Arson attack by ‘eco-terrorists’ shuts down Berlin Tesla factory

TESLA has been forced to halt production at its Berlin gigafactory after a suspected arson attack by a group whom Elon Musk labelled “eco-terrorists”.

The factory, Tesla’s only car plant in Europe, was left without power after a pylon carrying high-voltage electricity lines was found on fire near the facility.

Police said the incident was being investigated as a suspected arson attack. The company said the attack would cost the company several hundred million euros.

A Left-wing group calling itself the

Vulkangruppe (“volcano group”) claimed responsibility yesterday.

“We sabotaged Tesla today,” it claimed in a 2,700-word online statement that accused the company of contaminating local drinking water and chief executive Mr Musk of “militarising the road” with cars as a “weapon”.

“Together we are bringing Tesla to its knees. Switch off for Tesla,” the letter added. “We therefore lit a beacon against capital, patriarchy, colonialism and Tesla.”

Tesla has evacuated the factory and suspended production amid the power cut, which has also hit thousands of local residents.

Plant manager Andre Thierig said the damages would be in the “high, nine-figure area” and that it was unclear when production could start again. Tesla shares fell by 4.6pc in New York.

Writing on Twitter, Mr Musk said: “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 [German for “is extremely stupid”].”

Michael Stuebgen, the interior minister for Brandenburg state, where the factory is based, said: “If initial findings are confirmed, this is a perfidious attack on our electricity infrastructure. Thousands of people have been cut off from their basic supply and put in danger.”

Dietmar Woidke, the head of the Brandenburg local government, said: “Attacks on our critical infrastructure are a form of terrorism.”

Tesla has faced local protests over its plans to double the gigafactory’s production. Residents in the municipality of Grunheide have voted against the expansion and activists have camped out in the woods that the company plans to clear as part of this.

A Tesla spokesman said: “We are working closely with the electricity supplier and the authorities. Both have confirmed an attack. We don’t yet know when production can start again. It will take more than a few hours.”

‘Stopping production of electric vehicles, rather than fossil fuel vehicles, ist extrem dumm’