Elon Musk’s Tesla halts production at German factory after suspected arson attack, billionaire says ‘extremely stupid’

Reports of a burning electricity pylon near the Tesla plant, southeast of Berlin, prompted the early summoning of emergency personnel on Tuesday.

Although the fire was put out, the electric car factory in the state of Brandenburg and the nearby communities lost electricity due to damage to the power cables.

According to police, they have launched an investigation into suspected arson.

The Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group), a group of far-left activists, claimed responsibility for the act, reported Al Jazeera.

“With our sabotage, we have set ourselves the goal of achieving the biggest possible blackout of the Gigafactory,” the group said in a statement.

The group expressed worries over the plant’s effects on the local water supply and the environment, and said “We feel connected to all the people who won’t let Tesla turn the tap off.”

Referring to the possible attackers, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, wrote on X, “These are either the dumbest eco-terrorists on Earth or they’re puppets of those who don’t have good environmental goals.”

“Stopping production of electric vehicles, rather than fossil fuel vehicles, ist extrem dumm,” he added, using German to say “is extremely stupid”, according to Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, the interior minister for Brandenburg, Michael Stuebgen, stated that arson would be “a perfidious attack on our electricity infrastructure” if it is proven, according to Al Jazeera.

“Thousands of people have been cut off from their basic supply and put in danger. The rule of law will react to such an act of sabotage with the utmost severity,” the minister said.

In the surrounding towns and villages, electricity was restored after a few hours, but Tesla was left without power, and officials predicted that it would take many days to restore it at the facility.

With the factory’s opening in March 2022, Tesla faced up against the domestic German automakers.

The power interruption coincided with anti-Tesla expansion demonstrations being held in a nearby woodland by environmental groups. Numerous activists have constructed treehouses and erected tents. 

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Published: 06 Mar 2024, 07:39 AM IST