The American electric vehicle maker Tesla was forced to halt production at its European factory near Berlin due to deliberate arson, according to both the company and local authorities.
“During the early hours, there was a power outage on the public grid likely caused by an intentional fire, leading to production stopping,” a Tesla spokeswoman told AFP, noting that employees had been sent home and it was unclear when production would resume.
The factory officially opened in 2022 and is now known as the "gigafactory", is Tesla’s only establishment in Europe and employs around 11,500 staffers.
This facility, which predominantly produces the Model Y, holds the top rank for electric car sales on the continent.
The regional government disclosed that the “intentional fire” targeted a nearby power pylon. "Thousands of people have been cut off from basic supply and are in danger,” the government stated, labelling it a "sabotage".
Local police are currently investigating with "suspicion of arson". The site of the factory based in Grünheide, a woodland area south of Berlin, has been under criticism since Tesla filed to expand it by 170 hectares.
During an advisory vote held by the municipality in late February, residents expressed their opposition to the project and their concerns mainly regarding the gigafactory’s significant water consumption.
Last Thursday, environmental activists started occupying a forest near the factory to protest against the expansion plans, building tree houses to prevent any construction work.
The police have declined to speculate a potential connection between the fire and the protest camp, a spokeswoman informed AFP on Tuesday.
If approved, the site’s expansion, which hasn’t received a final decision yet, aims to double the production.
Currently, Elon Musk’s German facility produces more than 250,000 electric cars annually, targeting half a million units eventually.
