Governor Confirms: Dreame Technology Selects Site for Electric Vehicle Factory in Brandenburg, Germany

Chinese technology company Zhui Mi seems to be considering building a luxury electric vehicle factory near Tesla's plant in Brandenburg. Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke confirmed the negotiations and stated that talks have been held regarding Zhui Mi Technology producing electric vehicles in Brandenburg.

"Currently under negotiation," Woidke said at a press conference on Tuesday when asked about the matter by a reporter. The press conference was held after a joint cabinet meeting with Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Woidke also stated, "We have good experience in Brandenburg, and we will be well-prepared and remain calm as long as it is possible." Woidke did not disclose any further details.

Several media outlets have reported that Dreame Technology plans to produce electric vehicles near Grünheide (Oder-Spree County) in Brandenburg. Tesla is already producing electric vehicles in Grünheide, which is one of the largest factories in Germany. It is reported that Dreame Technology's founder and CEO, Yu Hao, inspected potential factory sites in Germany and is inclined to choose a location near the Tesla factory in Brandenburg. Dreame plans to build a production facility slightly larger than Tesla's factory in Grünheide.

In early September, ZhiMi Technology announced in a press release that it is looking for a location for a car factory in Brandenburg. The press release stated, "ZhiMi Technology's founder and CEO Yu Hao, along with a team, traveled to Germany to select a site for ZhiMi Auto's new factory." The company also mentioned that the location would enable ZhiMi Auto to leverage the region's established local supply chain to service important automotive components, significantly shorten the R&D cycle, reduce logistics costs, and ensure an efficient network across Europe.

Zhui Mi Technology was established in 2017 and is headquartered in Suzhou, China. It is a manufacturer of high-performance smart vacuum cleaners and robots, specializing in high-performance motors, artificial intelligence algorithms, and robotic sensors and control technologies. At the end of August this year, the company officially announced its intention to establish a second foothold in the electric vehicle business. The first product of Zhui Mi Automotive is expected to be launched in 2027. Zhui Mi Automotive has currently assembled a team of nearly 1,000 employees and continues to expand. This team includes employees from the research and development department of Zhui Mi's smart hardware business as well as personnel from the automotive industry.

The latest motor technology from Dreame Technology can reach a speed of 200,000 revolutions per minute and is currently applied in the Z50 vacuum cleaner, and it will also serve as the foundation for a planned electric luxury car. In August this year, the company stated: "In the luxury car field, there has always been a lack of truly intelligent electric supercar brands. Traditional ultra-luxury brands like Bugatti and Bentley have been slow to embrace electrification and intelligence. Dreame will redefine the ultra-luxury segment in the next automotive era."

In response to rumors about Chasing Auto's construction of a factory in Brandenburg, German economists and automotive experts...Ferdinand DudenhöfferCall for maintaining a skeptical attitude.DudenhöfferDuring an interview on Monday, it was stated that the Chinese company is currently still engaged in the vacuum cleaner and lawn mower business. Transitioning from vacuum cleaners to cars is a significant step, even though they announced plans to hire 1,000 engineers. Dreame Technology is not the first vacuum cleaner manufacturer with ambitions in the electric vehicle market.DudenhöfferDyson's similar plan was mentioned; the company also focuses on household appliances, but its plan to enter the automotive industry ultimately failed.Dudenhöffer"Suggest to calmly observe the matter and maintain a skeptical attitude instead of immediately cheering."

German environmentalists also have concerns. The "Brandenburg Nature and Agriculture Association," established in 2021, sees clear similarities with Tesla's establishment in Grünheide, and this association has consistently appeared as a critic of Tesla's settlement in Brandenburg. During the process of Tesla's establishment in Grünheide, there was a lack of transparency and citizen participation. The negotiations between Tesla and the Brandenburg Ministry of Economic Affairs remained confidential, and then the company suddenly announced a lightning-fast start to construction.

The association is concerned that the location of the Chasing Car may be near the A12 highway in a new industrial park close to Fürstenwalde in Oder-Spree. In fact, state and local governments plan to designate a 240-hectare "industrial and commercial reserve area" there. Similar to the Tesla incident, a citizens' initiative organization was established locally a few months after the announcement of the Fürstenwalde project, with members opposing the project. The reasons include potential deforestation and other impacts on nature caused by the industrial settlement. The initiative organization criticizes that "the factory is expected to require a large amount of water, energy, and labor," and warns of possible "serious ecological and social consequences."

It may take several more years for the Oder-Spree district to be developed. Additionally, for industrial settlements like electric vehicle factories, the area is actually too small. Sascha Gehm, the councilor responsible for the Oder-Spree district, confirmed this. He stated that the industrial park near Fürstenwalde is not yet ready. The process is currently in the preparatory stage and still requires many resolutions from city councilors and community representatives. Gehm mentioned that there are no other potential sites in the area for such settlements, and in his view, there is simply no such capacity. For a mega-factory, he believes that even within the next five years, there will not be enough space available.

The management department of the city of Fürstenwalde has taken a similar stance, neither confirming nor denying, but welcoming the establishment of the factory. Mayor Matthias Rudolph stated, "We only learned about the intention to settle from the media. While this would be a huge fortune for the city of Fürstenwalde, we currently have no reason to be pleased."