Current:Home > MarketsTesla's Giga Berlin plant in Germany shut down by suspected arson fire -VitalWealth Strategies
Tesla's Giga Berlin plant in Germany shut down by suspected arson fire
View
Date:2025-04-12 11:23:57
Berlin — Tesla's "gigafactory" near Berlin was evacuated Tuesday after a fire and major power outage that was being investigated as a suspected case of arson. Police in the state of Brandenburg said they were inspecting a letter the force had received claiming that a far-left environmental organization known as Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group) was responsible for the fire, but that it had yet to be authenticated.
With operations at the massive Tesla plant still suspended Wednesday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told the daily newspaper Rheinische Post that "if a left-wing extremist motive is confirmed, then this is further proof that left-wing extremists do not even shy away from serious attacks on our energy infrastructure."
An area around the factory in Grünheide, about 30 miles east of Berlin, experienced power cuts from early Tuesday morning. Police said they were investigating the possibility of an arson attack after a fire damaged an electricity pylon in the area.
"If the initial findings are confirmed, this is a perfidious attack on our electricity infrastructure," said Brandenburg state Interior Minister Michael Stübgen. "This will have consequences. Thousands of people have been cut off from their basic supply and put in danger."
According to a statement released by the ministry, unknown perpetrators were believed to have set fire to the high-voltage pylon in the eastern part of the state in the early morning hours. The fire damaged the high-voltage line to such an extent that the power supply to the surrounding villages and Tesla's nearby Giga Berlin plant were cut, leading to the evacuation and complete halt in production at the U.S. automaker's only European factory.
Tesla founder Elon Musk ridiculed the apparent activist attack in a post on his social media platform X, even mocking them in German.
"These are either the dumbest eco-terrorists on Earth or they're puppets of those who don't have good environmental goals," Musk said in the post. "Stopping production of electric vehicles, rather than fossil fuel vehicles, ist extrem dumm."
Tesla said it did not expect production to resume this week, and it estimated the cost to its operations at several hundred million euros.
The Brandenburg State Office of Criminal Investigation confirmed that an investigation was launched.
The letter sent to the Brandenburg Police and attributed to the Volcano Group, which is considered a left-wing extremist organization in Germany, calls for the "complete destruction of Tesla's Gigafactory," according to local media reports.
Regional authorities did not immediately draw any connection with protests that have taken place recently around the Tesla factory.
Since Feb. 29, around 80 to 100 environmental activists have occupied part of a state forest in Brandenburg near the Tesla plant, which Elon Musk's company hopes to clear to expand its site.
"I warn against premature speculation," Stübgen said about any possible link.
- In:
- Tesla
- Elon Musk
- Arson
- Environment
- Fire
- Germany
Anna Noryskiewicz is a CBS News journalist based in Berlin, Germany, who covers politics, conflict and crime in Europe and beyond. Anna worked previously for a range of global outlets including BBC News, NPR and Al Jazeera. She speaks five languages, including Mandarin, German, Polish and Russian.
Twitter InstagramveryGood! (28)
Related
- Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
- 12 Clean, Cruelty-Free & Sustainable Beauty Brands to Add to Your Routine
- Love Is Blind's Paul Peden Accuses Vanessa Lachey of Having Personal Bias at Reunion
- Truck makers lobby to weaken U.S. climate policies, report finds
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Vecinos en Puerto Rico se apoyan, mientras huracanes ponen a prueba al gobierno
- Climate change likely helped cause deadly Pakistan floods, scientists find
- Working With Tribes To Co-Steward National Parks
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- We're Obsessed With the Mermaidcore Aesthetic for Summer: 17 Wearable Pieces to Take on the Trend
Ranking
- 'Kraven the Hunter' spoilers! Let's dig into that twisty ending, supervillain reveal
- More than 100 people are dead and dozens are missing in storm-ravaged Philippines
- Pulling Back The Curtain On Our Climate Migration Reporting
- 5 New Year's resolutions to reduce your carbon footprint
- Sam Taylor
- Kylie Jenner Is Dating Timothée Chalamet After Travis Scott Breakup
- The ozone layer is on track to recover in the coming decades, the United Nations says
- Glee’s Kevin McHale Regrets Not Praising Cory Monteith’s Acting Ability More Before His Death
Recommendation
North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
Here's what happened on Friday at the U.N.'s COP27 climate talks
Love Is Blind's Paul Peden Accuses Vanessa Lachey of Having Personal Bias at Reunion
Al Gore helped launch a global emissions tracker that keeps big polluters honest
Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
The Myth of Plastic Recycling
Bill Hader Confirms Romance With Ali Wong After Months of Speculation
Heat Can Take A Deadly Toll On Humans