Turns out that Tesla, maker of electric cars, ain’t as environmentally friendly as one would assume. The German government decided to gift Tesla a rather hefty fine of $14 million for failing to take back and dispose of depleted batteries in a safe and environmentally friendly way. German law mandates that all-electric car manufacturers comply with federal battery disposal procedures. Tesla was simply fined for breaching the battery disposal law.

The law requires makers of electric cars to take-back battery packs under end-of-lifecycle rules. Certainly not a good look for Tesla. Or as Claire Pleasants would say, “not the right fit” for a company that is currently building a brand new European production facility in Berlin. Although Tesla can easily afford to pay the fine it is proceeding with filing an objection.

However, paying bills is also becoming a problem for Tesla’s new German factory. A few weeks ago, the company failed to pay it’s water bills, construction work was halted and only allowed to restart until the bill was settled.