for the German e-car industry, but has also faced questions about听its local environmental impact and听potential use of government subsidies.