Tesla’s Berlin plant shuts down operations after suspected arson cuts power
Tesla’s plant in Germany was forced to close after a suspected arson at a nearby substation. Brandenburg Police said that it was believed attackers deliberately set a high-voltage electric pole on fire, damaging the electrical line and cutting off power to the surrounding area including the Tesla plant.
Interior Minister Michael Stubgen condemned the suspected arson, saying there would be consequences.
The Berlin-Brandenburg Gigafactory is Tesla’s only plant in Europe.
Tesla employees evacuated a plant near Berlin Tuesday after a substation that provides electricity to the facility caught fire in a possible arson attack.
“Here, thousands of people were cut off from basic services and put at risk,” Stubgen said. “The rule of law will react to such an act of sabotage with all severity.”
The State Office of Criminal Investigation said it had launched an investigation into the incident.
The far-left environmental organization Volcano Group made unsubstantiated claims that it had set the fire.
In a letter claiming responsibility, the group said it sought the “complete destruction of Tesla’s Gigafactory.”
The factory was evacuated and production was shut down. It was not immediately clear if production would restart Tuesday.
Authorities said it was unclear whether the fire was related to those protests.
Analyst comment
Negative news: Tesla’s Berlin plant shuts down operations after suspected arson cuts power.
As an analyst, this incident will likely have a short-term negative impact on Tesla’s market due to production shutdown and potential setbacks in meeting delivery targets. However, once the investigation concludes and operations resume, the market is expected to normalize.
