Tesla Gigafactory: Steppenwolf Berlin invites you to take a trip into the endangered forest

The Tesla Gigafactory near Grünheide, south-east of Berlin, not only means that many jobs will be created, the Gigafactory also means that a lot of countryside will have to make way for the factory. And this in Brandenburg, a region in Germany where the consequences of climate change are probably most visible. "You can see it in the garden, lakes and the groundwater problem," says Markus Lenz, Steppenwolf veteran. In the long term, Berlin's water supply is at risk.

What does this have to do with cycling?

Forests around Berlin are home to popular cycle routes, some of which have to go. It is uncertain what impact the sealing of the soil and the increased water extraction by industry will have on the region's groundwater. But that's not all, Markus Lenz from Steppenwolf says: "The bicycle should be the mobility of the future. Many see Tesla's Gigafactory as a bad answer to the climate crisis". Nabu Brandenburg criticises the choice of location in particular: Despite the high political pressure, Nabu sees serious problems with the choice of location for the Gigafactory in Grünheide, according to their website.

More information can be found on the Nabu Brandenburg website under the search term Tesla: www.brandenburg.nabu.de

In short, Steppenwolf teamed up with the cycling group from the Roten Stern Berlin e.V. sports club to go for a ride in the area that is to make way for the Tesla expansion.

The trip on 18 November

The aim is to draw attention to issues like this and encourage people to think about them. The organisers also believe that the cycling community has a responsibility to take action on climate protection. Do I have to fly to Malle? Do I have to take an SUV to the cycle marathon? And they see the bicycle as a means of mobility, not more cars, whether electric or combustion-powered. Steppenwolf has always raised money for climate justice groups with events such as Berlin-Usedom-Berlin or Berlin-Angermünde-Berlin. So the topic is nothing new for Steppenwolf and the community.

Nabu Brandenburg puts it less radically, but sees omissions and gaps in planning. "Climate protection also includes sustainable construction and therefore good planning. We demand this," it says, for example. Nabu is clearly in favour of e-mobility.

E-mobility is here to stay and is an important part of future mobility [...] - Nabu Brandenburg

Who is Steppenwolf Berlin?

The website states:

A sustainable, wild cycling sport from the bottom up. Open to all and not a toy for the rich. One that stands for solidarity instead of a dog-eat-dog society. - Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf Berlin was born in 2021, well, the idea was born earlier, of course. But 2021 saw the first unsupported Bikepacking Challenge BUB - Berlin-Usedom-Berlin. Markus Lenz and his brother are the founding fathers; it all started with them. In the meantime, Steppenwolf has become a community project - and an association in the process of being founded.

The two brothers come from Biesenthal near Berlin, their grandparents live on Usedom. Does that ring a bell for one or the other? Even at a young age, they travelled by bike to visit their grandparents. They also both raced MTBs, went on cycle tours and eventually got into bikepacking. And because there was no bikepacking event in the area, only an RTF in Barnim, Markus and his brother decided to tackle the subject themselves. And what could be more obvious than to choose the route that they have ridden again and again in different variations since childhood? From Berlin to Usedom and back.