Aan extreme environmental group calling itself the “Volcano Group” set fire to a high-voltage power tower near Tesla’s German factory on Tuesday, causing the factory to suspend production. The fire caused damage to some factory facilities, and coupled with the losses caused by the suspension of production, Tesla’s economic losses will further expand.
Tesla said that its “Gigafactory” in Germany would suspend production until March 17, longer than previously expected.
The fire also spread to surrounding areas, leaving more than 60,000 residents without power and raising concerns about damage to critical infrastructure and vandalism.
The “Volcano Team” admitted the attack in a subsequent statement, and used insulting words to call Tesla CEO Elon Musk, claiming it was a “misery” and said it would destroy the Tesla factory and expel “Techno-fascists” like Elon Musk are a necessary step in “liberating patriarchal oppression.”
Andre Thierig, a senior Tesla factory manager, estimated that the economic cost of the production shutdown could reach “hundreds of millions of euros,” as about 1,000 cars per day are unable to be produced. The factory in Grünheide is Tesla’s first in Europe and is responsible for producing the Model Y for several European markets, including Germany.
Due to the power outage caused by the fire, the plant’s backup system is unable to operate properly and currently relies on power from a local substation that is disconnected from the grid. Damage to the ventilation system forced all 12,500 workers at the plant to go home, with repairs likely to take days to complete.
Elon Musk calls the Volcano Team “the dumbest eco-terrorists on the planet.” The group’s attacks often target remote areas, often damaging critical infrastructure such as telecommunications networks, trains and manufacturing plants.
It is noted that this is not the first time that the “Volcano Team” has targeted the Tesla factory. They disrupted power supply to the site in May 2021 during the construction phase of the plant. Brandenburg Industry Minister Jörg Steinbach expressed solidarity with Tesla at the time and pledged to prevent further attacks.
The attack adds to Tesla’s challenges in Europe. Local residents have been concerned about the factory expansion and environmental issues.
