Tesla halted production at its German factory on Tuesday after attackers reportedly set fire to high-voltage power lines nearby, cutting power to the US electric carmaker’s only European plant, the company and authorities said.
Emergency services were called to reports of a burning electricity pylon southeast of Berlin in the early hours of the morning, in the area where the factory is located, and firefighters extinguished the blaze.
But it knocked out power to Tesla’s factory – which is set to open in 2022 after a long, drawn-out process – as well as nearby villages, prompting police to launch a suspected arson investigation.
Environmental activists opposed to a planned expansion of the factory run by Elon Musk’s company recently set up a camp near the plant, but police declined to investigate whether there was a link between the group and the fire.
Chemicals giant Bayer rules out ‘for now’ breaking up after massive loss
Michael Stuebgen, interior minister for the state of Brandenburg, said that “if the initial findings are confirmed, this is a fraudulent attack on our electricity infrastructure”.
“Thousands of people have been cut off from their essential supply and put at risk. The rule of law will react to such an act of sabotage with the utmost severity.”
However, he cautioned against “premature speculation” about who might be responsible.
Tesla said in a statement that the production facility in Gruenheide was in a “safe state” after the shutdown and workers were sent home.
“We are in close contact with the authorities and of course (electricity supplier) Edis. At the moment we are not in a position to say when production is expected to resume,” he said.
It is the latest problem to hit the factory.
In January, most production at the site was halted for two weeks due to a lack of parts after shipping delays caused by Yemeni rebel attacks on the Red Sea, a vital trade route.
Supercharged EU armed – finally – to take on tech titans
Controversial expansion
The plant began production in 2022 after an arduous two-year approval and construction process with administrative and legal hurdles.
Tesla hopes to expand the site by 170 hectares (420 acres) and increase production to up to one million vehicles a year to feed Europe’s growing demand for electric cars and counter rivals moving away from combustion engine vehicles .
However, the plans have sparked outrage from local residents, who voted against the project in a non-binding vote last month.
After the vote, Tesla said it might have to reconsider the plans.
“We recognize that the citizens of Gruenheide have concerns regarding the planned expansion of the site,” the company said.
Last week, environmental activists opposed to the plans set up a treetop camp near the plant, in an area of forest that the automaker would have to destroy if the expansion goes ahead.
WTO ministers struggle to forge fish, farm and digital deals
In addition to deforestation, activists worry that the expansion would threaten local drinking water supplies.
Tesla also has plenty of headaches elsewhere.
In Sweden, the car industry is facing a strike that has lasted more than four months over its refusal to sign a collective wage agreement.
And in January, the company reported lower fourth-quarter operating profit despite higher revenue, while warning of slower sales volume growth this year.
Source: AFP