Grünheide, Germany – Power was restored earlier than anticipated at the Tesla Gigafactory outside Berlin after being out for a week due to arson, according to the factory’s chief on Monday. The outage was caused by an arson attack on a nearby electricity pylon by a far-left activist group called Vulkangruppe, or the Volcano Group, on March 5.
Andre Theirig, senior director of manufacturing at Giga Berlin, announced on LinkedIn that the power supply had been restored and preparations for restarting production were underway. E.dis, a division of German energy network firm E.ON, confirmed that the factory had been reconnected to the power grid over the weekend.
Tesla, which employs approximately 12,500 staff at the factory, stated that production would gradually resume following the restoration of power. The company mentioned that it was uncertain how long it would take to fully resume production.
The outage had disrupted Tesla’s production goal of 1,000 cars per day, leading to potential damages costing hundreds of millions of euros. The arson attack was claimed by the Volcano Group in a letter distributed to local media, criticizing Tesla and CEO Elon Musk. The authenticity of the letter, signed “Agua De Pau,” is currently being investigated by the police.
Musk condemned the arson attack last week, calling those responsible either “the dumbest eco-terrorists on Earth” or puppets of individuals with questionable environmental motives. The attack was described as a gift for International Women’s Day, accusing Tesla of consuming earth, resources, and people while producing thousands of vehicles weekly.
Despite the setback, Tesla resumed production with the reconnection to the power grid, with Theirig expressing gratitude to E.DIS for their swift actions. The company noted that it will take some time to fully resume operations.
The ordeal highlights the challenges faced by Tesla as it navigates through intense competition and disruptions, underscoring the importance of a stable energy supply for manufacturing operations.
Authorities continue to investigate the arson attack at the Tesla Gigafactory in Grünheide near Berlin, underscoring the need for heightened security measures to prevent such incidents in the future. Tesla remains determined to overcome hurdles and continue its mission towards sustainable and innovative transportation solutions.