An environmental protest has halted production of electric cars at the Tesla factory in Grünheide, near Berlin, Germany. At first light, some activists set fire to an electricity pylon, causing a power outage in the factory and forcing the company founded by Elon Musk to stop production. The action was claimed by Vulkangruppe, a far-left group that previously attacked a Tesla construction site in 2021. In a letter published following the sabotage, activists accuse Tesla of forcing its employees to “extreme operating conditions” and require the complete destruction of the site. the Gigafactory. The company, Vulkangruppe attacks, “devours land, resources, people and labor and spits out 6,000 SUVs, killer cars and monster trucks every week.”
Stopping production
Elon Musk himself comments on this morning's sabotage and writes on Stopping the production of electric vehicles, rather than gasoline or diesel cars, is “extremely stupid,” the Tesla founder adds directly in German. In the meantime, his company finds itself faced with an unexpected event that risks costing it dearly. This morning's fire could suspend production at the Grünheide factory for at least the whole week, with an estimated loss of several hundred million euros. Today alone, said factory director André Thierig, production of more than a thousand cars was lost.
The controversy factory
The Grünheide factory is the only Tesla factory in Europe and has been producing electric cars for almost two years and employs around 12,500 people. Recently, the American automaker announced plans to expand the factory. A prospect that does not please residents of the region, who rejected Musk's plan in a local referendum in February. The vote is not binding, but Tesla mediators said they would try to work with the community to find a solution. The company's goal is to expand production to one million cars per year.
Cover photo: EPA/Filip Singer | The environmental protest in front of the Tesla factory in Gruenheide, Germany (March 5, 2024)
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