Tesla Inc. has suspended production at its plant near Berlin due to the arson of a high-voltage pole, for which a group of activists claimed responsibility, and an investigation has been launched, UNN reports with reference to Bloomberg.
Details
Tesla Inc. has suspended production at its factory in the small town of Grünheide, due to a suspected arson attack on a nearby high voltage pole, which caused power outages across the region.
Brandenburg police have launched an investigation using helicopters, drones and sniffer dogs to determine whether the fire in Gozen Neu-Zittau was deliberately set.
A Tesla spokesperson in Germany said that the company is currently unable to determine when production will resume.
According to available data, police suspect arson
The organization, Volcano Group, claimed responsibility for the fire.
We sabotaged Tesla today
In Grünheide, the Tesla plant has been facing opposition from local residents and environmental groups for some time now.
Last week, activists set up camp in the forest to protest a possible expansion of the plant, which led to a conflict with local residents. One of the groups, which calls itself Stop Tesla, expressed solidarity with the factory workers and local residents, but refused to comment on the fire that broke out near the facility.
We use our bodies and tree houses to resist the expansion of the factory. In doing so, we do not endanger human life
Dietmar Woedke, the Prime Minister of Brandenburg, said that if the arson is confirmed, this crime will be treated as a terrorist act, which will be investigated by the federal prosecutor's office.
Recall
Local residents living near the site of Tesla's large German factory in Grünheide voted against plans to expand the facility in a non-binding public poll conducted by local authorities. But the vote is not binding, and local authorities can still make this decision.