Tesla’s German factory gets off to an explosive start

BERLIN: Seven US bombs from World War Two have been found in the plot of land outside Berlin where electric car pioneer Tesla wants to build its first European factory, local authorities said. The duds weigh about 50 kg each and explosives experts plan to defuse them in future, said a spokesman for the interior minister in the state of Brandenburg where the property is. Tesla has agreed to buy land in Gruenheide just outside Berlin where it wants to build a giant factory that would give its cars the “Made in Germany” branding. Tesla’s local rivals are preparing to launch their own range of electric vehicles to compete with the US company, whose decision to produce in Germany is sure to give BMW, Daimler’s Mercedes and Volkswagen’s Audi a good run for their money. — Reuters