Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, lashed out at groups he called “stupid eco-terrorists” after the attack on his car factory near Berlin, which was carried out by extreme leftists, on Tuesday, reports Al Jazeera Balkans.
The attack on the Tesla car factory caused a power outage.
Emergency services were called early Tuesday after reports of a power pole burning southeast of Berlin near a Tesla factory.
The fire was extinguished, but the damage to the power lines cut off the power supply to the electric car factory, which is located in Brandenburg province, as well as to the surrounding villages.
“Either they are the stupidest eco-terrorists in the world or they are just pawns of those who do not have good intentions towards the environment,” Musk wrote on the X platform, reports Hina.
“Stopping the production of electric vehicles, rather than fossil fuel vehicles, is extremely stupid,” wrote the head of Tesla, and he wrote the last part of the sentence in German (ist extrem dumm).
A burning electric pole caused a power outage in the factory area and production stopped at the European plant for Tesla vehicles – Grunhide.
The factory had to be evacuated.
Members of the radical left-wing group Vulkangruppe claimed responsibility for the attack.
In the email, they accused the American car manufacturer of “extreme conditions of exploitation”.
“With our sabotage, we set ourselves the goal of achieving the greatest possible blackout of the Gigafactory,” the group’s statement reads.
The group highlighted concerns about the plant’s environmental impact and its effect on local water supplies.
“We feel a connection with all the people who will not let Tesla turn off the tap,” added the group.
The police announced that they had launched an investigation into suspected arson.
Michael Stuebgen, Brandenburg’s interior minister, said that if arson was confirmed, it would be a “treacherous attack on the electricity infrastructure”.
“Thousands of people were cut off from basic supplies and put in danger. The rule of law will react most strongly to such an act of sabotage,” he said.
Power was restored after several hours in nearby towns and villages, but the factory remained without power and authorities said it would likely take several days to restore it.
Tesla opened a factory in March 2022, challenging German automakers on their home turf.
