A LOCAL council in Germany approved a plan by electric car manufacturer Tesla to expand the grounds of its first plant in Europe, a proposal which has drawn persistent protests this year.

Councilors in the Gruenheide municipality, just outside Berlin, voted 11-6 on Thursday evening with two abstentions in favour of the plan, German news agency dpa reported. The proposal was scaled down to involve the felling of fewer trees than originally intended.

Tesla wants to add a freight depot and logistical space to its factory, which opened in 2022.