A small far-left German group claimed “sabotage” on Tuesday after forcing American electric car giant Tesla to close its major European factory near Berlin, with damage estimated by the group at hundreds of millions of euros.
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The action taken against Tesla “aims to achieve the greatest possible shutdown of the manufacturer’s Gigafactory,” said the “Vulkan Group” in a statement published on Indymedia, a platform for left-wing extremist activists.
This movement, known to the German secret service, had already claimed responsibility for an arson attack on a Tesla construction site in 2021.
He claims to have been involved in the arson that knocked out an electricity pylon near the Tesla site south of the German capital in the early hours of the morning.
The American manufacturer's factory, the only one of its kind in Europe, had to stop production due to the power outage, which also affected surrounding communities.
The American manufacturer already estimates that the economic damage amounts to “a nine-figure amount”, with “no clear view” as to when production can resume, explained André Thierig, the factory's director.
“We have more than 12,000 employees who we cannot continue to employ at the moment,” he added.
“The head of Tesla, Elon Musk, reacted to his platform environment,” he criticized.
“It is extremely stupid to stop producing electric vehicles instead of fossil fuel vehicles,” he added.
“Killing Machines”
Tesla “eats land, resources, people, workers and spits out 6,000 SUVs, killing machines and monster trucks every week,” denounces the “Volcano” report.
Activists accuse the factory of “polluting the groundwater table and using enormous amounts of the already scarce drinking water resource for its products.”
Tesla's Gigafactory, inaugurated in 2022, produces the American manufacturer's flagship SUV, the Model Y, for consumers on the European continent.
Its construction in a forested area of the Brandenburg region, which surrounds Berlin, sparked opposition from environmental groups. Their concerns were revived by Tesla's plan to expand the site to double production capacity.
In a consultative vote by residents of the affected community in February, a large majority spoke out against the extension.
The fire occurred as environmental activists began occupying a forest near the factory on Thursday to oppose expansion projects.
The German environmental NGO Robin Wood, which is taking part in this protest movement, has rejected “any connection” with the sabotage.
The police announced the initiation of an investigation into suspected arson, and the local authorities also denounced an intentional act.
Scandinavia
This is a new problem for Elon Musk's company in Europe, which is already embroiled in a social conflict in Sweden and has slowed deliveries through attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea.
The group's German factory currently produces more than 250,000 electric cars per year, with the long-term goal being 500,000 units.
Production in Grünheide had already stopped in January due to problems with the supply of spare parts, while cargo ships crossing the Red Sea were subject to attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
In addition, Elon Musk's company is facing hostility from Scandinavian unions in its workshops and reloading stations.
The conflict initially broke out in Sweden, where, as in Germany, the American refused to sign an industry collective agreement to protect its employees.
The Swedish union has been on strike for four months, followed by Danish and Norwegian workers.
This deteriorating social climate is contributing to growing business challenges. The American company sees its first place on the podium of electric car manufacturers being questioned by the emergence of new competitors. In the last quarter of 2023, the Chinese BYD has already overtaken the American one in sales.