Thursday 7, March
Arson attack halts production at Tesla Gigafactory
On Tuesday morning, a group of then-unidentified perpetrators set fire to a power pylon supplying energy to the Tesla Gigafactory in Grüneheide, outside Berlin. Tens of thousands of residents in the region were also affected by the power outage, as reported by rbb. The left-wing extremist Vulkan activist group has since claimed responsibility for the attack. The group is accusing Tesla of “extreme conditions of exploitation”.
The mood among people living in Grüneheide has been less than enthusiastic about Tesla. In a recent local survey, around two-thirds of community members rejected a planned expansion of the gigafactory to include a freight yard and warehouse on an adjacent site. More than 100 hectares of forest are to be cleared for the expansion. The manager of the Tesla Gigafactory, André Thierig, has expressed concern and sees a “very critical underlying mood that to some extent fuels such behaviour.”
After Tuesday’s arson attack, the East Brandenburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) and the German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK) have expressed worry about future investments in the region and stressed the need for more security around critical infrastructure.
