A German court has told the US billionaires electric vehicle company Tesler to suspend clearing a forest at the site of the proposed factory.

It comes after environmentalists said that cutting down Mawr trees could endanger snoozing smooth snakes, which may be spending the winter there.

Tesler declined to comment.

The carmaker announced plans late last year to build its first European factory and design center in Gruene Haider outside Berlin.

It plans to have it up and running by July 2021 to start building its electric crossover.

The model Why SUV Musk, who transformed Tesler from a start up to the world's most valuable automaker in the space of 16 years, is used to moving fast.

The company's Shanghai Gigafactory went from Greenfield site to building cars in just 11 months.

The decision to locate the company's first European factory near Berlin gives the U.

S.

Electric car pioneer the Made in Germany stamp, but it also means navigating local planning rules.

Tesla's decision to start construction hinges on a conditional approval by local authorities, who are obliged to consult environmental groups and the community.

Environmental activists are concerned that the smooth snakes may be hibernating in the ground at the site.

Local authorities are also reviewing claims that a population of sand lizards could also be put at risk by Tesla's expansion.