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Tesla has been forced to halt production at its giant Berlin factory following an alleged arson attack through an organization that Elon Musk has “eco-terrorists. “
The factory, the only Tesla car factory in Europe, lost power after a pole with high-voltage power lines caught fire near the facility.
Police said the incident was being investigated because arson was suspected. The company said the attack would cost it several hundred million euros.
A leftist calling himself “Vulkangruppe” (“volcano”) took office on Tuesday.
“Today we sabotaged Tesla,” he said in a 2,700-word statement, accusing the company of polluting local drinking water and Musk of “weaponizing the road” with cars as a “weapon. “
“Together we will bring Tesla to its knees. Let’s shut down Tesla,” the letter adds. “That’s how we lit a beacon in the capital, patriarchy, colonialism and Tesla. “
Tesla evacuated the factory and suspended production due to the forced outage, which also affected thousands of residents.
Andre Thierig, who runs the plant, said the damage would be in the “nine-figure high zone” and it was unclear when production could resume. Tesla shares fell 4. 6% in New York.
On Twitter, Musk, Tesla’s chief executive, said: “Either they’re the dumbest eco-terrorists on the planet or the puppets of those who don’t have smart environmental goals. Stopping the production of electric vehicles, which fossil fuel vehicles, is extremely foolish [in German “it’s incredibly stupid]. “
Michael Stuebgen, interior minister of the state of Brandenburg, where the plant is located, said: “If the initial results are confirmed, this is a treacherous attack on our electric power infrastructure.
“Thousands of people have been deprived of critical materials and put at risk. The rule of law will react to such an act of sabotage with the utmost severity. “
Dietmar Woidke, head of Brandenburg’s local government, said: “Attacks on our critical infrastructure are a form of terrorism. What is happening now is coherent action through the rule of law.
Tesla has faced local protests over its plan to double the gigafactory’s output. Residents of the municipality of Grünheide voted against the expansion and activists camped out in the forest that the company plans to display as part of the project.
A Tesla spokesperson told German newspaper Berliner Zeitung: “We have taken all measures to protect the production facilities.
“We are in intensive negotiations with the electricity supplier and with the authorities. Both suffered a seizure. We don’t yet know when production will resume. This will take more than a few hours. About 12,500 more people work at the factory.
The Vulkangruppe group claimed the installation of a chimney near the plant in 2021, when the plant was being installed. At the time, he stated, “Tesla is not green, it’s not ecological, it’s not social. Our chimney opposes the lie of The Green Car.
Tesla has applied for permission to double the capacity of its giant Berlin factory, which will allow it to produce 1 million cars a year, but has faced growing opposition over operating situations and the impact on the local countryside.
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