The Tesla logo appears on the Tesla factory building in Berlin, Germany on February 22, 2024. On the southeastern outskirts of Berlin, within the Gruenheide district, local residents voice their opposition to the expansion plans of American electric car manufacturer Tesla's first car factory in Europe.
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a Tesla A factory outside Berlin was forced to halt production on Tuesday after an electrical substation was set on fire in a suspected arson attack.
Reuters quoted the German newspaper Berliner Zeitung as saying that electricity was cut off from the Gruenheide factory, located southeast of the German capital, as well as parts of the city. The newspaper added that bomb disposal units were sent to the site.
Brandenburg police told CNBC that the incident initially appeared to be arson and added that they were currently investigating who was responsible. Tesla was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
Tesla's Frankfurt-listed shares fell 2.4% at 12:20 pm local time, while its US-listed shares fell 2% in pre-market trading.
Der Spiegel magazine reported that police received a phone call alerting them to the burning electricity pole in the Gusen-Neu Zittau area at around 5:15 a.m. local time. She added that the Tesla factory had been evacuated.
This comes at a time when Tesla's expansion plans for the Gruenheide factory have faced fierce opposition.
The US automaker aims to double its capacity to 100 GWh of battery production and 1 million cars annually. However, local residents last month voted against plans to remove nearby trees to make way for the expanded plant.
BZ newspaper linked the fire to environmental activists in a nearby area. CNBC has not been able to independently verify the report, and local police have reportedly not commented on any possible connection.
Environmental activists began occupying a forest near Tesla's Gruenheide factory last week to protest expansion plans. The occupation began late Wednesday, with protesters building dozens of treehouses throughout the wooded area. The camp is expected to last one week, although a spokeswoman for the “Stop Tesla” campaign group told DW on Sunday that “the longer the occupation lasts the better.”
In 2021, far-left activists claimed responsibility for a fire at Tesla's Gruenheide site, which was under construction at the time.
