Tesla Gigafactory 4’s purchase contract has officially been signed, according to Finance Minister Katrin Lange. However, the next-gen automaker still has a couple of steps to go through before the 300-hectare forest is ready for GF4's construction. 

“The sales contract has been signed,” said Finance Minister Katrin Lange.

According to Bild, Brandenburg’s State Chancellery Tesla's purchase contract for GF4 has been officially signed. However, the Tesla board still has to approve the contract. Also, it seems both parties will get the chance to review the final deal after the Tesla Board signs off on it. The automaker has submitted its application documents to the State Environmental Agency for approval under the Federal Immission Contract Act as well. 

Brandenburg and the US electric car manufacturer Tesla have reached an agreement on the sale of the land for the planned factory for electric cars near Grünheide, according to the state..👍💪https://t.co/tS8fV9DhF5

— #Gf4 #Gigafactory4 (@Gf4Tesla) December 20, 2019

“It is very good that the first two important steps have been taken. I am pleased that the agreements made in the Task Force on Tuesday were met by everyone involved. That makes me confident for the future. But there is still a lot to do,” said Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke. 

Woidke has a point. The purchase contract and application documents for the State Office of the Environment are just the first two major steps for Tesla Gigafactory 4. The company will likely pass through GF4’s most significant milestones after it is built. 

In the meantime, Tesla has already started preparing the current area GF4 will be built on. According to Tesla enthusiast @Gf4Tesla, Brandenburg’s ammunition salvage department has sent SafeLane Global and Röhll to check the forest for any remaining World War 2 bombs already. 

The GF4 forest has had several visitors lately, including the Forest Administration and Tesla’s Topography surveying team. All of its visitors were clearly anticipating the approval of the purchase contract. 

#Gigafactory4, #Gruenheide Topography survey.
The guys from Tesla ( Tesla GmbH Munich) were a little " silent " ..🙄...( secrecy clause ) in their contract.😖.... Nevertheless thanks for the nice conversation....✌😉😄 pic.twitter.com/rQVk92ZbNp

— #Gf4 #Gigafactory4 (@Gf4Tesla) December 18, 2019

Gigfactory 4 will be hitting the ground running by starting with Model Y production in Europe. Tesla’s crossover is expected to outsell the Models S, 3, and X combined, so it will be a big undertaking. Gigafactory 4 could produce up to 750K cars a year when it is fully functional, based on the water supply it is requesting from the Strausberg-Erkner Water Association. The factory's size has hinted that Tesla may build battery cells on the site as well. 

Model Y production in GF4 is slated to start by 2021, which is probably why the purchase contract and other necessary documents are being processed at such a rapid pace, similar to Gigafactory 3 in Shanghai. Gigafactory 4’s placement in Germany was fully supported by the Federal Minister of Economics and Energy Peter Altmaier, which may be why approval for the facility has been going as smoothly as possible. 

“If [Gigafactory 4] does not come, it would be a damage for all of Germany. If we are asked for help as a ministry, we will be happy to help,” said Germany’s Federal Minister in an interview. 

Featured Image Credit: @Gf4Tesla/Twitter