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A public hearing on Tesla鈥檚 proposed e-car factory outside Berlin has been postponed indefinitely because of concerns over the coronavirus,听the . Hundreds of people were expected at the hearing, originally scheduled for March 18, Handelsblatt reports, and the state of Brandenburg has received more than 360 comments from the public raising concerns on issues from water quality to traffic to nature conservation. The decision to postpone the hearing was criticised by the German Green Party. 鈥淚n the digital age, it must be possible during a pandemic to still hold public hearings in video conference format,鈥澨鼶ieter Janecek, Green Party spokesperson for digital and industrial policy in the German parliament, told Handelsblatt. Tesla has already withdrawn American employees from Germany because of the spread of the coronavirus, Handelsblatt reports. But the company says that it will not change its schedule for construction of the plant, and听Brandenburg's environment ministry said the postponement would also have no effect on the length of the approval process, Handelsblatt reports.

Meanwhile, Berlin鈥檚 state senator听for transportation Regine G眉nther of the Green Party听has announced plans to use a Tesla Model 3 as her official vehicle 鈥� an unusual move in a country where politicians usually choose models from German automakers, news magazine Der Spiegel . The decision is seen as a symbolic move highlighting the lack of electric vehicle options in the German market, Der Spiegel says.听"What's important to me is a CO虏-free car that is big enough to work in without being as oversized as an SUV," G眉nther said, according to Der Spiegel. "In addition, a Tesla is now also a contribution to local value creation."

Tesla announced plans in November to invest several billion euros in the factory in Gr眉nheide, 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.