Left-Wing Extremist Group Sabotages Tesla Factory in Berlin

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A left-wing extremist group known as Vulkangruppe has claimed responsibility for an arson attack at a Tesla factory near Berlin. The group justified their actions as a protest against the car manufacturer, which led to a halt in production on Tuesday.

Discovery of Fire at Electricity Mast

The fire was discovered on Tuesday morning at an electricity mast near the factory. This resulted in a power outage, leading to the evacuation of the factory. Firefighters were quickly on the scene to extinguish the blaze. Currently, local authorities are investigating the incident.

Impact on Tesla’s Production

Following discussions with the local power supplier, Tesla concluded that production cannot be quickly resumed. In a letter obtained by the DPA news agency, Vulkangruppe stated, “We sabotaged Tesla today.”

Tesla has been under criticism for allegedly exceeding wastewater limits at its factory in the eastern state of Brandenburg. Protesters have also been demonstrating against Tesla’s expansion plans for the factory, which would require deforestation. Activists have occupied the forest adjacent to the car factory since last week, and local residents have also expressed opposition to the expansion.

Tesla’s Expansion Plans

The current German factory site covers 300 hectares, but Tesla plans to add an additional 170 hectares. This space is reportedly needed for a freight train station, storage halls, and a childcare facility for employees. The factory currently produces around 300,000 cars annually, but Tesla aims to increase the production capacity to 1 million.

Elon Musk’s Response

In response to the incident, Tesla CEO Elon Musk referred to the culprits as “the world’s dumbest eco-warriors or puppets of those without good climate goals.” Musk criticised the move as extremely foolish, arguing it hampers the production of electric vehicles rather than fossil fuel vehicles.