Tesla German Plant Halts Production After Sabotage Claimed By Far-left Group

Esla halted production at its German factory Tuesday after power lines supplying the electric carmaker's only European plant were set on fire in an act of sabotage claimed by a far-left group

Frankfurt, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Mar, 2024) Tesla halted production at its German factory Tuesday after power lines supplying the electric carmaker's only European plant were set on fire in an act of sabotage claimed by a far-left group.

Tesla owner Elon Musk tweeted in German that the attack was "extremely dumb", while the company said it would cost it several hundred million Euros and it was unclear when production might resume.

Emergency services were called in the early hours of Tuesday to reports of a burning electricity pylon southeast of Berlin, close to the Tesla plant.

The blaze was extinguished but damage to the lines knocked out power to the US carmaker's factory, as well as surrounding villages.

After police said they had launched an investigation into suspected arson the act was claimed by far-left activists from the so-called Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group).

"With our sabotage, we have set ourselves the goal of achieving the biggest possible blackout of the Gigafactory," the group said in a statement posted on a far-left website.

The activists highlighted concerns about the environmental impact of the plant and the local water supply, at a time when Tesla is seeking to expand the site.

An outfit going by the same name claimed responsibility for an arson attack on the power supply of the Tesla plant in 2021, according to a report from domestic intelligence services the same year.

The latest attack was highly disruptive, with more than 12,000 workers at the site currently unable to do their jobs.

"We currently have no clear visibility when we can start production again," plant manager Andre Thierig told a press conference, adding that the damages will reach the "high, nine-figure area".

Musk said on X, formerly Twitter, that "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'."