- A suspected arson incident near Tesla’s German factory caused a power outage and halted production activities, with preliminary investigations indicating intentional fire-setting near high-voltage power lines.
- Despite being extinguished, the fire led to an evacuation of factory employees, disrupting production, which could not resume until power was restored.
- Tesla’s expansion plans for the Gruenheide factory faced opposition due to environmental concerns, and CEO Elon Musk strongly criticized the incident, labelling it as foolish and condemning the suspected perpetrators.
On Tuesday, a suspected arson incident occurred near Tesla‘s German factory, causing a power outage and halting production activities. Tesla’s super factory in Germany is located in Gruenheide, southeast of Berlin. Local police stated that the fire had been extinguished and did not spread to the Tesla factory.
Also read: Tesla is set to construct a new $25,000 EV model by mid-2025
Also read: Tesla pay hike: Labor relations versus rapid growth
The Tesla factory was affected by the power outage
According to the Brandenburg State Ministry of the Interior, preliminary investigations indicate that unidentified perpetrators are suspected of intentionally setting fire to high-voltage power lines near the Tesla factory. It is reported that both the Tesla factory and its surrounding areas were affected by the power outage.
A Tesla spokesperson stated that factory employees had been evacuated urgently, and production activities had ceased due to the power outage, with no certainty about when production could resume. As Tesla’s fifth global factory, the Gruenheide factory began production in March 2022 and, at full capacity, can produce 500,000 cars per year.
The Gruenheide factory will be the largest electric vehicle factory in Europe
Tesla aims to make the Gruenheide factory the largest electric vehicle factory in Europe and plans to expand the factory to increase its annual production capacity to 1 million vehicles. However, Tesla’s expansion plans involve clearing over 100 hectares of forest, which has sparked opposition from environmentalists and some local groups concerned about potential impacts on the region’s water supply.
In a vote in mid-February, the majority of Gruenheide residents opposed Tesla’s expansion plans, but the final decision still lies with the local government. Responding to the fire near the German factory that led to production halts, Tesla CEO Elon Musk stated on social media platform X that stopping production of electric cars, rather than fossil fuel cars, is an extremely foolish act. Musk strongly condemned the suspected arsonists, calling them either the dumbest eco-terrorists on Earth or puppets of those with no good environmental goals.
Image is for illustration purposes
